PTSD Symptoms
T/F: The "P" in PTSD stands for "psychological."
F: The "P" stands for Post.
FACT:PTSD stands for:
Post=After
Traumatic=Trauma
Stress=Anxiety
Disorder=Reaction
T/F: Having PTSD makes you more likely to develop substance abuse problems.
T: Youth who survive trauma are more likely to develop substance abuse problems.
FACT: Youth who abuse substances are more likely to experience trauma. You can reduce your risk of addiction by learning safe ways to cope with trauma.
T/F: 90% of people who survive trauma develop PTSD.
F: 20-30% of people will go on to develop trauma.
FACT: PTSD develops in about 1 in 3 people who experience trauma. It's not fully understood why some people develop the condition while others do not. But certain protective and risk factors appear to make some people more likely to develop PTSD.
T/F: Anger is a symptom of PTSD.
T: It is part of the hyperarousal symptom cluster.
FACT: Hyperarousal is a primary symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It occurs when a person's body suddenly kicks into high alert as a result of thinking about their trauma.
T/F: It is best to work on becoming substance-free before working on trauma issues.
F: It is best to address both at the same time from the start!
FACT: A mental health disorder and substance use disorder can make the other more likely and often occur together.
T/F: People don't ever recover from PTSD, they just get better at dealing with it.
F: People do recover from PTSD.
FACT: It is possible that people with PTSD can experience a total resolution of symptoms.
T/F: People who have PTSD always remember the details of trauma.
F: Many times people do not.
FACT: Trauma causes a type of short-term memory loss that causes a person to forget specific details about their traumatic experiences. During a trauma, memory is stored in the body, not in the thinking part of our brain.
T/F: Substance abuse make you more vulnerable to further trauma.
T: If you have PTSD you are at higher risk for substance use. If you use substances you are more vulnerable to experience trauma. Eliminate use! Learn to manage stress and trauma symptoms! Make safety a priority!
T/F: Complex trauma means the trauma is complicated and hard to explain.
F: Complex trauma means multiple traumas, or ongoing trauma.
FACT: The symptoms of complex PTSD are similar to symptoms of PTSD, but may also include: feelings of worthlessness, shame and guilt. problems controlling your emotions. finding it hard to feel connected with other people.
T/F: You can develop symptoms of PTSD from watching someone else get hurt.
T: It doesn't have to happen to a person directly.
FACT: You don't have to experience a specific trauma to develop PTSD. Many people associate this disorder with military veterans BUT, while PTSD is common in military populations, simply witnessing an event, like a car accident, can trigger PTSD symptoms.
T/F: For most people who have both PTSD and substance abuse, the substance abuse came first.
F: PTSD comes first two-thirds of the time.
FACT: That is like saying 45 people, out of 60, will struggle with PTSD symptoms prior to substance abuse.
F: Some people do recover this way, but some recover by focusing on the present.
FACT: The past is a done-deal. We can’t change it. And being stuck in the past is only hurting our potential in the present. We need to grieve the past by slowly accepting that the past is over. This allows us to grieve and to release the pain that we may still be carrying with us. Present-moment-awareness interventions can help us reduce stress.