Many people wonder if they, or someone they care about, have PTSD. Understanding PTSD can be confusing. There are many different ways that PTSD can express itself, and everyone is different. Read below for some clarity about PTSD.

What is PTSD?

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder occurs when the brain has a strong and long-lasting reaction to fearful situations. Most of us know that. The confusion comes from the different ways that people talk about PTSD, which includes single-incident PTSD and complex PTSD*.

Symptoms of PTSD include:

• Some kind of trauma (something that happened to you or someone you love that creates fear of death or serious injury)

• Recurring memories of the event that just won't stop coming

• Flashbacks

• Feeling triggered by reminders of the event (both external reminders, such as a certain place, and internal reminders, such as a certain feeling)

• Avoiding people, places, or things that remind you of the traumatic event.

• Inabilty to remember the event, or parts of the event

• Negative beliefs about yourself or others ("I am worthless," "people can't be trusted," "love does not really exist," etc.)

• Depression. Detachment from others, lack of interest, persistent negative mood, difficulty experiencing positive emotions

• Anxiety. Irritability, recklessness, impulsive behavior, hypervigilance, trouble concentrating, exaggerated startle response

Complex PTSD includes the symptoms listed above, and can also include symptoms such as hyper or hyposexuality, anxiety in relationships, avoidance of relationships, difficulty connecting with others and suicide ideation**.

How do I know if I have PTSD?

Everyone has faced something hard in life, and nearly all of us have experienced something traumatic. Some symptoms listed above are common; almost everyone has bad days, things they are anxious about, and stuff they want to forget. It's important to work with a trained trauma therapist to understand if you are experiencing PTSD, or if you have anxiety or depression related to a traumatic event in your life. PTSD can only be diagnosed by licensed medical professionals. It's important to work with a trained medical professional if you suspect you have PTSD, or any other mental disorder.

How do we treat PTSD?

The most common treatment modalities for trauma are Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). Both of these are forms of exposure therapy (remembering and re-experiencing the traumatic event to engage the brain's natural healing process to overcome it). It is important to work with a trained trauma therapist who has completed training in the specific type of treatment you are doing. Working with someone who isn't properly trained in trauma treatment may increase your trauma symptoms.

What should I look for in a trauma therapist?

The most important thing to look for in any therapist is someone that you like and trust. Therapy is more effective when you feel safe to talk about what you're feeling and experiencing and feel like you can be completely yourself. If you like to laugh and use humor to cope, find someone funny. If you like to keep it serious, find someone serious. If you want to understand the science of trauma, work with someone who is willing to teach it to you. If you want to have a shoulder to cry on, work with someone who is warm and gentle. Finding the right fit is the most important part of therapy, so talk to different therapists until you find one that you think you'll connect with.

It's also important to find someone who is trained in trauma treatment modalities, such as EMDR, CPT, Internal Family Systems, parts work, or Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy for trauma.

How do I find a trained trauma therapist?

It can be tough to find a trained trauma therapist. The best way to start is to ask people you trust if they have any recommendations for someone who helped them or helped a loved one. Your primary care physician should also have recommendations. If you don't feel comfortable asking, or you don't know anyone who has recommendations, therapist directories can help.

www.psychologytoday.com - the largest directory in the United States. It allows you to search by location, insurance, modalities, and other factors.

www.therapyden.com - Therapy Den's mission is to create inclusive spaces and spotlight diversity.

www.goodtherapy.com - Another directory similar to Psychology Today

When you're talking to a therapist, ask them how trauma therapy works. You'll receive a variety of answers, some of which may be confusing. The most important thing to remember is that you want to choose someone that you trust and feel comfortable talking to. If their answer makes you feel comfortable, then it is probably worth it to schedule an appointment.

Here's my answer to this question:

At True Grit, I help clients understand what PTSD is, how it's formed in the brain, and how we treat it. I teach the client the neuroscience behind trauma, so that they understand why they do the things they do and to help them understand that trauma does not mean that you're bad, broken, or crazy. Then we work on developing skills to manage difficult emotions - skills that will help you to feel confident that you can handle whatever comes at you. We will identify things that trigger you, and rather than avoiding them, we will develop skills for you to recognize your PTSD symptoms and learn to calm your mind and body quickly. For some people, just this is enough. They don't feel like they need to process or overcome the actual events in their past. For others, they do need that processing. For them, we will focus on EMDR or talk therapy. But only when the person feels confident and ready to go there.

You can read more about my approach to trauma therapy here.

If you have more questions or are interested in learning more about trauma therapy at True Grit, click on the contact button below. You'll be able to email me a question, or you can schedule your free 15 minute consultation. There's no obligation, so start today.

*Officially, there is only one version of PTSD. The official version comes from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-V) which was published in 2013. It is the official manual established by the American Psychiatric Association to give guidence and criteria for any diagnosis of a mental disorder. The official criteria for a PTSD diagnosis can be found here. (Please note that, while the criteria for each disorder is readily available online, there are nuances involved in each symptom that can be easily misunderstood by those who do not have professional training. It is extremely important that diagnoses are only made by trained professonals. Do not read the DSM to diagnose yourself or someone else).

** If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please contact Colorado Crisis Services at 844-493-8255 or the National Suicide Hotline in the United States at 800-273-8255 or your local crisis center.