Twice in the last month I’ve heard individuals in Zoom groups claim that they or someone they knew had PTSD because they couldn’t shop at their favorite store or they had had to make unexpected adjustments in response to all of the changes the pandemic has brought. The announcement was dropped in a casual, almost-flippant way and by folks who are generally very careful with their language. I was not surprised – I hear this all the time – but I was disappointed, and it really angered me.

PTSD (and other serious psychological disorders) are being used and applied in general conversation these days without any thought given to the meaning or implication of same. I heard someone say a couple of months ago that someone she knew “had PTSD last week” because she wasn’t able to get her regular monthly massage, but that “she’s all better now that they opened the office for appointments.”

Posttraumatic stress disorder or syndrome is a SERIOUS disorder that, like depression and anxiety and schizophrenia, has a very specific set of symptoms and professionally-determined criteria the sufferer must meet to get the diagnosis. Here is a simple outline of those criteria:

https://www.verywellmind.com/ptsd-in-the-dsm-5-2797324

Being upset because plans had to be changed or angry because you’re not allowed to do something that you’ve always been able to do are NOT criteria for PTSD. You do not have PTSD if it’s raining on the day you had planned to go on a hike or the governor is asking you to wear a mask when you go out. These things may be upsetting, but to call them PTSD is incorrect and is insulting and dismissive of the people who actually do suffer from it. While it is entirely possible someone already diagnosed with PTSD may notice an exacerbation of symptoms with major change, it is not a simple here-today-gone-tomorrow kind of thing.

Folks with PTSD don’t all react in the same ways to everything; in fact, although they will share in common the criteria noted above, their response to life will be determined, in part, by the type of trauma they suffered. Symptoms can be mild, severe, or somewhere in-between. They can be long-lasting and debilitating.

Triggers are typical with PTSD. For example, someone who has been raped may pull away from any physical touch (physical touch is the trigger). If someone has been in or witnessed a massive fire, they may freeze or cry or shake uncontrollably when they hear sirens. Someone suffering trauma at the hands of medical professionals may not be able to go to the doctor without experiencing extreme anxiety (or may not be able to go at all). Triggers and their associated responses may be clearly evident, but many who suffer from PTSD do so in silence and invisibility. Often triggers are common, everyday objects and actions. A person who has witnessed (or been in/worked in) a disaster and been exposed to bodies temporarily kept in dark body bags may have an extreme reaction to black garbage bags. Or, as noted, when suffering a physical assault, someone may not be able to tolerate physical touch.

With PTSD, symptoms don’t generally just go away on their own. This disorder is not curable, but it is manageable. Individuals have to first recognize what they are dealing with (not always as easy as it may seem) and then seek out help to process the trauma and work on their reactions. PTSD can cause changes in the brain and, because of the stress associated with this disorder, can and usually does create havoc for the body, leading to everything from high blood pressure and diabetes to cancer. PTSD is a disorder that, left untreated, could be fatal.

Here is a good overview:

https://www.myptsd.com/threads/understanding-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd.86476/

If care is not taken when we speak and write, we inadvertently cause more harm to individuals who are already suffering.

Watch for another post on the language we use, coming soon!