Trauma is a psychological response to an event or series of events that cause physical, emotional, and/or mental harm. The effects of trauma can be short- or long-term, and severity can vary depending on the individual. Research shows us that trauma can affect everyone differently. There are several trauma types to know about. Read on to learn about each of them. What Are the Different Types of Trauma? When we think of psychological trauma, we often think of a single event that causes great harm or pain. However, different types of traumas can occur throughout our lives. Trauma isn’t limited t ..read more

During military service, service members are often exposed to violence, threats to personal safety, and other traumatic events. These experiences can significantly impact the mental health of active duty service members and veterans. According to the National Alliance for Mental Health, approximately 1 in 4 active duty service members show symptoms of a mental health condition.  This makes it even more important to understand the benefits of veterans therapy and the mental health concerns that service members may be facing. Increased awareness of veterans and mental health care can make ..read more

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affected an estimated 3.6% of adults in the United States in the last year. Although it’s often associated with combat veterans, children and adults can be diagnosed with PTSD as well. PTSD is a mental health condition is a severe form of anxiety disorder that can last for months or years after someone witnesses or experiences trauma. Triggers can cause the trauma to resurface, resulting in extreme physical and/or emotional responses. Some common symptoms that can affect your everyday life include nightmares, flashbacks, anger, irritability, negative thou ..read more

Updated 5/17/2022 Half of all people will experience at least one form of trauma in their lifetime. About 8% of them will develop post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result, and studies show that women are twice as likely to develop PTSD than men are. Even though it typically takes longer for them to be diagnosed, PTSD symptoms in women are more likely to present for a longer duration of time, and women are more prone to have extreme sensitivity to stimuli that reminds them of the trauma they experienced.  Overall, there are some major differences between PTSD symptoms in women an ..read more

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a popular form of psychotherapy that starts with a basic premise: if we can change how we think, we can change our behavior patterns.  CBT has proven to be an effective treatment for a number of mental health conditions, and it’s thought to be one of the most effective options for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Considering the fact that almost 9 million adults in America have PTSD, it’s critical to look at effective treatment options like cognitive behavioral therapy to see how they can help. CBT for PTSD encourages those struggling ..read more

Our Council of Experts are available each week to offer insight, guidance, and tips to answer your questions. Have a question for our therapists? Submit it to askatherapist@talkspace.com Q: Can PTSD and social anxiety relapse randomly for no particular reason? I had therapy for months last year, and I was normal for months after. Now I can barely function and do basic things at work like speak up in meetings. I’m seriously considering handing in my notice, as I feel like I’m failing at my job so they’ll fire me anyway. Dear Ayah, To answer your question, YES — PTSD and anxiety symptoms can pop ..read more

After a traumatic event, it’s not uncommon to feel symptoms of anxiety. When your world has turned upside down, your emotions need time to process the impact. This is a part of life, and it’s natural to be traumatized after events like environmental disasters, sudden illness, violence/abuse, or life-threatening accidents. But at some point, we start to wonder if a normal range of anxiety has become a prolonged state of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  Anxiety is your body’s “fight or flight” response to danger. The bodily sensations of heart palpitations, sweating, decreased appeti ..read more

When emergency physician Lorna M. Breen took her own life this past April, it sent shockwaves through the medical community. Breen was a medical director at the prestigious New York Presbyterian-Allen Hospital, which was overwhelmed with patients in the early days of the U.S. coronavirus pandemic. Colleagues and family remembered her as an extremely talented and devoted doctor, who was deeply traumatized by the horror of the pandemic. Breen’s case brought attention to the ongoing trauma faced by healthcare workers during a prolonged public health crisis. Studies already show high rates of PTSD ..read more

All of us experience difficult times in life. Some experiences may even be traumatic in nature. But sometimes — either because of the event itself, our own sensitivities, or a combination of factors — the trauma of these events becomes nearly impossible to shake and lasts for an extended period. When the trauma seems to live on beyond the event itself, when you find yourself having constant flashbacks of what happened, or when you find these recurring feelings difficult to cope with, you may have developed a case of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. What Is PTSD? The American Psychiatri ..read more

Updated 2/19/2021 Content Warning: This article discusses PTSD and traumatic events. It contains language regarding the impact and signs of trauma. While this content might be triggering for those directly or recently impacted by traumatic events, we believe difficult conversations are often necessary for education, too. If you’re seeking help and are worried about triggering content, you might have a trusted loved one review it first. If you are in a life-threatening situation, please call +1 (800) 273-8255 or use these resources to get immediate help. The global coronavirus pandemic is a ..read more