What is post-traumatic stress disorder?

Learn more about PTSD and its treatments with Nema

A Trauma Occurs

About 70% of Americans have suffered a trauma. Traumas are exposures to life threatening events that cause distress in a person’s life. Traumas include witnessing an event happen to others, such as a death or injury.

Post-Traumatic Stress Begins

After suffering a trauma, most people will develop some kind of stress reaction, including anxiety, fear, intrusive thoughts and muscle tension. Usually these symptoms naturally improve with time and support from friends & family. 

Symptoms Continue, Becoming PTSD

For many reasons, the distress may not improve. Some people suffer multiple traumas and can’t process it all by themselves. Others don’t have the supports to help them through. PTSD happens when symptoms linger for more than 1 month. 

What are PTSD symptoms? 

Symptoms are generally divided into 4 clusters: 

  • Re-experiencing symptoms: Flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive thoughts about the trauma. 
  • Avoidance: Because trauma thoughts are so distressing, sufferers try to avoid reminders or “triggers” of their trauma. 
  • Negative Cognitions & Mood: Shame, self-blame, and guilt surrounding the traumatic event are very common. Others notice depression, irritability and mood swings. 
  • Hypervigilance: An inability to fully relax. 

If you identify with these symptoms, we recommend that you contact a healthcare professional to explore whether you have PTSD.

 

What works for PTSD? 

At Nema, we only offer gold standard treatments that are proven to reduce PTSD symptoms. Those therapies are: 

  • Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) 
  • Prolonged Exposure (PE) 
  • Eye Movement Desensitization & Reduction (EMDR) 

PE and EMDR are exposure therapies, where patients immerse themselves back in their trauma in order to desensitize them. They work well, but some patients may not want to re-experience the trauma. For those patients, a non-exposure therapy such as CPT may be preferred.

 

Will these therapies work for

my particular trauma? 

The short answer is yes! The above trauma therapies are proven to work for a variety of different kinds of trauma, including sexual assault, medical trauma, intimate partner violence, work trauma, and more. They are also effective for patients with multiple traumas and with co-occurring issues, such as substance use. 

What’s different about Nema?

We only offer proven gold-standard therapies, so you can rest assured knowing you’re getting the best care possible. We also offer intensive daily therapy. By offering our therapy every day until people recover, you can complete therapy in as little as 2 weeks and get back to living your life again.

Start Treatment with Nema

Did you know?  

Although PTSD is often associated with veterans, the traumas most likely to cause PTSD include intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual assault.  

Up to70%

Of people in the US have experienced a traumatic event

About7-9%

Of people in the U.S. will develop PTSD

Up to200%

Estimated increase in PTSD in communities affected by COVID-19