PTSS vs PTSD

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Get Treatment Options for Traumatic Stress at Catalina

Anyone who experiences a terrifying event may experience post-traumatic stress (PTS). The big difference between PTSS vs PTSD though is that with PTSD, those symptoms last much longer.

My traumatic event was a car accident after a week-long vacation in New Orleans six months ago. The accident left my brother-in-law dead, and my fiance and I severely injured, and has continued to impact our lives to this day.

Without the right treatment, I’d probably still be struggling today. I couldn’t even drive for months after my accident. Having mental health support from places like Catalina Behavioral Health was life-changing and put me in the driver’s seat again, both in my car and in my life. If you’re dealing with post-traumatic stress following a traumatic event, Catalina can help you too!

What is PTSS (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome)?

Post-traumatic stress syndrome or PTSS is a common response to a traumatic event. When you experience something that terrifies you, it’s normal for your body to have a reaction. Common reactions include a faster heartbeat, trembling, sweating, nervousness, and intense feelings of fear.

These initial symptoms can last much longer than the traumatic event. You might also experience nightmares about your experience, flashbacks, or behavioral symptoms.

While PTS is not considered as long-lasting as PTSD, the symptoms are still severe and can affect everyday functioning. Don’t be afraid to seek help, even if you haven’t been experiencing symptoms for more than a month.

What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?

Post traumatic stress disorder happens after a traumatic or stressful event, just like PTSS. However, post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms last up to a month and PTSD lasts your entire life. PTSD is also considered a trauma and stressor-related disorder, while PTSS is classified as an acute anxiety disorder.

Prior to the Vietnam War, PTSD was called battle fatigue syndrome or shell shock. However, it was noticed others who experienced trauma had similar symptoms to combat veterans.

What Are Common PTSD Symptoms?

For a person to be diagnosed with a mental health disorder like PTSD, they have to meet certain diagnostic criteria. While symptoms of PTSD can present differently depending on the client and their specific trauma, these are some of the most common.

• Distressing dreams and flashbacks about the traumatic experience
• Reliving the trauma through flashbacks
• Severe emotional distress when something reminds you of the event
• Avoiding talking about the experience
• Avoiding places, people, and things that remind you of the trauma
• Memory problems that may include not being able to remember what happened
• Feeling hopeless about the future or having a negative outlook on yourself or life
• Suicidal thoughts
• Feeling emotionally numb
• Detaching from family and friends
• Trouble concentrating
• Difficulty sleeping
• Changes in eating habits
• Overwhelming shame or guilt
• Outbursts, irritability, and aggressive behavior
• Always being on guard or feeling nervous
• Self-destructive behaviors like substance abuse or driving recklessly

To be diagnosed with PTSD, a client must be exhibiting several (but not all) of these symptoms. They also must be serious enough that they go beyond a normal response to stress and start impacting your life.

What is Comorbid PTSD?

It’s not uncommon for the symptoms of PTSD to contribute to other issues. Some people develop anxiety, depression, or other mental health disorders because of their experience. Others may cope with their symptoms through drinking or substance abuse.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment Options at Catalina

To effectively treat PTSD, it’s important that you’re honest with our team about alcohol abuse, drug addiction, or other mental health symptoms. These things will help us determine the best course of treatment for your traumatic experiences and are absolutely important to know and get support for.

Catalina specializes in the treatment of PTSD alongside alcohol or drug use, as well as offering a full array of trauma treatment programs on a standalone basis. If you or a loved one have also suffered childhood trauma and have developed what is known as complex PTSD, we are here to help as well.

PTSS vs PTSD: What’s the Difference?

When you look at the common symptoms of PTSS vs PTSD, they are similar. However, PTSS is an acute stress disorder that generally lasts up to a month following the traumatic situation. If symptoms last longer than that, it may be PTSD.

Another difference is that PTSS falls into the anxiety disorders category, while PTSD falls under the diagnostic category called stressor-related disorders. PTSD is also a lifelong mental illness. Symptoms of this psychiatric disorder can be well-managed with the right types of therapy and support, but they can still be triggered decades after the traumatic event.

With proper treatment, PTSD impacts your life far less often and becomes more manageable. This can lay the foundation of support you need to deal with trauma triggers, repeated exposure to stress, or future trauma.

What’s the Difference Between PTSD and an Adjustment Disorder?

Some people also experience adjustment disorders as a reaction to stress. Adjustment disorders are characterized by mood swings, negative thoughts, and behavior changes that make it harder to get along with others. People with this mental health disorder also may have a hard time experiencing positive emotions and may cry or feel nervous a lot.

This type of mental disorder has significant differences from PTSD and typically starts three months after trauma and lasts up to six months. However, some people experience long-lasting symptoms. Many veterans struggle with this when returning to civilian life after being in the war. Veterans Affairs does offer resources, but contacting Catalina Behavioral Health can also help!

If You Experience Traumatic Events, Will it Cause PTS?

Any experience that causes you extreme stress or fear has the potential to have a long-term impact. It is common in veterans but also may be experienced by people in car accidents, natural disasters, or other traumatic situations. If you experience interpersonal violence, intimate partner violence, or any type of physical or sexual assault, it can also cause PTS.

However, experiencing trauma does not guarantee that you’ll develop PTSD. Some people undergo trauma without any severe or long-lasting symptoms, but everyone has their own responses to a traumatic event (or events) and none is ‘better’ or ‘worse.’

The simple truth is this: if trauma is lingering and affecting you negatively, seeking support can, and often does, make for a major improvement.

Treatment Options for Traumatic Stress at Catalina

At Catalina Behavioral Health, we understand how much trauma can affect your life. Trauma can make it feel impossible to go to work, take care of your family, and manage your relationships. No matter when symptoms occur or the severity, we can help you get back to your life.

In cases where symptoms are severe or easily triggered, inpatient therapy at Catalina can help. Our mental health facility provides a safe space for you to focus on getting better. You also won’t have as many triggers as you might in your day-to-day life. Outpatient therapies are also an option.

Catalina offers support for a wide range of mental health disorders, including PTS and PTSD. We stay up-to-date on information from the Department of Behavioral Sciences at the National Center for PTSD and are committed to helping our clients heal. That’s why we offer such a wide range of therapies, as well as options for inpatient and outpatient treatment.

Getting a PTSD Diagnosis

Often, to make a PTSD diagnosis, a psychiatrist will refer to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders written by the American Psychiatric Association. This site from the VA contains a PTSD checklist and often, your psychiatrist will ask questions to help with a diagnosis. They might also ask questions about the stressful event before deciding on a course of PTSD treatment.

Even if it hasn’t been more than a month, you can get help if you’re experiencing post-traumatic stress. A PTS diagnosis means you are also at risk of developing PTSD and other mental health conditions. With the right intervention, you can start healing your trauma sooner!

What to Expect for PTS Treatment

In some cases, the symptoms experienced following trauma are a normal reaction and won’t result in the need for treatment. It really depends on the individual and the severity of the symptoms they are experiencing.

If PTS is interfering with your life, then there are a number of therapies that can treat PTSD. Such approaches include prolonged exposure therapy, cognitive processing therapy, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, often shortened to EMDR.

In addition to these trauma-based therapies, group therapy benefits some individuals. It can be helpful knowing you aren’t the only one who has experienced a traumatic event and suffered PTSD as a result. Medication is another option.

Contact Us to Start Healing with Catalina Today!

I probably don’t have to tell you all the ways that PTSS and PTSD symptoms disrupt your life. While healing after a traumatic experience takes time, don’t let it take longer than it needs to.

Fortunately, Catalina Behavioral Health offers support programs at every level to assist you or your loved one in getting back to health and happiness.

By reaching out to the team at Catalina for a confidential discussion of options, you can stop PTSD from getting in the way of your life today. Give yourself needed support and reach out now!