PTSD Basics
This four-letter acronym stands for the condition we're learning about today.
What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?
Sudden, vivid episodes where a person feels as if they are re-living the traumatic event.
Flashbacks. They can involve sights, sounds, smells, and physical sensations from the trauma.
Myth or fact: Developing PTSD means a person is weak.
Myth. PTSD is the brain and body's natural response to overwhelming events — it has nothing to do with strength or character.
The general name for working with a trained mental health professional to process trauma.
Therapy (counseling / talk therapy). Trauma-focused therapy is the first-line treatment for PTSD.
The '5-4-3-2-1' senses exercise is a well-known example of this type of coping technique.
Grounding. Naming 5 things you see, 4 you can touch, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste brings attention back to the present.
True or false: Only combat veterans can develop PTSD.
False- PTSD can follow many kinds of trauma — accidents, assault, abuse, natural disasters, medical emergencies, or witnessing harm to others.
Trauma often resurfaces during sleep in this distressing form.
Nightmares — a very common re-experiencing symptom that can disrupt sleep and increase daytime distress.
Myth or fact: Children and teens can develop PTSD too.
Fact. Young people can develop PTSD, though their symptoms may look different — such as re-enacting trauma through play or regression.
Known by a four-letter acronym, this therapy uses guided eye movements while recalling traumatic memories.
EMDR — Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.
Calling or texting this three-digit number reaches the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — veterans can press 1.
988. Free, confidential support is available 24/7.
Roughly this many U.S. adults out of every 100 will experience PTSD at some point in their lives.
About 6 out of 100 (around 6%). Women are roughly twice as likely as men to develop it.
Steering clear of people, places, conversations, or feelings connected to the trauma is the symptom cluster known by this name.
Avoidance. It brings short-term relief but tends to keep symptoms going over time.
Myth or fact: Everyone who goes through trauma develops PTSD.
Myth. Most trauma survivors do not develop PTSD. Support, safety, and individual factors all influence recovery.
This three-letter acronym names the widely used therapy that helps people change unhelpful trauma-related thought patterns.
CBT — Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Trauma-focused versions include Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT).
When a loved one has PTSD, this is more helpful than pressuring them to share details of what happened.
Listening patiently and letting them share at their own pace — presence and consistency matter more than answers.
To be diagnosed as PTSD rather than acute stress, symptoms must last longer than this amount of time.
One month. Symptoms in the first month after trauma are classified as acute stress disorder.
Feeling constantly 'on edge,' scanning for danger, and startling easily is called this.
Hypervigilance (part of hyperarousal). The body's alarm system stays switched on even when there's no danger.
Myth or fact: PTSD always shows up right after the traumatic event.
Myth. Symptoms can be delayed by months or even years — sometimes triggered by a reminder, life change, or new stressor.
These specially trained animals can interrupt nightmares, create personal space, and help with grounding.
Service dogs (PTSD service dogs). Different from emotional support animals — they're trained for specific tasks.
Slow, steady breathing (like 'box breathing') helps calm this built-in survival response.
The fight-or-flight response (the sympathetic nervous system). Slow exhales activate the body's calming system.
PTSD was first officially recognized as a diagnosis in this decade, thanks largely to advocacy by Vietnam veterans.
The 1980s — it entered the DSM-III in 1980. Earlier names included 'shell shock' and 'combat fatigue.'
Name the four official symptom clusters of PTSD.
1) Intrusion / re-experiencing, 2) Avoidance, 3) Negative changes in thoughts and mood, 4) Changes in arousal and reactivity.
Myth or fact: PTSD is a lifelong sentence with no path to improvement.
Myth. PTSD is treatable. Many people recover fully, and most improve significantly with evidence-based treatment and support.
Prolonged Exposure therapy helps by guiding people to gradually do this with trauma memories, instead of avoiding them.
Safely confront and process them. Approaching memories in a controlled way teaches the brain the danger has passed.
This two-word term describes the positive change and new strength some people develop after wrestling with trauma.
Post-traumatic growth — such as deeper relationships, new priorities, and a stronger sense of resilience.