When soldiers returned from World War I, they coined the term “shell shock” to refer to the constellation of symptoms they experienced: tremors, flashbacks, nightmares, and reacting strongly to loud noises. Shell shock was later renamed post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, and it affects all kinds of people — not just combat veterans. 

There are many avenues of treatment for PTSD, including therapy and medication. If you’ve had an upsetting experience and are struggling to deal with it, discuss your symptoms with a professional to determine the best course of action.

What is a traumatic event?

A potentially traumatic event is one that is upsetting, intense, or distressing. It might involve being exposed to death, violence, or serious injury. We say “potentially” because an event that is traumatic for one person may not be experienced as traumatic for another.

Trauma is a word that is often used just to mean upsetting or really scary. But when it’s used by mental health professionals, trauma means something specific — that the person who’s had a distressing experience is seriously struggling to cope and recover for a long time after it. 

Some examples of events and experiences that can cause trauma include: 

• Serious accidents, natural disasters, homelessness, or school shootings

• Sexual assault, domestic violence, and other abuse

• Severe bullying or harassment

• Death of a loved one or serious illness in the family

What is PTSD and how do I know if I have it?

Most people take a while to recover after an upsetting event. You might have anxiety, trouble sleeping, or mood changes. For example, if you get into a car accident, it’s normal to feel nervous on the road or extra vigilant when crossing the street for a little while. And if your short-term anxiety is particularly severe, you may be diagnosed with something called acute stress disorder.

But if it’s been over a month, and you’re still struggling, you may be experiencing PTSD.

Here are some important symptoms to look out for:

• Avoiding people, places, or situations that remind you of the event

• Trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, focusing, or just being present

• Intrusive thoughts about what happened or the possibility of it happening again

• Changes in how you view the world, yourself, or your ability to trust others

• Feeling on edge or easily startled, like your body is constantly anticipating danger

• Persistent headaches, stomachaches, appetite changes, or other physical issues with no other explanation

How PTSD is treated

If you’re still suffering from the effects of an upsetting event long after it’s over, it can feel like being stuck in a loop. Working with a clinician trained in trauma work can go a long way toward helping you heal. Here are some of the forms that can take: 

• Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT): TF-CBT will teach you to identify and understand the thoughts and behaviors that stem from your traumatic experience, and that can lead to diminishing symptoms. A TF-CBT-trained therapist will also help you understand your triggers and manage your symptoms.

• Prolonged exposure therapy: This kind of therapy is helpful if memories of your experience prevent you from doing things you want to do. A clinician helps you confront your memories — which can be especially upsetting because they are fragmented — by purposefully retelling the story of the traumatic experience. They also help you create a list of the things you have been avoiding associated with the traumatic event, ranking them in order of how distressing they are, so you can take small steps to face them in a controlled setting.

• Cognitive processing therapy: “Cognitive processing” basically means “how you think about things in general,” which can definitely be affected by a traumatic experience. If you’ve come away from your experience not knowing whom to trust or what to believe about the world, this kind of therapy can help you work that out.

• Medication: In conjunction with therapy, medications can help manage some of the physical symptoms of PTSD. You can talk with your therapist about whether this is a good option for you.

Being kind to yourself

Struggling to recover from an upsetting experience doesn’t mean you’re weak — it means you’re human. Symptoms of PTSD can affect people at any point in their life, and the sooner you start addressing it, the sooner you can begin to heal.