With PTSD, the brain's fear center (amygdala) becomes hyperactive, the memory-regulating hippocampus can shrink, and the prefrontal cortex (which controls emotions and thinking) becomes underactive, creating a state of chronic "fight-or-flight" with heightened threat detection, memory issues like flashbacks, and difficulty regulating emotions, essentially getting stuck in a cycle of stress.
PTSD is more than an emotional struggle — it physically rewires the brain, altering how fear is processed, memories are stored and emotions are regulated. Key brain regions affected include the amygdala, bed nucleus of the stria terminali, prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.
Survivors often struggle with intense anger and impulses. In order to suppress angry feelings and actions, they may avoid closeness. They may push away or find fault with loved ones and friends. Also, drinking and drug problems, which can be an attempt to cope with PTSD, can destroy intimacy and friendships.
Coping with the Symptoms of PTSD
Someone with PTSD may be very anxious and find it difficult to relax. They may be constantly aware of threats and easily startled. This state of mind is known as hyperarousal.
Many people with PTSD develop avoidance habits in order to steer clear of people, places, or things that remind them of the traumatic event. This type of avoidance can lead to increasing isolation and fear, which affects how you're able to make your way in the world.
"Trauma-focused" means that the treatment focuses on the traumatic event and what it means to you. The talk therapies that work best are: Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Prolonged Exposure (PE).
These triggers can be external, such as sights, sounds, smells, or locations that are associated with the trauma. They can also be internal, such as certain thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations that are similar to those experienced during the traumatic event.
Yoga, deep-breathing exercises and vitamin supplementation are some natural treatments for PTSD that show promise. Medical cannabis has been shown to help with several PTSD symptoms, including hyperarousal, troubled sleep and nightmares. It may also help with comorbid conditions such as anxiety and depression.
When our brain then recognises similarities between our present situation and our past trauma (e.g. a colour, smell or noise), it can activate the fight, flight, freeze, flop or friend response, even if we're not currently in danger.
For example, people living with PTSD may cry more often than others. So, if you've experienced traumatic events, your tears could be a trauma response. This is because PTSD is linked to an overabundance of stress, and crying can be a way to self-soothe.
Medicine. The 2 medicines recommended to treat PTSD in adults are paroxetine and sertraline. Paroxetine and sertraline are both a type of antidepressant known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
PTSD And Divorce Rates: Facts And Figures
A study conducted by the National Center for PTSD found that 60% of male veterans with PTSD reported being divorced, compared to 35% of male veterans without PTSD. Similarly, women with PTSD also reported higher rates of divorce.
What therapeutic approaches can help rewire the brain after trauma?
Imbalances in neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, have been implicated in both PTSD and depression. These imbalances can affect mood regulation, sleep patterns, and overall emotional well-being.
Returning Veterans who suffer from PTSD symptoms may realize they are “out of line” and seek to protect others from their negative emotions. In order to do so, they may feel the need to shut down all emotions, or build a safe place in which to isolate.
Cognitive therapy.
Your therapist can help you build stress management skills to help you better handle stressful situations and cope with stress in your life. Skills such as relaxation, sleep and exercise can be helpful. All these approaches can help you gain control of lasting fear after a traumatic event.
Traumatic distress has been reported to be associated with spiritual alienation, which is defined as a separation from God, the transcendent, or the divine. The ability to make sense of a traumatic event in a way that “fits” with one's previous beliefs has also been reported to lead to posttraumatic spiritual growth.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
Accelerated Resolution Therapy is an emerging psychotherapy that has gained attention for its ability to alleviate PTSD symptoms rapidly, often within a single session.
The most recent evidence is compelling that its use of trauma-focused therapies such as Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), Eye Movement, Desensitization, and Restructuring (EMDR), and others with significant trauma focus are the current gold standard for treatment.
PTSD is not only about the emotions. It can trigger real changes in the body, including: Increased adrenaline: The body's fight or flight response is activated, leading to heightened alertness and a readiness to respond to danger.
You may be eligible for disability compensation if you have symptoms related to a traumatic event (the “stressor”) or your experience with the stressor is related to the PTSD symptoms, and you meet both of these requirements.
Sleeping pils and sedatives (benzodiazepines) aren't suitable for the treatment of PTSD, because there's a risk of becoming dependent on them and they hardly relieve the symptoms. Before starting treatment with medication, it's important to find out how effective it is and what side effects it may have.
Providing creative outlets like cooking, music, art, and writing can help veterans develop healthy habits and hobbies that allow them to communicate their feelings or escape the chaos and negative emotions associated with their military trauma.
Conclusion. Overall, PE, CPT and EMDR are the most highly recommended treatments for PTSD and have strong evidence bases. Components of these treatments have been combined with other interventions, with no support for improved benefits over the standard treatments alone.