What happens when PTSD goes untreated?

If PTSD is left untreated, it can become a chronic, debilitating condition leading to worsening mental health (depression, anxiety, addiction), severe impacts on relationships and work, and serious physical health issues like heart disease, chronic pain, and autoimmune problems, with a higher risk of self-harm and suicide. The constant stress response damages the body and mind, making daily life challenging and isolating, and often leading to substance abuse as a coping mechanism, further compounding problems.

What does untreated PTSD turn into?

If PTSD is left untreated, it can become a chronic, debilitating condition leading to worsening mental health (depression, anxiety, addiction), severe impacts on relationships and work, and serious physical health issues like heart disease, chronic pain, and autoimmune problems, with a higher risk of self-harm and suicide. The constant stress response damages the body and mind, making daily life challenging and isolating, and often leading to substance abuse as a coping mechanism, further compounding problems.
 

What is the best treatment for PTSD?

The best treatments for PTSD are trauma-focused psychotherapies like Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which help you process traumatic memories, challenge negative thoughts, and gradually confront fears, often combined with medications like SSRIs (e.g., Zoloft, Paxil) for symptom relief. While these evidence-based therapies are highly effective for many, the best approach varies by individual, so a professional assessment is crucial to tailor treatment. 

How long can PTSD last if untreated?

If untreated, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can last for months, years, or even decades, becoming a chronic, lifelong condition, though symptoms can also wax and wane, with some improving while others worsen over time, highlighting the critical need for early treatment like therapy (CBT, EMDR) to process trauma and prevent long-term disability. 

Can people with PTSD live a normal life?

I've been diagnosed with PTSD, can I live a normal life? PTSD is a mental illness that affects approximately 7.8 percent of Americans at some point in their lives. PTSD recovery is definitely possible with the right treatment. In fact, with the right treatment, approximately 80 percent of PTSD sufferers will recover.

Warning Signs of PTSD

Is someone with PTSD mentally ill?

Yes, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is classified as a mental health condition and is recognized as a disability by organizations like the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). It qualifies as a disability because it can significantly impair a person's ability to function, leading to eligibility for benefits, accommodations, and legal protections, though specific eligibility depends on the severity of symptoms and impact on daily life or work.
 

How long does it take the brain to heal from PTSD?

Recovery from C-PTSD is deeply personal and varies for everyone. There's no set timeline for healing from C-PTSD; it's unique for each individual. The symptoms of C-PTSD span emotional dysregulation and physical manifestations. The complexity of C-PTSD ensures it's a long-term healing journey and not an easy trek.

Can untreated PTSD cause brain damage?

According to recent studies, Emotional Trauma and PTSD do cause both brain and physical damage. Neuropathologists have seen overlapping effects of physical and emotional trauma upon the brain.

What triggers PTSD episodes?

PTSD episodes are triggered by internal or external cues that resemble or remind someone of a past trauma, like specific sights (fireworks), sounds (sirens), smells (smoke), feelings (being trapped), dates (anniversaries), places, or even certain words or media, leading to flashbacks or intense reactions as if the trauma is happening again, notes WebMD, Mayo Clinic, PTSD UK, Verywell Mind, National Center for PTSD. These triggers are unique to each person and can range from obvious to subtle, causing symptoms like intrusive memories, avoidance, or heightened emotional responses. 

Can I get disability for PTSD?

Yes, you can get disability for PTSD, as the Social Security Administration (SSA) recognizes it as a disabling condition under its "Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders" listing (12.15) in the Blue Book. To qualify, you need a formal diagnosis, evidence of a traumatic stressor, and documentation showing your symptoms significantly limit your ability to work, often requiring you to meet specific medical criteria or prove your inability to adapt to other jobs. 

What triggers can worsen PTSD?

Here are some common triggers:

• Anniversaries of the event: Dates that remind a person of the trauma.
• News reports: Seeing or hearing about a similar event in the news.
• Certain people or places: Reminders of the trauma through places or people associated with it.
• Stress: General stressors can exacerbate PTSD symptoms.

What is the number one medication that helps with PTSD?

The 2 medicines recommended to treat PTSD in adults are paroxetine and sertraline. Paroxetine and sertraline are both a type of antidepressant known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These medicines will only be used if: you choose not to have trauma-focused psychological treatment.

What not to do to someone with PTSD?

Supporting someone with PTSD means understanding their unique neural bridges - those fragile connections between trauma and safety. The worst thing to do to someone with PTSD is to destabilize these bridges further through dismissive words, sudden actions, or ignoring their need for stability.

What helps PTSD the most?

The most effective treatments for PTSD are Trauma-Focused Psychotherapies, primarily Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), often combined with medications like SSRIs (Sertraline, Paroxetine) for symptom relief, though therapy is the first line. These therapies help you process trauma, change negative thought patterns, and gradually confront triggers, while medications manage symptoms like depression, anxiety, or nightmares, with prazosin sometimes used for nightmares.
 

What gets mistaken for PTSD?

PTSD can be misdiagnosed as the symptoms or behaviors of other mental health conditions. Conditions such as anxiety, depression, acute stress disorder, and more, have similarities to PTSD. It is important to note that not everyone who experiences a traumatic event has PTSD.

What are signs someone's been struggling with complex PTSD for a long time?

The symptoms of complex PTSD are similar to symptoms of PTSD, but may also include:

• feelings of worthlessness, shame and guilt.
• problems controlling your emotions.
• finding it hard to feel connected with other people.
• relationship problems, like having trouble keeping friends and partners.

What can flare up PTSD?

You may have more PTSD symptoms when you're generally stressed or when you come across reminders of what you went through, including the same time of year when a past traumatic event happened. For example, you may hear a car backfire and relive combat experiences.

How do I snap someone out of a PTSD episode?

To help someone out of a PTSD episode, stay calm, remind them they're safe in the present, use grounding techniques like naming objects or deep breaths, respect their space (no sudden touch), and gently coach them back to reality by describing their surroundings and affirming their safety. Reassure them their feelings are real but they are not in danger, and encourage professional support when they are calm, according to resources from the National Center for PTSD and Mind. 

What happens in the brain with PTSD?

In PTSD, the brain's amygdala (fear center) becomes overactive, the prefrontal cortex (regulation) underactive, and the hippocampus (memory) shrinks and struggles to distinguish past from present, creating a "perfect storm" where the body stays in high alert, causing flashbacks, hypervigilance, anxiety, and avoidance, as the brain's alarm system (amygdala) can't be properly shut off by the executive controls (PFC).
 

Does PTSD show up in a brain scan?

Yes, brain scans (like MRI, fMRI, SPECT) can show physical changes and abnormal activity patterns in PTSD, revealing impacts on areas like the amygdala (fear), hippocampus (memory), and prefrontal cortex (regulation), but they aren't used for routine diagnosis; instead, they help understand PTSD's biological basis, reduce stigma, and guide treatment by highlighting overactive fear circuits and smaller hippocampus, showing PTSD is a real brain disorder.
 

What does untreated PTSD feel like?

People with PTSD stay in that “fight or flight” mode – leading to an inability to relax and participate fully in life. PTSD can make it difficult to trust others, and survivors may feel numb and distant from other people. Interest in social activities can be affected. Social withdrawal and isolation may occur.

Can untreated PTSD lead to psychosis?

For some people, the stress and exhaustion of untreated PTSD can become so intense that it begins to affect how they see and experience reality. This can lead to symptoms of psychosis, such as hearing or seeing things that aren't there, or believing things that aren't true.

What is the best medication for PTSD?

There's no single "best" medication for PTSD, but SSRIs like sertraline (Zoloft) and paroxetine (Paxil) are FDA-approved and highly recommended first-line treatments, along with the SNRI venlafaxine (Effexor), as they help with anxiety, depression, and sleep issues common in PTSD. Other medications, like antipsychotics or prazosin (for nightmares), may be used if these don't work, while drugs like benzodiazepines are generally not recommended for long-term PTSD treatment due to potential worsening of symptoms and dependency.
 

How to rewire the brain after PTSD?

PTSD physically rewires the brain by overactivating the fear center (amygdala), shrinking the memory hub (hippocampus), and suppressing the rational control center (prefrontal cortex), creating a constant state of alert, flashbacks, and emotional dysregulation. This neural reshaping, however, isn't permanent; the brain's neuroplasticity allows for healing through therapies like CBT, EMDR, and mindfulness, which help retrain fear responses, process memories, and build new, healthier neural pathways.
 

Is PTSD considered a mental illness?

Yes, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is officially classified as a mental disorder or mental health condition, specifically under Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders in the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). It's a recognized psychiatric condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, causing significant distress and impairment in daily life, though some view it as a mental injury from trauma rather than a typical illness.