The Real Definition of PTSD: PTSD is Not Just for Veterans (Updated 2023)

When you search online, you’ll often come across a standard definition of PTSD that fails to provide a true understanding. As someone who has personally interacted with thousands of individuals with PTSD and shares the same experience, I want to offer a different perspective. Here’s how I define it: PTSD occurs when your brain adapts in a healthy way to an unhealthy situation, leading to a constant surge of adrenaline that keeps you on high alert. This can make it challenging to sleep, relax, or feel comfortable in your own skin. Can you relate to this? When I share this definition with those who have PTSD, they light up, feeling truly understood. It’s a simple explanation that I haven’t seen anywhere else.

PTSD is Not Just for Veterans!

There are various reasons why PTSD often goes undiagnosed. Firstly, it’s difficult to quantify and explain in clear, logical terms, unlike the consensus diagnostic criteria that fail to provide a comprehensive understanding. This ambiguity allows for misconceptions and false assumptions. Additionally, the influence of the medical insurance and pharmaceutical industries on therapists and doctors sometimes discourages them from diagnosing PTSD. Furthermore, patients themselves may have objections to the diagnosis. In this blog post, I aim to present a better definition of PTSD and propose a fresh perspective on trauma.

Understanding How Trauma Affects Your Brain

Trauma rewires your brain, optimizing it for self-protection. This means that your automatic alarm system becomes hypersensitive, triggering a flood of adrenaline at the slightest hint of danger or threat. It’s not just life-threatening situations that activate this response; even minor triggers can cause the same intense chemical reaction. For instance, a certain look from your spouse can elicit the same surge of chemicals as if you were facing imminent death. Others may question why you get worked up over seemingly insignificant things. 

But it’s not that simple, is it? 

Imagine someone telling you at a party, “It doesn’t make sense for you to be drunk, so just change your biology voluntarily right now.” It doesn’t work that way. So why do friends, family, doctors, and therapists keep expecting you to do the same? Even with my doctorate and extensive knowledge, trying to apply psychological techniques on myself only left me feeling frustrated, more bewildered, and ashamed.

Expanding the Perception of Trauma and PTSD

If you react to any past traumas, not limited to combat experiences, it means you have an overactive alarm system shared by thousands of other animal species. It’s a primitive survival mechanism that rewards those who stay alive long enough to pass on their genes, rather than those who are happy and relaxed. Any reminder of the original trauma can cause an immediate, intense surge of adrenaline, impairing your ability to think clearly. Your logical brain is too slow to assess whether the danger is real or merely reminiscent of a past trauma.

It’s crucial to understand that you don’t need to meet the extensive criteria for an official PTSD diagnosis to acknowledge the impact of trauma on your life. Let’s call it what it is and focus on finding ways to address these trauma reactions. It’s time to explore alternatives that don’t rely on ineffective medications or years of therapy sessions filled with tears. Take the next step in your research by visiting our website to discover how we can assist you.