The media are enormously influential in how the general public understand and view mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  The first misconception is that PTSD is something that only occurs among war veterans, homeless individuals, or people who have experienced horrific events such as natural disasters.

In reality, most people who are living with PTSD are those who have suffered long term abuse or neglect, experienced a car accident or other traumatic injury or event, suffer from chronic illness or stress, have experienced personal assault, or have witnessed horrific events including ongoing abuse of family members in the home.

The other misconception about PTSD is that those who suffer from the ongoing impact of trauma are dangerous, at risk for engaging in abuse of others, or are drug afflicted addicts.  While these scenarios can occur, they do not always accurately depict the reality for most people who suffer from PTSD and these stereotypes can often discourage them from seeking help for the challenges they are experiencing.

So, what is PTSD?

PTSD is a disorder that develops when a person encounters an event that triggers intense fear, concerns for safety and well-being, or prolonged exposure to stress and violence. During the traumatic event, the individual’s biological fight-or-flight response is activated to respond to the event in an effort to protect or keep the person safe from harm or reduce the impact from harm. This fight-or-flight response makes split-second changes to the body and the brain in direct response to the event or exposure to trauma.

Once the risk of harm is removed, the brain and body should go through a recovery response- although this can literally take a few months for the healing to occur; however, some people continue to experience this heightened fear and stress state long past the event. Sometimes, a person won’t even begin to experience the impact of trauma until months or years after the event occurred.

People recovering from trauma often experience flashbacks, feel like they are reliving the event over and over, experience nightmares, and will often avoid any reminders of the event in an effort to reduce the anxiety and constant stream of memories and reminders of the trauma. When the suffering continues long after the event, it is time to seek help. Most people will recover from trauma naturally in three to six months, though they remain at risk for re-traumatization in the future thanks to trauma related “triggers” (subconscious reminders of the event). 

If you have suffered through trauma and continue to experience difficulties as a result, the first thing you should know is that you are not broken. You are not doomed to suffer forever. Trauma can be healed. You are not weak or frail. You suffered something horrible and your brain and body are being overprotective to keep you from re-experiencing any similar events.

The best way to overcome the stigma and the misconceptions of trauma from the media is to keep having honest conversations about our experiences and the impact trauma has on your daily life. You can learn to live again after experiencing a traumatic event without ongoing reminders of the event that occurred.  You can have peace of mind again and healing is possible. 

Learn more About Me and the Services I offer.

Tonya Molnar, PhD, LMHC, MHP specializes in insomnia and sleep health, trauma, and chronic pain and illness therapy with additional training in CBT-i for insomnia and CBT for chronic pain and illness management. As she completes her PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision, it is her honor to serve clients in Washington State using a telemental health approach at this time.