June is PTSD awareness month and an opportunity to discuss how we can prevent trauma from turning into PTSD. The first step is understanding that emotional and psychological trauma is an emotional response to a distressing event or situation that breaks your sense of security. Trauma can look very different depending on the person. While some people will naturally recover with time, others may continue to experience trauma and stress-related symptoms long after the event has passed. When a traumatic event occurs our bodies go into a natural state of fight or flight which usually subsides once the event ends. However, trauma can turn into PTSD if the mind becomes frozen in a state of psychological shock at the time of the trauma event. The sufferer of PTSD is now at risk of being triggered by things that remind them of the event. This could be something as simple as a smell or a sound. There are protective factors that can lower the risk of long-term distress. These include seeking out your support system which could include finding a therapist and avoiding negative coping skills. Ridgeview has a long history of treating PTSD with clients who present with complex, compound and acute, etc. We have successfully treated members of our military who present with complex trauma and victims of childhood trauma and abuse. You are not alone. Let Ridgeview be the listening ear you need and your partner in healing.
Continue reading to learn more protective factors.