Psychosomatics of PTSD
PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder, develops after a very hard event, and according to MedlinePlus it is more common in women. You are not to blame, and the symptoms are not weakness. If memories, nightmares or anxiety do not let go, see a doctor. The Ladder method helps you notice the feelings next to what you went through, and it does not replace treatment.
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When to see a doctor
A GP: they will refer you to a psychotherapist or psychiatrist (NHS). They will listen to your symptoms, mood and history and choose treatment. Come if memories, nightmares or anxiety get in the way of life, or if treatment is not helping.
In the Ladder method
In the Ladder method PTSD is not explained by the words you did not cope and is not counted as blame. It is a reaction to a hard event, and a trauma specialist helps with it. The questions to yourself go alongside treatment, not instead of it.
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In the method, what you went through fits the image of the unsaid: what happened found no place, and the body keeps on guard. This is an image, not a cause of the disorder, and it does not replace therapy.
On the ladder this shows up as the steps I am not safe and I cannot talk about it. You can work through them very gently, at your own pace and next to a specialist.
These are questions for reflection, not an explanation of what causes the condition and not a treatment.
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How it shows up
Book a doctor’s appointment if you notice:
- Intrusive memories and flashbacks
- Nightmares and poor sleep
- Avoiding people, places and talking about the event
- Constant alertness and jumpiness
- Irritability, low mood or emptiness
- Headaches and body pain with no cause
What medicine knows
PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder, is a condition that appears after a very hard, frightening event: an accident, a threat to life, violence, a difficult birth, the loss of someone close. You may have lived through it yourself, seen it or learned that it happened to someone close. Fear after such an event is normal. With PTSD a person does not recover and stays tense for a long time after the danger is over (NHS, MedlinePlus).
The main sign is intrusive memories, flashbacks and nightmares. There can also be avoidance of people and places, gaps in memory of the event, loss of interest in usual things, mood changes, worse sleep and constant alertness. The NHS notes that people with PTSD can have headaches, stomach pain or pain elsewhere with no physical cause. Symptoms can start at once or months and years later.
The risk is higher if the trauma happened in childhood, lasted a long time, there was no support afterwards or other losses were added (MedlinePlus). Complex PTSD is more often linked to long abuse or neglect, and difficulty with feelings, shame and mistrust are added to the symptoms. This is not a weakness of character and not the person's fault.
PTSD most often gets easier. A mental health specialist makes the diagnosis. The NHS names the main methods: trauma-focused therapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy, the EMDR method and sometimes medicine prescribed by a doctor. Do not stop medicine on your own.
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Frequently asked questions
Is it weakness if it does not let go after a hard event?
No. According to the NHS and MedlinePlus, PTSD appears after a very hard, frightening event, and it is not a weakness of character. The risk depends on many factors, including whether there was support after the event.
Does PTSD go away?
The NHS writes that for most people it gets easier with time, although for some the symptoms are harder and last longer. Trauma-focused therapy, EMDR and sometimes medicine prescribed by a doctor help.
Who do I see about flashbacks and nightmares?
Start with a GP: they will refer you to a psychotherapist or psychiatrist. In the Ladder method this is a reason to gently notice your own feelings, and it does not replace treatment.
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Answers to common questions
Psychosomatics does not replace tests and treatment. Only a doctor can make a diagnosis.