What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and What Causes it? -

Most of us won’t get through life without our own fair share of stress and heartache. But some people experience not just stress, sadness, or grief, but actual trauma. This can be from events like being involved in a bad car accident, rape, a natural disaster, or war.

The result of experiencing such events is called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition where the mind is unable to process the event as it processes ordinary life events. The result is a brain that misfires information, causing the person to live much of their life distressed as if the event were still happening to them.

Symptoms of PTSD

There are many symptoms associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, but the most common ones are:

• Nightmares
• Flashbacks
• Psychological and physiological distress at reminders
• Avoidance of internal and external reminders
• Dissociative amnesia
• Negative beliefs about oneself and the world
• Distorted blaming of oneself
• Negative persistent emotional states
• Loss of interests
• Detachment from loved ones
• Hypervigilance
• Exaggerated startle response
• Difficulty concentrating
• Difficulty sleeping
• Irritability or outbursts of anger
• Self-destructive or reckless behavior

Causes of PTSD

Researchers are not altogether clear on why some people experience PTSD and others don’t. What makes one soldier come home from war with PTSD and another one not develop the disorder?

The best we can guess is that the development of PTSD is likely from a combination of complex factors such as neurological, stress, life experiences, personality, and genetics. It is also worth mentioning that pre-traumatic psychological factors (low self-esteem, for example) may increase the risk factor for developing PTSD.

How Can Trauma Be Treated?

The most common form of treatment for PTSD is something called cognitive behavioral therapy. This kind of therapy involves meeting with a specially-trained therapist over a number of sessions to learn strategies and techniques that will reduce and/or eliminate symptoms of PTSD such as recurring thoughts, emotional numbness, sleep issues, and concentration problems. Beyond finding a trained therapist, it’s important to find one you and your family feel comfortable with, so make sure to interview a few candidates to see who might help you on your journey to wellness.

Start Working With a PTSD Therapist in Wilmington, NC

If you or a loved one are suffering from PTSD and would like to explore treatment options, please be in touch. We would be more than happy to see if one of our experienced clinicians can help. You can start your therapy journey from our Wilmington, NC-based practice by following these simple steps:

Reach out to us or call 910-202-4326
Meet with a caring therapist
Start receiving the support you deserve in overcoming past trauma

Other Services Offered with Evolution Wellness

Trauma therapy isn’t the only service that our team offers. Evolution Wellness understands that you may encounter concerns that need different types of support, which is why we are happy to offer multiple in-person and online mental health services. Other services offered include depression treatment, EMDR, anxiety treatment, disordered eating, CBT, substance abuse, therapy for grief and loss, and Covid counseling. We are also happy to offer therapy for a variety of issues including LGBTQIA+ issues, women’s issues, men’s issues, therapy for vicarious trauma, and therapy for military families. Our trained clinicians know that family concerns can require unique care, so we are happy to also offer family therapy, marriage counseling and couples therapy, divorce counseling, and sex therapy, in addition to therapy for young adults and teens.