You know you’ve been through some stuff. Maybe you don’t have a formal diagnosis, but someone told you it seems like whatever you’re experiencing in PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder. You’ve probably heard a variety of not helpful things in an attempt to help you feel better. Here is a list some of the things our clients have been told – and the actual truth about each.
Unhelpful statement: You can’t have PTSD if you aren’t in the military or haven’t gone to war. So really, it can’t be that bad.
Truth: You don’t have to go to war to be experiencing PTSD. There is nothing in the diagnostic criteria that specifies war or military service as a prerequisite. You can read the criteria here.
Unhelpful statement: Just stop thinking about it and you’ll be fine.
Truth: If you could just stop thinking about traumatic events you’d have already done it. Sometimes we need help to process the traumatic event(s) we’ve experienced. And if you’ve had a lot of trauma that’s gone on a long time then you might have complex PTSD, which may need some specialized support like really good trauma therapy.
Unhelpful statement: Well you’re out of the situation (like abuse) so you should be just fine now.
Truth: Often we can only finally begin to heal when we’re out of a traumatic situation. For many of our clients they don’t realize how deeply the trauma affected them until they start the healing process. At times they don’t realize what they’ve come to believe about themselves or ways they’ve learned to cope due to the trauma they’ve suffered. Just because you’re out of a traumatizing, abusive situation doesn’t mean you are magically okay.
These are just a few unhelpful statements about PTSD. What have you heard? Are you realizing you need support? Reach out today for your free, 150minute consultation. We’d love to help you heal!