10 Misconceptions about PTSD: The Truth About Trauma

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that causes troubling symptoms like nightmares, anxiety, and agitation. Since everyone processes trauma differently, the symptoms of PTSD impact each person differently. This has led to many misconceptions about PTSD.

The following myths are the most common. 

#1 – It’s All in Your Head

Despite being told, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is not all in your head. People with PTSD experience very real and very frightening symptoms related to the trauma they witnessed. They may experience these symptoms regularly, causing disruptions to their daily life, and despite ignoring them, they don’t just go away. People with this condition often require treatment to get better.

#2 – Only Military Veterans Have PTSD

Although post-traumatic stress disorder was once coined ‘shell shock’ and ‘combat fatigue,’ it doesn’t just affect military veterans. Post-traumatic stress disorder can affect anyone who’s experienced a trauma, great or small. And there is no way to tell who will or won’t develop the condition. All that’s known is people with post-traumatic stress disorder process memories differently than those without it. 

#3 – Everyone With PTSD Experiences Flashbacks

Since people process trauma in different ways, not everyone with post-traumatic stress disorder will experience PTSD flashbacks. A PTSD flashback occurs when a person with PTSD experiences a reminder of the trauma – a PTSD trigger – such as the smell of smoke or a loud bang. This causes them to relive the feelings of the trauma or even have nightmares about it. Some flashbacks cause a person to feel detached from reality as they revisit the trauma in a daydream-like state.

#4 – There’s No Treatment for PTSD

While it may feel hopeless, post-traumatic stress disorder is treatable. People with PTSD require behavioral therapy to reframe the way they think about the experience and the way they respond to it. They might also use medication to ease troubling symptoms, such as insomnia or anxiety. Still, some require a combination of both.

#5 – If You Don’t Mention the Trauma PTSD Will Go Away

It is typical for a person with post-traumatic stress disorder to avoid talking about the situation. They may go to great lengths to avoid reminding themselves of it. This could include avoiding watching the news, listening to specific songs, or going to certain places. Though they might feel better at the moment, avoidance behaviors reinforce PTSD symptoms and worsen the condition over time.

#6 – You Can Only Develop PTSD if You Experience the Trauma

Post-traumatic stress disorder is an abnormal response to a traumatic event. It is not necessary to be part of the traumatic event to experience it or to develop PTSD. People who have witnessed an event firsthand or were told about it may develop post-traumatic stress disorder.

#7 – People With PTSD Are Afraid of Everything

The most common symptoms of PTSD are hypervigilance and anxiety. Hypervigilant people feel on edge or irritable and may be startled easily. This makes them appear afraid of everything despite feeling the opposite.

#8 – Everyone With PTSD Experiences the Same Symptoms

People with post-traumatic stress disorder experience symptoms that are classified as intrusive, avoidant, cognitive and mood-altering, and reactive. Despite experiencing symptoms under each category, the way they are experienced may be profoundly different from one person to another.

#9 – The Only Treatment for PTSD Is Medication

Medications from the SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) and SNRI (serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor) families are extremely beneficial for people with troubling PTSD symptoms. This is especially true for people with symptoms that interrupt their daily lives, such as panic attacks or depression. 

However, medication isn’t the only treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. Some people do well with behavioral or experiential therapies such as snorkeling or rock climbing. Others do well with a combination of medications and holistic therapies.

#10 – Only Serious Traumas Cause PTSD

Everyone is different, and what one person is acclimated to seeing can be extremely traumatic for another. Because of this, it is not possible to say what is considered traumatic and what isn’t. However, there are universally accepted incidents that are considered traumatic, and they are exceptions but not the rules.

Finding Help for PTSD 

There are many misconceptions about post-traumatic stress disorder that leave sufferers feeling isolated, ashamed, and hopeless. Though this might be the case, PTSD is a well-researched condition with decades of scientific evidence highlighting effective coping strategies and treatment options – so healing is possible.

Whether you’re recently diagnosed or have suffered from the condition for some time, the right treatment and PTSD resources can help you emerge from the shadow of trauma and regain your well-being. At Transformations Treatment Center, we are proud to offer our “Help for Our Heroes” program, specifically designed to address the needs of veterans struggling with PTSD and other mental health issues. This program provides tailored treatment and support, recognizing the distinct experiences and traumas that veterans may have encountered. Additionally, we have partnered with Optum VA CCN mental health insurance to ensure that veterans can access the care they need without the burden of financial stress. Through this partnership, we strive to make comprehensive, compassionate care available to those who have given so much, helping them find the path to healing and recovery.

For more information about our mental health treatment programs and services for PTSD, call (800) 270-4315 today!