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Was My PTSD Misdiagnosed as Depression?

Was My PTSD Misdiagnosed as Depression?

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Mental health treatment should be supportive and kind. It should be challenging yet educational and healing. If not, a person’s mental health may be more harmed. Proper treatment and diagnosis are necessary for healing. However, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression often get misdiagnosed, as some professionals mix up the symptoms. Alter Behavioral Health begins with an assessment and diagnosis to make sure this does not happen to you during treatment.

PTSD: The Experience and Symptoms

Experiencing something traumatic, such as being abused or a car crash, can linger and develop into PTSD. Not all experiences of trauma cause PTSD, although symptoms may begin within three months of the initial event but can occur years later as well. If you have PTSD, you may experience one or all of the following symptoms:

  • Having flashbacks or re-experiencing the trauma, causing a person to relive the trauma or have persistent thoughts and dreams
  • Avoidance of  thoughts, people, or places that remind of the trauma
  • Reactivity, which causes quick reactions, such as angry outbursts
  • Altered cognition and mood, distorted thoughts or feelings about oneself or the world, or not remembering parts of the trauma

You can get treatment to heal from PTSD, but it takes effort and time to finish. Three of the most effective trauma-focused therapies include:

  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): Helps make connections between thoughts, emotions, and behavior to understand how trauma affected you and change how you feel
  • Exposure therapy: Exposing yourself to the memories by talking about them again and again, or in some cases, visiting places, to lessen the severity of the memories
  • Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): This uses repeated sounds or movement to focus the brain while you talk through the trauma to work through the feelings

Describing Depression

Depression alters a person’s outlook on life, motivation, and enjoyment of activities, people, and life in general. While “I’m depressed” gets thrown around in conversations as a replacement for “I’m bored” or “I’m sad” a lot, depression is serious. There are five main types of depression:

  • Major depression: Where you experience episodes of depression symptoms, such as listlessness or lack of motivation
  • Persistent depression: This is when major depressive episodes occur frequently
  • Clinical depression: When a person experiences depression throughout their life, almost by default
  • Bipolar depression or manic depression: Intense swings between positive or energetic and depressive
  • Postpartum depression: Occurs in some women after giving birth

While these five types of depression can look similar, they affect a person’s life at different intensities. Everyone experiences depression differently, especially if they have past trauma in their life. Common symptoms of all types of depression are:

  • Negative persistent feelings, such as sadness or hopelessness
  • Loss of interest in activities, hobbies, or people
  • Insomnia or sleeping too much
  • Anxiety or restlessness
  • Slowed thinking or movement
  • Reoccurring thoughts of death or suicide

Depression vs. PTSD

PTSD and depression often get mixed up because PTSD can cause depression or depression-like symptoms. However, they are two very different disorders.

Depression can be debilitating, whereas PTSD often triggers the fight-or-flight response. A person can freeze and not know what to do or be able to move when having a PTSD flashback. Alternatively, depression can cause manic energy or avoidance. They sound similar but affect a person’s life differently.

Someone may naturally start managing their PTSD, as most people will adapt and learn to survive the trauma. With PTSD, a person may be distracted from memories and thoughts. They may be able to put off a flashback with the help of others. In comparison, depression makes a person not want to exist or show up in their own life. Even with all the coping skills in the world, depression without professional help can be dangerous.

Dangers of Misdiagnosis

Someone can go through their life with a misdiagnosis, thinking they need to heal certain parts of themselves and missing other parts that need healing. Misdiagnosis can cause a person to deny symptoms because it is not part of their disorder. It can cause repression of memories because they do not align with the diagnosis.

When depression and PTSD are mixed up, a person may only be working on their outlook on life, not knowing there are traumatic memories that need exploring. That can cause turmoil in their life, such as being reactive to people and not understanding why.

Treatment for PTSD at Alter Behavioral Health

Receiving treatment for PTSD includes a supportive and comforting environment, around-the-clock medical and mental care access, focused treatment, and peer support. Alter Behavioral Health provides more than treatment, but helps connect you to community services, helps you build skills for a successful life, and helps you plan for after treatment. They also have you work closely with your treatment team to make sure your therapy and treatment goals are being reached. When they are not, you and your therapist will work together to make changes so you can be successful.

You will also receive whole-person treatment at Alter Behavioral Health. While some therapists or treatment programs only look at and treat the symptoms of the disorder you are there for, whole-person healing looks at you as a whole. This includes your emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual, and occupational wellness. If one or more of those areas of your life are suffering, it will affect your disorder and you as a whole.

Being misdiagnosed can be harmful to your mental health. At Alter Behavioral Health, we prioritize assessment and diagnosis upon entering our program for accurate diagnosis. When you have an accurate diagnosis, you can get the correct type of treatment to change your life. With evidence-based care and a safe place to heal, whether from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression, we have the program for you. Contact us today at (866) 691-4386 to hear about our program options. With a nationally recognized program, you can trust us with your healing. Only you can make the ultimate step to improve your life, but we will be right there with you, helping along the way. 

Understanding the Difference Between PTSD and Trauma

Understanding the Difference Between PTSD and Trauma

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The American Psychological Association (APA) defines trauma as “an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape, or natural disaster.” It often results in anxiety, dread, and tension. Whether witnessing or personally experiencing it, these reactions are normal. Circumstances that can cause the response of trauma can be a single event or multiple incidents over an extended period.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states, “[R]esponses to trauma can last for weeks to months before people start to feel normal again.” Most of the time, these responses gradually lessen and ultimately disappear altogether. It can persist, however, and progress as time passes. When this happens, it can evolve into post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

How PTSD Is Related to Trauma

The CDC defines PTSD as “an intense physical and emotional response to thoughts and reminders of the event that last for many weeks or months after the traumatic event.” PTSD and trauma are closely related, but they are not the same thing. Where trauma is the emotional response to a terrible event, PTSD is a far more severe disorder surrounding the event. 

Untreated trauma can progress into PTSD. However, proper guidance and care can help to minimize its effects and overall impact. PTSD does not exist without it. The word “post” in “post-traumatic” means after trauma. On the other hand, trauma can and does exist without ever developing into more serious conditions like PTSD.

Comparing the Symptoms

We’ve established that trauma and PTSD are closely connected. Now, let’s take a look at the symptoms associated with each. Both concerns have associated fear and anxiety. However, the symptoms are quite different between the two. 

The Effects of Trauma

Trauma’s effects can be divided into two categories: initial and delayed. The initial side effects include but are not limited to, the following:

  • Exhaustion 
  • Confusion 
  • Sorrow
  • Anxiety
  • Feeling on-edge
  • Numb to your surroundings/emotions
  • Dissociation 
  • Confusion 

The delayed symptoms of trauma often involve relentless exhaustion, nightmares, flashbacks, depression, and avoidance tendencies. This leads to avoiding anything related to the traumatic event, such as the feelings surrounding it or similar circumstances. 

The Effects of PTSD

Although PTSD is the result of trauma, the symptoms involved differ significantly. While trauma symptoms can be organized into two groups, the symptoms of PTSD are divided into the following four categories:

  1. Re-experiencing: These symptoms include flashbacks (reliving the trauma repeatedly), nightmares, and frightening thoughts
  2. Avoidance: This group includes avoiding areas, circumstances, etc., that remind the individual of the traumatic event and evading the thoughts/emotions that surround it
  3. Arousal/Reactivity: These include difficulties falling asleep, having trouble calming down, being easily frightened, and experiencing episodes of intense anger
  4. Cognition and Mood: This group includes difficulties remembering details about the trauma, a negative view of oneself, and a lack of interest in previously pleasurable hobbies

Treatment Options Available

Psychotherapy is the number one treatment used for any mental health disorder. A very successful branch of therapy used in trauma cases is trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT). This subbranch of CBT was developed specifically for people who have endured a traumatic event. It takes place in a positive and safe environment while promoting healing and growth. 

Medication is another effective treatment method available. Prescriptions often include anti-anxiety medications that target anxiety which is a main side effect of trauma-related conditions. Additionally, antidepressants may be administered due to depression being a common side effect. In some cases, sleep aids can help when insomnia and nightmares persist. 

Trauma Recovery Programs

Medication and psychotherapy can be found in any recovery program. The programs available for trauma-related conditions come in two forms: inpatient and outpatient. Both options include the same high-quality, effective treatment, and the need for one over the other is dependent on your own personal circumstances. 

Inpatient

Inpatient programs are especially helpful in severe trauma cases. They feature 24/7 access to healthcare professionals in a comfortable home-like environment. This allows individuals to escape from reality and put all of their energy into healing and recovery. 

Outpatient

These programs offer the same excellent treatment as the inpatient options while affording individuals full flexibility in their schedules. They are perfect for the working adult who is unable to put life on hold for treatment while still leading to a successful recovery. 

Healthy Healing

This face-paced world brings a lot of stress, and life can get in the way sometimes. When someone is facing the challenges of trauma in addition to still functioning in daily life, it can be challenging to keep everything together. However, it doesn’t have to be a daily struggle. There is more to life than just surviving.

With treatment, you have a whole new world of possibilities at your fingertips. You can thrive in ways you maybe didn’t think you could. Trauma doesn’t define who you are. You are a strong and capable individual who will get through this. You deserve to thrive and live life to the fullest. Trauma recovery can be yours. 

The challenges of trauma can be debilitating and take over your life. You don’t have to face them alone. At Alter Behavioral Health, we don’t just understand trauma and PTSD; we understand you. We care about you and your future, and it is our promise to you to walk with you every step of the way to recovery. You can overcome these obstacles and become a happier and stronger version of yourself. Trauma isn’t easy, but we make treatment easy and, more importantly, effective. Let’s walk this path together so you can enjoy the wonderful life that you deserve to live. Call us today at (866) 691-4386 for more information and to get started on a better, brighter future.  

Choosing In-Patient or Out-Patient Care for PTSD

Choosing Inpatient or Outpatient Care for PTSD

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Fearfulness, stress, and anxious feelings are common after either witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event. In many cases, these symptoms lighten and eventually disappear as time passes. However, if they worsen instead of improving, this may signify the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This serious mental health condition can disrupt an individual’s day-to-day life. It makes tasks extremely difficult to complete and takes the joy out of previously enjoyable things. 

A common myth surrounding PTSD is that only war veterans experience the condition. The reality is that it can happen to anyone. If you believe that you or a loved one may be facing PTSD, don’t wait to seek treatment.

As many as 3.6% of U.S. adults in the previous year are affected by this condition. With a lifetime prevalence of 6.8%, PTSD spans far and wide. There are many symptoms involved in PTSD, including re-experiencing, avoidance, reactivity, and issues regarding cognition and mood. 

Comparing Treatments for PTSD

When left untreated, the effects of PTSD can seriously impact a person’s daily life and overall well-being. The symptoms of the disorder can progress to higher severity levels and lead to other harmful mental health concerns. These may include but are not limited to depression, substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts or attempts. Fortunately, PTSD is treatable and studies have proven the following methods to be very successful.

Therapy

Trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), a sub-branch of psychotherapy (talk therapy), is the most common form of treatment for PTSD. This branch of CBT is geared specifically toward people facing the challenging aftermath of trauma. TF-CBT is an evidence-based option and aids in the ultimate goal of overcoming PTSD.

Multiple studies support and show just how effective and successful this therapy is in combatting the effects of PTSD. It can be found in many all-encompassing treatment plans, whether outpatient or inpatient style.

Medication

In addition to therapy, medication can also be prescribed in both inpatient and outpatient programs to help relieve symptoms of PTSD. One common form of medication used is selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a kind of antidepressant medication. This helps to increase the levels of serotonin in the brain. More serotonin means more stabilized moods, appetite, and sleep.

Other medications prescribed to help combat PTSD symptoms may include antianxiety medication and sleep aids. Both of these medications assist in counteracting anxiety and helping to alleviate nightmares and trouble with sleep. 

Inpatient Treatment

Residential or inpatient treatment is widely used in the treatment of PTSD and other trauma-related conditions. These programs provide professional care day and night within a wonderfully cozy residential-style environment. Participants feel at home with full-time access to caring staff members. Additionally, inpatient programs give them the benefit of gaining camaraderie with a range of individuals who are also on similar journeys.

In advanced cases of PTSD, inpatient care can be crucial to recovery. People can put aside their worldly worries and stress and focus solely on their mental health recovery. This new environment can be the catalyst some people need to find their footing again in life. Deciding to go all-in on mental health by choosing inpatient care isn’t easy, but it can be an incredibly beneficial step for many people.

Outpatient Treatment

If inpatient care doesn’t sound like the right fit, there’s another option that can be equally effective in treating PTSD. Outpatient programs utilize all of the same successful treatment forms that inpatient care plans offer, just without the residential setting. These programs allow individuals the freedom and flexibility they need to continue their daily life and responsibilities while still receiving quality treatment.

Outpatient treatment is a great option for those who still need to work or tend to things at home. With programs such as this, participants are in control of their schedule and have the ability to work their appointments around other responsibilities in life. Depending on the individual’s unique circumstances, they may find they need the flexibility that outpatient plans can offer. If someone is still unsure what the best choice is for them, a consultation can help. 

PTSD and Me: Finding Freedom Again

It can be difficult to know when to reach out for help. It’s even harder to actually make that call. However, putting the fear and difficulty aside for a moment can help people achieve great mental health improvement.

Facing the challenges of PTSD is hard. The thing is, treatment can help take that all away. There is a beautiful world out there that’s free of the burdens of PTSD. Anyone who has suffered through a traumatizing experience is still an incredible human being who has survived despite the odds. They have a powerful story to share and a happy future to live. Why not make the move today and start the treatment path to freedom?

The burden of PTSD can be insurmountable. It is a heavy weight, but you do not have to carry it alone. Let us help shoulder this burden so you can take the time you need to heal. At Alter Behavioral Health, your happiness is important to us. We can show you the life you were meant to live outside of the challenges of PTSD. There is so much joy and laughter waiting for you to take hold of it. Call us today at (866) 691-4386. We aren’t just another health care facility. We are real people who care deeply about you and your future beyond PTSD. Whatever you need and whenever you need us, we will be there for you. 

What Is PTSD?

What Is PTSD?

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After experiencing a traumatic event or witnessing one, it is perfectly normal to feel fear, stress, and anxiety. Often, these symptoms will fade and eventually go away entirely. However, if these symptoms progress rather than improve, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the likely source. PTSD can interfere with your daily life and responsibilities and prevent you from doing the things you once loved to do.

An In-Depth Look at PTSD

PTSD is a serious mental health disorder resulting from experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. In the past, PTSD has been referred to as “shell shock” (WWI) and “combat fatigue” (WWII). However, it is a common misconception that PTSD is only associated with war veterans. This disorder can happen to anyone after a traumatic event. Some possible causes of PTSD include:

  • Near-death experiences such as car accidents or physical assault
  • Sexual assault
  • Exposure to a medical-related traumatic experience or prolonged exposure to traumatic environments
  • Traumatic childbirth or other medical-related circumstances
  • Surviving a natural disaster

PTSD affected an estimated 3.6% of U.S. adults in the past year and the lifetime prevalence of PTSD was 6.8%. Symptoms of PTSD typically start soon after the event has taken place. You may experience intense fear that triggers a “fight or flight” response in the body as a means to avoid personal harm. Fear is just one of the many effects PTSD can have.

The Signs and Symptoms of PTSD

There are many symptoms associated with PTSD. Many of these symptoms can severely impact your life and mental health. Some of the most common symptoms include the following.

Re-Experiencing

This includes nightmares that are very frightening and often consist of traumatic experiences while sleeping. Additionally, you may experience flashbacks in which the event plays out in your head. This can cause you to relive the experience over and over. These effects cause consistent terrifying thoughts resulting in intense fear.

Avoidance

After a traumatic event, you may face an intense need to avoid other people or places that may trigger thoughts of the event or other symptoms. This level of avoidance can result in missing important things such as work, appointments, family outings, and responsibilities.

Arousal and Reactivity

A consistent feeling of being on edge may come with PTSD. You may be regularly looking for danger, be jumpy or jittery, and be easily startled. This can affect your sleep resulting in insomnia, cause outbursts of anger, as well as spur on anxious behavior.

Difficulty With Mood

When struggling with PTSD symptoms, you may experience bouts of depression. This can result in consistent negative thoughts and opinions towards yourself and persistent feelings of blame or guilt. You may also lose interest in things that were once loved or enjoyed.

Cognition

If you struggle with PTSD, you may also have trouble concentrating. You may also experience difficulty with memories being fuzzy or important details being left out.

The Effects of Untreated PTSD

If you or a loved one are experiencing any of the signs or symptoms of PTSD, it is imperative to seek treatment as soon as possible. The effects of PTSD, when left untreated, can have a severe impact on your life and overall well-being. You may face a higher risk of the symptoms of PTSD worsening significantly.

Depression and anxiety may also increase to more severe levels. This can lead to more mental health concerns, including the following:

  • Substance use disorders (SUDs)
  • Anger management issues
  • Increased risk of suicidal thoughts or attempts.

What Treatments Are Available for PTSD?

Navigating life while facing the effects of PTSD can be challenging and discouraging when not treated properly. Symptoms can worsen over time when ignored. However, PTSD is a treatable condition with great success rates.

Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Treatment for PTSD typically begins with a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), also known as “talk therapy.” A branch of CBT called trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) is used to treat PTSD specifically. This type of CBT is engineered explicitly for individuals struggling with the symptoms of PTSD.

TF-CBT is an evidence-based form of treatment that assists you in overcoming your PTSD. Many studies are available that evaluate the treatments for PTSD. These studies show the effectiveness and success this form of therapy has for those struggling with PTSD.

This form of therapy directly focuses on the traumatic event or events that occurred which caused the disorder in the first place. TF-CBT is often paired with other forms of treatment, such as traditional CBT, for an all-encompassing treatment plan.

Find Treatment Today

Treatment doesn’t have to be scary or complicated. There are facilities that truly care about your journey through PTSD. Alter Behavioral Health can help guide you through your journey of healing. You can live a life free from the symptoms of PTSD. Don’t let trauma run your life any longer.

PTSD can leave you feeling vulnerable and helpless. Experiencing a revolving round of flashbacks and a sense of danger can drag you under and control your life. Overcoming PTSD is a process, and it does not happen overnight. However, you can get through the constant fear and anxiety that you’re feeling. You don’t have to live beneath the pressure of your PTSD. At Alter Behavioral Health, we have people who care about you and want to see you succeed. Call us today at (866) 691-4386, and we’ll pull you back up and on top of your PTSD. You can be in control of your life and get back to what you love doing every day.