PTSD Treatment

• A person may have nightmares
• A person may feel like you are going through the event again, also known as a flashback
• A person may hear, see, or smell something that causes to relive the event. This is called a trigger. For example, news reports, seeing an accident, or hearing fireworks are examples of triggers.

• A person may avoid crowds because they feel dangerous
• May avoid driving if a person were in a car accident or if the military convoy was bombed
• If in an earthquake, a person may avoid watching movies about earthquakes
• May keep very busy or avoid getting help so a person doesn’t have to think or talk about the event

• Feeling Numb: Unable to have loving or positive feelings toward other people
• Forgetting about parts of the traumatic event or not being able to talk about them
• Thinking the world is downright dangerous, and no one can be trusted
• Feeling shame or guilt about the event

C PTSD Symptoms

C PTSD symptoms are among the factors that distinguish it from PTSD. Some C PTSD symptoms are common: panic attacks caused by C-PTSD can happen, just as they can with PTSD. But complex traumas can dig even deeper into mental and emotional scars than singular traumas.

A person who is experiencing C PTSD symptoms may encounter precise changes in the way they see themselves and others. This can include:

Problems Controlling Emotions: An individual struggling with C PTSD symptoms may have a hard time managing their emotions. This can lead to issues controlling anger, depression, and even suicidal thoughts.

Repression of Memories: A person experiencing C PTSD symptoms may avoid thinking about places or people that are connected to the events.

Dissociation or Flashbacks Experiences: In some circumstances, a person with C PTSD symptoms may undergo flashbacks that relate to memories that are beyond their understanding or control; they might respond to a specific situation instinctively because of those repressed memories and not fully understand their reaction.

Forgetfulness: A person may react or take action in times of extreme stress and not fully remember how and why they did so.

Negative Feelings: A person may feel detached, helpless, or guilty, or they may struggle with the feeling of being unable to connect with others or always feeling different from people around them.

Obsessive Thoughts: A person may become distracted by the individual or people who caused their trauma; with regular PTSD, they may feel a loss of power associated with that individual, but C PTSD can lead to an obsessive passion for revenge.

Difficulty Trusting Others: Someone may have a problem trusting others, so they self-isolate and avoid relationships and friendships.

Feeling of Hopelessness: Someone may not be able to acknowledge that people, overall, are good or enjoy positive thoughts about the future.

Loss of Motivation: Because people with C PTSD can’t maintain hope in the future, they may be unmotivated to do anything for themselves—even if they intellectually want to—today.

Is PTSD a Disability?

PTSD can be considered a disability by the SSA if the criteria for Listings 12.15 or 112.15 Trauma- and stressor-related disorders are met by the applicant.

If your symptoms of PTSD are so severe that you are unable to work, the SSA will consider you disabled and you will be able to get disability with PTSD.

For your PTSD to be considered a disability by the SSA, the first thing that you need to do is to meet the medical requirements outlined in the SSA’s Blue Book.

The SSA’s Blue Book is the list of conditions that the SSA considerers to be disabilities and that qualifies for Social Security disability benefits.

The listing that PTSD can be considered a disability for is under Trauma- and stressor-related disorders, which is in Listing 12.15 in the Blue Book for adults and Listing 112.15 in the Blue Book for children.

Within the sections of the Blue Book listing, applicants need to match sections A and B, or sections A and C in the listing for Trauma- and stressor-related disorders.

If you have PTSD and you can match one of those 2 sections, the SSA can consider you disabled, and you will be able to earn disability benefits with PTSD.

For PTSD to be considered a disability by the SSA, you will need to meet the work requirements outlined by the SSA, as SSDI benefits are for those who at one point could work, but now can no longer because of a disability like PTSD.

Work credits are calculated by your age and how long you have worked. If you have paid taxes into Social Security, you can earn work credits. You can earn up to four work credits for each year that you work.

If you meet both the work and medical requirements outlined by the SSA for PTSD, you may be considered disabled and you may be able to start to earn disability benefits.

PTSD Diagnosis

To diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder, your doctor will likely:

• Perform a physical exam to check for medical problems that may be causing your symptoms
• Do a psychological evaluation that includes a discussion of your signs and symptoms and the event or events that led up to them
• Use the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), published by the American Psychiatric Association

Diagnosis of PTSD requires exposure to an event that involved the actual or possible threat of death, violence, or serious injury. Your exposure can happen in one or more of these ways:

• You directly experienced the traumatic event
• You witnessed, in person, the traumatic event occurring to others
• You learned someone close to you experienced or was threatened by the traumatic event
• You are repeatedly exposed to graphic details of traumatic events (for example, if you are a first responder to the scene of traumatic events)

You may have PTSD if the problems you experience after this exposure continue for more than a month and cause significant problems in your ability to function in social and work settings and negatively impact relationships.

• SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)
• SNRIs (serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors)

• Antidepressants. These medications can help with symptoms of depression and anxiety. They can also help improve sleep problems and concentration. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medications sertraline (Zoloft) and paroxetine (Paxil) are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for PTSD treatment.
• Anti-anxiety medications. These drugs can relieve severe anxiety and related problems. Some anti-anxiety medications have the potential for abuse, so they are generally used only for a short time.
• Prazosin. While several studies indicated that prazosin (Minipress) might reduce or suppress nightmares in some people with PTSD, a more recent study showed no benefit over a placebo. But participants in the recent study differed from others in ways that potentially could impact the results. Individuals who are considering prazosin should speak with a doctor to determine whether or not their particular situation might merit a trial of this drug.

CBT for PTSD Treatment

Therapists use a variety of techniques to aid patients in reducing symptoms and improving functioning. For example, therapists employing CBT may encourage patients to re-evaluate their thinking patterns and assumptions in order to identify unhelpful patterns (often termed “distortions”) in thoughts, such as overgeneralizing bad outcomes, negative thinking that diminishes positive thinking, and always expecting catastrophic outcomes, to more balanced and effective thinking patterns. These are intended to help the person reconceptualize their understanding of traumatic experiences and their understanding of themselves, and their ability to cope. 

CPT for PTSD Treatment

Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) is a specific type of cognitive-behavioral therapy that has been effective in reducing symptoms of PTSD that have developed after experiencing a variety of traumatic events including child abuse, combat, rape, and natural disasters.

Treatment begins with psychoeducation regarding PTSD, thoughts, and emotions. The patient becomes more aware of the relationship between thoughts and emotions and begins to identify “automatic thoughts” that may be maintaining the PTSD symptoms. The patient writes an impact statement that details the current understanding of why the traumatic event occurred and the impact it has had on beliefs about self, others, and the world.