Why is PTSD Overlooked?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a complex and debilitating mental health condition that affects millions of individuals worldwide. The National Center for PTSD estimates that about 6% of Americans will have PTSD at some point in their lifetime. While 6% might sound like a small number, that equates to about 20 million people in America alone. Despite affecting millions of people, PTSD often goes unnoticed, undiagnosed, or misdiagnosed.
But how does something that is both so common and serious get overlooked so often? We'll explore some of the key reasons why PTSD frequently gets overlooked, despite its significant impact on those who suffer from it. We'll also touch on the role of therapy, including EMDR therapy, in addressing and treating this often hidden but deeply distressing condition.
Misconceptions and stereotypes
One major reason why PTSD is often overlooked is the prevalence of misconceptions and stereotypes surrounding the condition - who gets it, what causes it, what cures it. Many people associate PTSD primarily with combat veterans, assuming it doesn't affect civilians. While veterans are more likely than the general population to develop PTSD, the reality is that is that anyone can develop PTSD, and the types of trauma that cause PTSD is not limited to combat.
Women are more likely than men to develop PTSD. Misconceptions often lead to delays in getting a PTSD diagnosis, which also delays treatment.
In fact, children who are exposed to family violence show the same brain activity as combat veterans. I frequently mention this study to my clients while we’re in the earlier phases of treatment and they’re learning about their PTSD diagnosis. I think it helps break some of the shame that can come along with the type of trauma that may have contributed to their diagnosis. The types of trauma that can cause PTSD comes in many forms, from singular acute events (think: car accidents) to long-term stressors and circumstances like emotional abuse in a relationship or ongoing childhood sexual abuse.
Because most people associate PTSD with veterans, and most veterans are men - most people think that men are more likely to have PTSD. However, according to the National Center for PTSD, women are actually more likely than men to develop PTSD. About 8% of women and 4% of men will meet criteria for a PTSD diagnosis at some point in their life. If you think about it, this makes sense because women are more likely than men to be survivors of the types of violence and events that can lead to PTSD (sexual assault, rape, domestic violence, emotional abuse, etc).
Misconceptions about who gets PTSD, what causes PTSD, and even what are PTSD symptoms - can lead to a failure to recognize post traumatic stress in individuals who don't fit the stereotypical image.
Stigma and shame
PTSD, like many other mental health conditions, often comes with stigma. Stigma makes it difficult to open up and seek help. People often feel ashamed or embarrassed about their PTSD symptoms, or the type of trauma that led to their symptoms developing in the first place. It doesn’t help that media falsely portrays PTSD sufferers as violent or rageful (Research on violence and PTSD shows that when other factors like substance abuse and other mental health conditions are considered, the association between PTSD and violence actually decreases).
A lot of people are quick to judge their own post-traumatic symptoms as “weakness.” When we think of ourselves as weak, we worry that others will think the same of us. The fear of being judged by others or being given an official mental health diagnosis can lead to silence and avoidance of discussing your experiences, even with healthcare professionals.
Quite frankly - the collection of symptoms that goes into the diagnosis of “post traumatic stress disorder” - are normal brain responses when a situation is too overwhelming for our nervous system. It’s not weakness, it’s simply a physiological response. And assigning a label of “PTSD” is really just giving a name to the experience that’s happening and a direction for treatment - no different than going to your primary care doctor for a stuffy nose and getting a diagnosis of “sinusitis” and a prescription for decongestants.
The unfortunate reality is that being formally diagnosed with a mental health condition does come with very real long-term implications. That’s a whole topic for another time. However - with the right treatment, PTSD is highly treatable, and it’s never too late to seek treatment to heal from trauma and experience relief from PTSD symptoms.
Underreporting and self-diagnosis
Many individuals with PTSD never seek professional help, either because they are unaware of their condition or because they attempt to self-diagnose or seek improper treatment to manage their symptoms. PTSD can be challenging to self-identify, and its symptoms can overlap with other mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
Even for trained professionals, PTSD symptoms can be misinterpreted if trauma history and atypical presentation isn’t taken into consideration. I recently shared a reel on Instagram listing other conditions I’ve seen trauma symptoms misdiagnosed as. In some healthcare settings, routine screening and assessment for PTSD are not standard practice. Even when individuals seek help for mental health concerns, healthcare providers may not conduct thorough evaluations for trauma-related disorders like PTSD. This oversight can result in the condition going undiagnosed and untreated by medical providers.
If you suspect you have PTSD, please get connected with a licensed mental health clinician, preferably one who specializes in trauma. They can help you understand your symptoms and make sense of your experiences. Trauma symptoms need special care from licensed mental health professionals in order to resolve. Normal talk therapy, and many approaches touted by “trauma coaches”, pastors, wellness gurus, or pop psychology have real potential to cause further harm and delay true healing.
Delayed onset of symptoms
To truly meet criteria for post traumatic stress disorder, symptoms of re-experiencing, avoidance, negative thoughts and mood, and trauma-related reactivity have to be present for at least one month after a traumatic event. (Within the first month, the diagnosis is actually Acute Stress Disorder.) In some cases, the symptoms of PTSD don't manifest immediately after a traumatic event. They may take weeks, months, or even years to surface. As a result, the connection between their experiences and their mental health may go unnoticed for an extended period.
The delayed onset of post-traumatic symptoms can lead people to believe that they are no longer at risk for developing PTSD or that their symptoms are unrelated to the trauma they experienced. People might even believe they weren’t affected by their trauma or that their trauma didn’t have a lasting impact on them.
In my experience working with clients who have complex trauma (meaning - relational trauma or something that was ongoing for a long period of time), it isn’t until after the trauma truly ends that our nervous systems feel safe enough to bring the old stuff to our attention. We can’t heal and move forward while we’re still surviving and enduring.
Lack of awareness and education
PTSD awareness and education remain insufficient in many communities. Both the general public and even many healthcare professionals are not adequately informed about PTSD symptoms, prevalence, and treatment options. Lack of awareness in the medical community can lead to a failure to recognize PTSD, even when individuals seek help for related issues like depression or substance abuse.
Sometimes, when opening up to people close to them, they’re met with responses that can cause more harm than good. Comments suggesting that you can “get over it” or encouraging you to “just don’t think about what happened” - while nearly always well-intentioned are uninformed about common trauma symptoms, inaccurate about the impact of trauma, and can discourage people from seeking help by reinforcing stigma. In Christian communities, comments related to “God’s will or timing” or other spiritual platitudes are similarly well-intended but miss the mark and add further insult to injury.
Hope for healing from post-traumatic stress
One of my favorite things about working as a trauma therapist is that trauma symptoms are actually treatable with the right interventions - unlike with other mental health conditions where symptoms are merely managed. Many of my clients who meet criteria for a PTSD diagnosis when we first meet - often no longer meet that criteria after we’ve worked together.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is one of the most well-researched and backed approaches for treating trauma and PTSD symptoms. At Sea Glass, we offer EMDR in traditional weekly therapy and intensive EMDR formats. EMDR works with the way our brains naturally process and store information, and allows for us to recall traumatic events without it being triggering in the present. If you’re struggling to manage symptoms after trauma, please know that you’re not alone, you’re not crazy, your brain is working the way it was designed to, and healing is possible. Contact us today; we’d love to help you experience freedom from PTSD.
Sea Glass Counseling and Consultation is an EMDR therapy practice in Dublin, Ohio. Our compassionate, skilled therapists use evidence-based techniques grounded in the neurobiology of stress, trauma, and relationships to make sure your treatment is personalized and effective. Sea Glass therapists provide telehealth counseling in Ohio for individuals and couples. We’re best known for providing Intensive EMDR therapy, anxiety treatment, and sex therapy for Christians. Interested in working together? Contact us today to get started with a Certified EMDR therapist in Ohio.