Understanding Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Program Recap

Written by Andrew Dauphinee

Published on June 27, 2025

Roughly 6 in 100 people will experience PTSD in their lives, and while PTSD can have a devastating impact on our lives, there are many ways that individuals dealing with this mental disorder can achieve help to improve their lives.

Thank you to Honor Hannah from Capital Health for a fantastic overview of PTSD and how individuals can help themselves or others who may be suffering from PTSD.

PTSD can manifest in each person differently so being able to recognize the signs and triggers can be a great help in managing it.

PTSD Myths

The first step in toward understanding and potentially dealing with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is to dispel some of the myths around it. Some of the most common myths include:

Only veterans or first responders suffer from PTSD
PTSD is a sign of weakness
People suffering from PTSD are dangerous
Traumatic events always lead to PTSD
You cannot function normally with PTSD

As we go through the following elements related to PTSD, we will be dismantling all of these myths.

What is Trauma?

PTSD is born from trauma so its important to have a clear understanding of what trauma is and how it can affect people. Trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event, such as an accident, crime, natural disaster, abuse, neglect, violence, war, or death to name a few. Trauma can manifest from being directly affected by the event or witnesses the event. Better known as vicarious trauma, witnesses trauma can cause emotional and psychological strain that arises when a person is exposed to the trauma experienced by others, either by witnessing it directly or hearing about it.

Trauma can be caused by human behavior (rape, war, fire, accidents) or through natural occurrences (earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes). The circumstances surrounding the trauma often challenge an individual’s view of as a just, safe, and predictable place. Confronting a new reality can have drastic results, of which PTSD is one.

Trauma is subjective and will affect each person differently. Some people are more resilient to adversity and may cope with traumatic events better. Others may experience feelings of anxiety, feeling stuck, uncertainty, and more. For someone to experience PTSD, there are a few different criteria that someone must meet, which will be discussed later.

What is PTSD?

Posttraumatic stress disorder is a mental health disorder that affects persons who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event (overwhelming or distressing), a sequence of events, or set of circumstances. PTSD must be diagnosed by a clinical professional and symptoms of the disorder (discussed below) must be present for at least one month, also known as persistence.

PTSD persistence can be caused by 3 major factors:

Unprocessed memories – These must present intrusively and unwantingly into your mind, be vivid and emotionally powerful, or cause you to think and feel that the trauma is reoccurring the moment, leading to feelings of being in danger.
Unhelpful beliefs about trauma – These beliefs will keep you feeling threatened. Memories of trauma can be so strong they make you believe the danger is still present. You may also blame yourself for things that are not your fault. You also may feel like your are “losing your mind” or “going mad”.
Avoidance and safety strategies – Engaging in avoidance of the triggers related to the trauma will oftentimes prevent you from fully processing those memories and limit you chances to challenge and update any unhelpful beliefs.

Symptoms and Diagnostic Criteria

In order to be diagnosed with PTSD, individuals must meet certain diagnostic criteria:

Trauma exposure (1 required) – Exposure to an actual or threatening experience (eg. death, serious injury, or sexual violence)
Re-experiencing symptoms (1 required) – Intrusive thoughts and memories of the event, recurrent distressing dreams related to the event, or flashbacks or other dissociative experiences where the individual feels like they are reliving the event
Avoidance (1 required) – Avoiding thoughts, feelings, or conversations related to the trauma. Avoiding places or people that remind the individual of the trauma.
Negative alterations in cognition and mood (2 required) – Persistent negative beliefs or expectations about oneself, others or the world. Persistent negative emotional state (fear, horror, anger guilt, shame). Markedly diminished interest or participation in significant activities. Feeling detached or estranged from others or difficulty experiencing positive emotions.
Changes in arousal or reactivity (2 required) – Irritability, anger outbursts, reckless or self-destructive behavior, hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response, or sleep disturbances.

As mentioned, these symptoms must persist for at least a month as well as cause significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or interpersonal functioning.

Risk Factors

PTSD is not genetic and you are not guaranteed to experience PTSD due to a traumatic event. However, there are a variety of risk factors that can increase our chances of experiencing trauma, which in turn, increases the chance of development PTSD:

Interpersonal trauma (sexual assault or types of abuse) has shown to be more likely to lead to PTSD compared to non-assault based trauma
Severe or long-lasting traumatic experiences (ongoing domestic violence, prolonged abuse of any kind, prolonged exposure to war)
Pre-existing mental health conditions (depression, anxiety, personality disorders)
Limited social supports after traumatic event
Individuals with avoidance behaviors, poor coping abilities, or rumination patterns
Family history of mental illness
Certain professions such as military, first responders, or healthcare professionals expose one to high levels of stress and trauma
Multiple major life stressors before or after a traumatic event
Adverse childhood experiences, such as maltreatment or difficult circumstances

Support

So how do we support ourselves or others who may be experiencing PTSD? There are a variety of strategies we can engage in that can help mitigate the symptoms and effects of PTSD. If we are concerned about ourselves, we should focus on:

Being mindful of our priorities – mental health support should become a financial and time priority, even giving up some of our habits to ensure this is met
Build a strong support team – look to family members, friends, and health professionals who can assist in coping behaviors and form a safe space
Avoid avoiding – as mentioned above, by avoiding the symptoms of PTSD, we never give ourselves a chance to overcome those symptoms and develop the necessary coping mechanisms needed to master those symptoms
Manage triggers by engaging in self-care – By taking care of ourselves through adequate sleep, exercise, and practicing mindfulness for example, we are much better equipped to recognize and deal with the triggers that manifest our PTSD
Nurture wounds – create a safe place and return there when feeling overwhelmed. Focus on what you can manage and celebrate small victories. Remember, healing takes time.
Engage in stress reducing activities like yoga, exercise, reading, or other hobbies
Seek professional help and adhere to their recommendations. If you do not put in the work, nothing will change

If we are trying to support others in their efforts to manage their PTSD, we should strive to:

Create a safe, understanding, and patient environment
Listen without judgement
Offer emotional support and reinforce their capabilities to heal
Help rebuild trust by keeping promises and following through on what we say
Engage in activities together that promote well-being
Encourage treatment
Prioritize our own mental and physical health; supporting someone with PTSD can be emotionally demanding

Common Treatment Modalities

In many cases, individuals suffering from PTSD needed help from licensed, clinical professionals to help manage and overcome the oftentimes crippling symptoms they are experiencing. There are a variety of treatment modalities that individuals suffering from PTSD may find helpful:

Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – Focuses on assisting persons with identifying, challenging, and reframing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors associated with trauma
Prolonged Exposure – A type of CBT where individuals gradually confront trauma-related memories, feelings, and situations to reduce avoidance symptoms and distress responses.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) – Addresses “stuck points” (negative/unhelpful thought patterns that precent persons from recovering from trauma)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) – Assists a person with recalling a traumatic event while simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements or hand tapping to help the brain reprocess the memory and reduce symptoms of distress

There is also the simple act of nurturing hope. For many people suffering from PTSD, they’ve lost hope of every regaining any semblance of their life before the trauma. By being that hope and reminding them that hope can never fade, we can have a tremendous impact on their management of and outlook toward PTSD.

More Information

If you would like more information about PTSD, please visit the National Center for PTSD from the Veterans Administration at https://www.ptsd.va.gov/. If you have any questions, please contact Honor Hannah at hhannah@capitalhealth.org. You can view the recording on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/KCQV1UPDHA8.