In Canada it is estimated that up to 2.3% of the population is dealing with PTSD at any moment. Research done through the CIPSRT consortium shows that number maybe over 23% for public safety personnel (PSP). Along with struggling with symptoms of PTSD, PSP may also feel the weight of stigma from their co-workers, organizations, or the public. Lack of understanding of PTSD can lead to the idea that those that struggle with PTSD are weak or unfit for duty. This stigma can stop those who are suffering from seeking help or asking for support. Understanding the reality of symptoms and debunking myths about PTSD can help improve the lives of people who are struggling.
This year for PTSD awareness month CIPSRT wants to get Stigma Out and Understanding In.
Join us for our 2nd annual Wear Teal Challenge. Last year organizations and individuals from across Canada wore teal to show their support and raise awareness for individuals living with PTSD.
This year we want to make the event even bigger so post your photos on June 27th and tag CIPSRT.
Facebook: @CIPSRT-ICRTSP
Twitter: @CIPSRT-ICRTSP
LinkedIn: @CIPSRT-ICRTSP
We’ve made posting easier! Just use one of the images below to support us on social media.
(Tool Kit)
Last year we showed you how far we have come in the 40 years since the PTSD diagnosis was made official, and we told you we had a long way to go. This year CIPSRT has worked to highlight new advancements in PTSD understanding through the posttraumatic stress Injuries in PSP catalyst grant webinar series and the development of a PSP PTSD course by the team at PSPNET. This month CIPSRT is moving forward with tools and events that will help PSP understand PTSD and determine when and where to get help.
PSP mental health website– a searchable data base of all the mental health services available to PSP and their families across Canada.
Moral Injury in Public Safety Occupations– This session will discuss what happens when PSP face situations that may violate their personal morals, ethics, or values and how they can cope with these situations.
Six Steps for Finding a Clinician a guide that walks PSP through the steps of finding a mental health professional that is right for them.
PTSD Crash course. This session will teach you everything you want to know about PTSD symptoms, treatments, and common myths will all discussed.
To learn more about PTSD symptoms and the research that has been done in the last year on trauma, PTSD, treatment, and learning about stigma please see the content below. Together we can show that while PTSD is invisible it is not invincible.
WHAT IS POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER?
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a group of symptoms people might develop after experiencing a potentially traumatic event.
What Is a Potentially Traumatic Event?
When a mental health professional is evaluating whether someone has PTSD, they often consider the experience or situation thought to have triggered the symptoms. A traumatic event is different than normal daily stress or pressure. Potential traumas usually involve experiencing or witnessing severe injury, feeling that your life or somebody else’s life is in danger, or witnessing an intentional or accidental death. Events such as natural disasters can also be traumatic.
The kinds of potentially traumatic events that can lead to PTSD are often experienced in person, but not always. For example, some work involves repeated exposure to stories of injury or death – like being a call centre operator for 911 or a crime scene photo developer for a police unit.
Not everybody who experiences a traumatic event develops PTSD. Indeed, in the North American general population most people (i.e., 50-90%) will experience one or more potentially traumatic events during their lifetime; however, relatively few (i.e., 5-10%) will develop PTSD. Even people who are in careers where exposure to potentially traumatic events may be more common, like public safety personnel, are not necessarily going to develop PTSD. There are responses to potentially traumatic events that can be considered fairly normal. For example, you might feel unsettled or uncomfortable at first, but most people recover and return to normal within a few days; however, some people do go on to have longer-lasting challenges after experiencing a potentially traumatic event.
PTSD Symptoms after Trauma
There are four types of PTSD symptoms a person might experience after being exposed to a potentially traumatic event.
Re-experiencing symptoms
A hallmark symptom of PTSD involves re-experiencing the traumatic event. This may occur in the form of unwanted and upsetting memories of the event, or repeated and distressing nightmares. Some people have more intense re-experiencing events called “flashbacks,” where they might feel like they are actually experiencing the trauma again.
Avoidance symptoms
Avoidance symptoms include a strong urge to stay away from reminders of a potentially traumatic event. These reminders might include people, places, objects, or activities which are related to the trauma in some way. Some people also go out of their way to avoid thinking or talking about the event.
Changes in your thoughts and mood
Potentially traumatic events can change how people think about themselves, other people, and their world. The changes can include feeling hopeless, detached from loved ones, or difficulty experiencing positive emotions – or sometimes any emotions – at all. Such changes might indicate PTSD, especially for people who were ‘positive’ or ‘realistic’ person but have become increasingly ‘negative’ after a potentially traumatic event.
Changes in physical and emotional reactions
Potentially traumatic events can also cause significant distress and physical symptoms. People can become more watchful, on guard, easily startled, or frightened. Difficulties sleeping or trouble concentrating can be caused by diverse stress, up to and including traumatic stress. In addition, potentially traumatic events can cause increased feelings of anger, irritability, shame, or guilt.
Many people can experience some of the above symptoms after a potentially traumatic event; nevertheless, for most people the symptoms fade within a couple weeks.
If someone experiences several of the above symptoms from each of the four groups for longer than a month, and the symptoms are extremely distressing or interfere with work, relationships, or other important areas of life, they may be experiencing PTSD and may benefit from appropriate mental health care.
If you think that you or someone you know might be experiencing these symptoms, click here to take a short, anonymous questionnaire to screen for PTSD.
While PTSD has many negative impacts, there are interventions that can be very effective at treating the symptoms. To learn more about how PTSD can be treated and how you can access resources, read the following section on Understanding PTSD Treatment.
References and Further Reading
- http://www.camh.ca/en/hospital/health_information/a_z_mental_health_and_addiction_information/Post-traumatic/Pages/pstd.aspx
- https://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/ptsd-overview/basics/what-is-ptsd.asp
- https://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/understanding_ptsd/booklet.pdf
UNDERSTANDING PTSD TREATMENT
There are many treatments available for PTSD that have been supported by several rigorous peer-reviewed research projects (i.e., empirically-supported treatments). Such therapies, when provided by appropriately trained professionals, can help reduce PTSD symptoms, improve quality of life, and develop skills maintaining good mental health.
EMPIRICALLY-SUPPORTED TREATMENT
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Traumatic experiences can have ripple effects through many areas of life. Once the effects are identified, a CPT therapist can help a person to work towards solutions and generate a more adaptive way of moving forward. CPT can help a person to think differently about the negative thoughts they have regarding a trauma. Doing so can change how a person feels about and interacts with the trauma, which can reduce the impact of PTSD symptoms in many different parts of a person’s life. CPT involves talking with a therapist about the negative thoughts related to a trauma and doing short writing assignments.
Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Traumatic experiences can be difficult to make sense of and change the way a person thinks about the world. For some people discussing the trauma can be too difficult. Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) can help a person process and make sense of a trauma, which can help reduce PTSD symptoms. EMDR involves a person recalling a trauma in their own mind while paying attention to a back-and-forth movement or sound (e.g., a finger waving side to side, a light, a tone) produced by a therapist.
Prolonged Exposure (PE)
Imagine a child who is very afraid of swimming – how would you help the child overcome their fear? Perhaps, “start small with a sprinkler, work up to a shallow pool, eventually working up to a deeper pool, and perhaps eventually to a lake or ocean”? Essentially you want to help them gradually develop new skills, confront their fears, and decrease their anxiety. Prolonged Exposure, or PE, helps a person confront difficulties with trauma in a similar fashion. Once a person has identified their challenges, developed their goals, and is comfortable enough with their therapist, they can gradually confront their trauma with help from their therapist. Gradual exposure to the trauma story (starting small and working up slowly) in a safe and therapeutic environment can help to reduce PTSD symptoms. Therapists can help to make sense of traumatic experiences and find ways to move forward towards an improved quality of life.
EMPIRICALLY-SUPPORTED PTSD TREATMENTS
In addition to the above treatments, the American Psychological Association suggests Narrative Therapy and Brief Eclectic Therapy are promising therapies, and researchers are currently exploring how well they work in different settings with different populations. In all cases, persons interested in PTSD treatment should consult with an appropriately trained professional. If you would like more information comparing PTSD therapy options, click here.