Find Treatment for Trauma and Stress-Related Disorders in Las Vegas

Trauma-related disorders are mental health conditions that develop after experiencing or witnessing distressing or life-threatening events. These disorders include well-known conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), as well as other trauma-related mental health issues. Trauma can result from many types of events, such as abuse or neglect, domestic violence, military combat, natural disasters, serious accidents, or childhood trauma. The symptoms often involve intense memories, emotional distress, and difficulty coping with daily life. Understanding trauma-related disorders and seeking treatment from mental health professionals can help individuals heal and regain control over their lives. Let’s explore the different types of trauma, signs and symptoms, and available treatment options to support recovery.

What Are Trauma and Stress-Related Disorders?

Trauma and stress-related disorders are a key focus for mental health professionals and anyone affected by these conditions. These disorders can range from severe cases like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to more common struggles such as ongoing stress. Understanding the different types of trauma and stress-related disorders involves learning about their causes, symptoms, and treatment options. Gaining this knowledge can empower those experiencing trauma to find the right support and resources needed to heal and improve their quality of life. 

Trauma-Related Disorders

Traumatic experiences often involve directly facing danger or witnessing a life-threatening situation, like a natural disaster, serious accident, violence, or war. These events can be very difficult to process and may cause high levels of anxiety.

It’s normal to feel overwhelmed, shocked, or numb right after a traumatic event. But if feelings of fear, helplessness, or distress continue for a long time and start to affect daily life, this may be a sign of a trauma-related disorder. Recognizing these lasting reactions is important for getting the right help and support. 

Common Causes of Trauma

Trauma can happen because of many different events that cause physical or emotional harm. These experiences can deeply affect a person’s mental health and well-being. Some common causes of trauma include:

• Experiencing or witnessing violence, such as assault or domestic abuse
• Being involved in serious accidents, like car crashes
• Living through natural disasters, such as floods or earthquakes
• Military combat or war-related experiences
• Childhood abuse or neglect – (ACE’s)
• Losing a loved one in a sudden or traumatic way

Each person reacts differently to trauma, but these events often lead to lasting emotional challenges.

Types of Trauma-Related Disorders

Trauma-related disorders are mental health conditions that develop after a person experiences traumatic events. The most well-known is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can happen after a single traumatic event. Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) often results from repeated or long-lasting trauma, such as ongoing abuse or neglect. Other trauma-related disorders may also develop depending on the type and severity of trauma experienced. Understanding these disorders helps guide treatment and support for those affected by traumatic experiences. 

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs after a person experiences, witnesses, or faces a traumatic event and continues to relive that experience over time. This disorder develops from intense emotional distress caused by events like natural disasters, combat, or other highly stressful situations.

PTSD can be classified as acute when symptoms last less than three months, or chronic when they persist for three months or longer. Sometimes, symptoms don’t appear right away and may take weeks or even months-sometimes six months or more-to show up after the traumatic event. This delayed onset can make recognizing and treating PTSD more challenging.

Common Symptoms of PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious trauma-related condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. People with PTSD often face a range of symptoms, including:

• Intrusive memories or flashbacks of the trauma
• Nightmares and trouble sleeping
• Intense emotional reactions like anger or mood swings
• Difficulty controlling emotions and feeling anxious or panicked
• Problems concentrating and negative thinking
• Avoiding places, people, or activities that remind them of the trauma
• Feeling isolated or withdrawing from others

These symptoms can interfere with daily life, but mental health professionals can provide support and treatment to help manage them.

DSM-5 Criteria for PTSD

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) outlines specific criteria for diagnosing PTSD, grouped into several categories:

• Exposure to Trauma: Directly experiencing, witnessing, or learning about a traumatic event involving death, injury, or violence.
• Re-experiencing: Recurring distressing memories, flashbacks, or nightmares related to the trauma.
• Avoidance: Efforts to avoid thoughts, feelings, or reminders of the traumatic event.
• Negative Changes in Thoughts and Mood: Difficulty remembering parts of the trauma, persistent negative beliefs about oneself or the world, feelings of guilt or shame, loss of interest in activities, or emotional numbness.
• Arousal and Reactivity: Increased irritability, reckless behavior, heightened startle response, trouble concentrating, and sleep problems.
• Duration and Impact: Symptoms last more than one month and cause significant problems in daily life.
• Exclusion: Symptoms are not caused by substance use or other medical conditions.

Some individuals may also experience dissociative symptoms, such as feeling detached from themselves or their surroundings. Early diagnosis and treatment are important for recovery.

Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD)

Complex post-traumatic stress disorder, or C-PTSD, is recognized as a trauma-related condition that differs from traditional PTSD. According to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), C-PTSD involves not only the core symptoms of PTSD but also additional challenges related to emotional regulation, self-identity, and relationships. Unlike PTSD, which often follows a single traumatic event, C-PTSD usually develops after prolonged or repeated trauma, such as ongoing abuse, neglect, or captivity.

Signs and Symptoms of C-PTSD

People with C-PTSD often struggle with:

• Difficulty managing intense emotions, leading to irritability, anger, or emotional numbness
• Negative beliefs about themselves, such as feelings of shame, guilt, or worthlessness
• Trouble forming or maintaining close relationships due to distrust and emotional withdrawal

ICD-11 Criteria for C-PTSD

The ICD-11 defines C-PTSD by the presence of PTSD symptoms, such as flashbacks, avoidance, and a sense of threat, along with disturbances in self-organization, which include emotional difficulties, a negative self-view, and relationship problems. While the DSM-5 does not currently list C-PTSD as a separate diagnosis, it has broadened the criteria for PTSD to include symptoms seen in complex trauma.

Emotional Dysregulation

One of the main differences between PTSD and C-PTSD is the difficulty in controlling emotions. Individuals with C-PTSD may experience overwhelming feelings such as anger, sadness, or fear that are hard to manage. This can lead to behaviors like depression, self-harm, substance abuse, or suicidal thoughts. These emotional struggles are often more intense and persistent than those seen in PTSD.

Negative Self-Image

C-PTSD can deeply affect how a person views themselves. Many feel a strong sense of shame, guilt, or failure connected to their trauma. This negative self-concept can lower self-esteem and make it hard to trust oneself. These feelings may lead to destructive behaviors as a way to cope, and survivors often find it challenging to build healthy relationships.

Relationship Difficulties

People with C-PTSD frequently have trouble trusting others and may feel unsafe in social situations. Because complex trauma often begins in childhood, it can disrupt the ability to form secure, supportive relationships later in life. Those affected may avoid reminders of trauma, struggle with emotional closeness, or feel disconnected from others. This can result in isolation, difficulty setting boundaries, or staying in unhealthy relationships to avoid rejection.

Understanding C-PTSD helps mental health professionals provide better support tailored to the unique needs of those who have experienced prolonged trauma. Treatment focuses not only on managing PTSD symptoms but also on improving emotional regulation, self-worth, and interpersonal skills to promote healing and recovery.

PTSD Vs C-PTSD

The main difference between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) lies in the duration and nature of the trauma experienced. PTSD usually develops after a single traumatic event, such as a car accident, combat, or natural disaster. In contrast, C-PTSD often results from prolonged or repeated trauma, like ongoing abuse, neglect, or domestic violence.

Because complex post-traumatic stress disorder involves long-term trauma, it generally requires more intensive and extended mental health treatment. Symptoms of C-PTSD can persist for months or even years, making recovery a longer process. While both PTSD and C-PTSD may share similar signs and symptoms, the length and cause of trauma help mental health professionals distinguish between the two. Understanding these differences is important for creating an effective treatment plan tailored to each individual’s needs.

Dangers of PTSD and C-PTSD

Symptoms of PTSD can include feelings of confusion, disorientation, and intense fear. When these reactions become severe, they may disrupt a person’s ability to function safely in daily life. For instance, someone might suddenly lose awareness of their surroundings and respond with aggressive behavior, which could put themselves or others at risk. Because of this, it’s important to recognize the signs of both PTSD and complex PTSD (C-PTSD) and seek help from mental health professionals promptly.

Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) often presents with more subtle symptoms that can be harder to identify without knowledge of trauma. These may include feeling disconnected from reality, struggling to trust others or build relationships, and having strong fight, flight, or freeze reactions to perceived dangers. People with C-PTSD also frequently face challenges in managing their emotions, feeling overwhelmed by stress, and may experience thoughts of self-harm or suicide due to the long-lasting effects of trauma.