By Ava Weiss
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a mental health disorder that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident or sexual assault. Almost everybody has stress reactions in the immediate aftermath of events like these, such as difficulty sleeping, feeling on edge or having painful memories of the event. But, while most people gradually feel better over time, some continue to have lasting symptoms that interfere with their lives and well-being. In some cases, those symptoms take the form of PTSD.
Most people have heard of PTSD and may have an impression of what PTSD looks like. Those in the military and veteran community are especially likely to have seen information about PTSD or perhaps even to have been screened for it or diagnosed with it themselves. But there are still many popular misconceptions about PTSD—some of which may be keeping people away from the support that could help them get better.
In 2021, Cohen Veterans Network (CVN), a national not-for-profit network of mental health clinics for post-9/11 veterans, service members and their families, ran the America’s Mental Health PTSD Pulse Survey. It revealed Americans’ strong misconceptions about PTSD on everything from symptoms to treatment.
One key finding from the survey is that nearly one in four (23%) Americans believe that PTSD is not treatable. This belief is not only untrue but may be harmful, as it may discourage some of those who are struggling with PTSD from seeking treatment.
The facts say something different: PTSD is treatable. There are multiple treatment options that have been proven effective for treating PTSD, and new, exciting treatment options are in development. These include Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which are research-supported, short-term, effective therapies for PTSD. PE helps you process traumatic events through gradual repeated exposure to trauma-related memories, emotions and situations. CPT targets ways of thinking that might keep you “stuck” in your PTSD. EMDR involves moving your eyes in a specific way while processing traumatic memories. Many people who engage in treatment recover fully from PTSD.
Dr. Stephanie Renno, vice president of Clinical Practice & Training at CVN, as well as a trauma therapist and CPT trainer, shares her perspective on PTSD treatment, “There is no therapy in the world that can erase what happened to you. But what therapy can do is to help you change your relationship with those events and make them less powerful so that you don’t have to shape your whole life around the trauma.” Dr. Renno adds, “Therapy can help you reconnect with the things that you used to love and live your life based on your values instead of just avoiding memories or triggers and trying to get by. I’ve seen hundreds of clients recover from PTSD. It’s hard work, but I know it can be done.”
There are many resources available for those experiencing PTSD and their loved ones being impacted by the disorder. Support for veterans and military families includes:
- VA’s PTSD Family Coach App: Provides facts about PTSD, how families can better support a loved one with PTSD and themselves, and tools to help family members manage stress (va.gov/appvid/mobile/familycoach_app.asp).
- National Center for PTSD Treatment Decision Aid: Enables users to compare effective treatment options for PTSD to help determine what might work best for them (va.gov/apps/Decisionaid).
- Cohen Veterans Network: The network’s 24 Cohen Clinics across the country provide accessible, high-quality treatment for PTSD and other mental health challenges. CVN treats the entire military family with services available in person or via telehealth (cohenveteransnetwork.org).
“It is so important for people to realize that treatment for PTSD is available and that it works,” says Dr. Anthony Hassan, Cohen Veterans Network president and CEO. “People experiencing PTSD do not have to suffer.”
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