What is PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can occur after you experience or witness a traumatic event. This can include experiences like combat, physical or sexual assault, natural disasters, or serious accidents like a car wreck. It is normal to have stress reactions to these types of events including symptoms like upsetting memories, feeling on edge, or difficulty sleeping. Most people start to feel better after several weeks.
 

PTSD impacts about 6% of the general population and about 11-20% of Veterans. Symptoms of PTSD include re-experiencing the traumatic event (e.g., nightmares, intense memories), avoidance of reminders of the traumatic event, changes to a person’s emotions and thoughts, and increased reactivity (e.g., startling easily, difficulty sleeping). These symptoms can vary across people depending on the traumatic event they experienced as well as their beliefs and interpretations of their experience after the fact. For some people, PTSD symptoms may start well after their traumatic event, or may come and go over time.

While PTSD can significantly impact an individual’s quality of life, it is important to know there are effective treatments for PTSD. Evidence based psychotherapies, such as Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing have all been shown to be effective at reducing the severity of PTSD symptoms. These treatments typically involve meeting weekly with a therapist to work on addressing factors that may be causing or maintaining PTSD symptoms.

The National Center for PTSD website, www.ptsd.va.gov, is an excellent resource. It has information about recommended treatments and how to choose a treatment. It also provides information for family members and friends on the effects of PTSD, ways they can help, and how they can get support. The VA provides free apps for anyone to download including PTSD Coach, Beyond MST, COVID Coach, Mindfulness Coach, Path to Better Sleep, AIMS for Anger Management, and PTSD Family Coach.

For those eligible for VA services, same-day mental health appointments are available at the Sioux Falls VA Medical Center. There are outpatient psychotherapy and psychiatry services available to treat PTSD and other mental health concerns. Additional services that can positively impact mental health are whole health services such as acupuncture, massage, chiropractic care, yoga, and tai chi.