Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder In Women: The Causes, Symptoms, Treatments and Tips for Healing
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a condition generally caused by experiencing or witnessing a dangerous, scary or traumatic event. The more serious these traumatic events are, the greater the risk of developing PTSD.
In the United States alone, almost 8% experience PTSD at some point in their lifetimes. Women are twice as likely to develop PTSD; statistics show that 1 in 10 women will encounter it, compared to 1 in 25 for men.
In addition, women tend to experience symptoms for much longer lengths of time before they receive a diagnosis or start treatment.
Let’s investigate the causes and symptoms, along with treatments and tips for healing from PTSD, which hopefully may lead you to a quicker diagnosis and a more positive outcome from your treatment.
The Causes of PTSD
Numerous types of experiences can lead to PTSD, which are often events that are of a dangerous or violent nature; and may include:
- Sexual or physical assault
- Experiences in the military or with war and combat
- Serious accidents like car, plane or train crashes
- Violent or accidental deaths or injuries of a family member or friend
- Sexual or physical abuse in childhood
- Terrorist attacks
- Witnessing violent events
- Natural disasters, like hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes or floods
The Symptoms of PTSD
To gain insights into whether you may be experiencing PTSD, it can be helpful to be able to identify the symptoms.
In general, PTSD symptoms include:
- Re-experiencing the event over and over again, in the form of flashbacks, nightmares or otherwise frightening and recurring thoughts. These symptoms may also be accompanied by a pounding heart and severe sweating.
- Avoiding circumstances that serve as reminders of the traumatic experience. This may include sounds, places or situations that are similar to those encountered during the event that led to your PTSD.
- Experiencing persistent negative thoughts that make daily tasks difficult, along with emotions of guilt, shame, blame and even anger.
- Difficulty concentrating at work or school, or in daily life in general.
- Insomnia and an inability to fall asleep and get a solid, good night’s rest.
- A loss of interest in hobbies or activities that you once enjoyed.
- Negative self-talk and thoughts about yourself and the world.
- Difficulty remembering important details of the traumatic experience.
- Panic attacks where your breathing becomes shallow and breaths are taken in quick succession, leaving you feeling like you’re not properly connected to your body.
- Consistent, unexplained irritability that leads to outbursts.
For women, in particular, the following may be some of the other symptoms experienced after being affected with PTSD:
- Having the startle response easily triggered, where we stiffen our necks and yank our heads back and down, usually triggered by subtle or small stimuli.
- Difficulty in experiencing emotions; instead, a feeling of numbness prevails in the body and mind.
- A tendency to avoid all reminders of the trauma that led to your PTSD.
- Depression and feelings of melancholy or sadness.
- Anxiousness and a feeling of always being “on edge”.
PTSD affects everyone differently and can range from experiencing symptoms immediately after the dangerous or traumatic event took place or they can come on slowly and gradually over a period of time and also manifest themselves intermittently, sometimes worsening as the months and years pass.
If you are exhibiting any of these symptoms for a prolonged period, it is advised that you seek out a mental health professional to help you work towards recovering from your PTSD.
The Treatments for PTSD
The two main treatments for PTSD are therapies and medications. Since everyone is affected differently by the disorder, your doctor will usually personalise the treatment to your situation and needs.
- The Alexander Technique (AT) – The AT is a hands-on technique that, with the guidance of a therapist, helps you integrate your thoughts, feelings and movements and release painful memories that have become habitual in the way that you think and use your body. This is probably the most effective method for dealing with PTSD. During a session, the therapist will guide you to start moving in ways that don’t interfere with your natural balance, bringing about a release of emotions that you have been holding on to unconsciously as a result of your traumatic experience.
- Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) – CPT is a “talk therapy” where your therapist will talk you through the dangerous or traumatic experience you experienced that led you to your PTSD, causing you to relive them and neutralise the negative responses you likely have to it, allowing you to make your peace with it. Studies have shown that women with acute PTSD have responded exceptionally well to this treatment.
- Prolonged exposure therapy (PET) – PET is also a form of “talk therapy”. Like CPT, your therapist will help you slowly remember your traumatic experience and guide you to confront the pain with the intention of releasing it.
- Medications – In addition to the other options, your healthcare provider might recommend antidepressants or anti-anxiety medication to compound the benefits of the other methods of recovery.
- Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy – In EMDR, you will be asked to talk about your traumatic experience while focusing your eyes on an object or your hearing on a particular sound.
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Tips for Healing from PTSD
The following may also assist you in recovering from your PTSD:
- Seek professional medical help immediately.
- Have self-compassion and be patient with yourself.
- Talk about what happened with someone you trust.
- Spend time with others and meet new people.
- Eat healthy, exercise and try to get enough sleep.
- Use relaxation methods like stretching, yoga, meditation, or listening to soothing music.
- Join a support group to connect with and interact with others who have undergone similar experiences.
- Steer clear of coping mechanisms like drugs or alcohol.
- Volunteer at charities, as helping others can give you a sense of purpose and the fulfilment that comes from doing things for others rather than just for yourself.
