Millions of people have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and need treatment. Recognizing the signs and symptoms of PTSD can help you find support for yourself or a loved one. Due to stigma and other societal influences, men may try to hide or minimize symptoms of PTSD, which can make it even harder for them to seek help.
What Is PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental health condition that can develop after a person experiences or witnesses a traumatic event. This event can be any of the following or something similar:
- Military combat
- A natural disaster
- A car accident
- Sexual assault
- Abuse
- A mugging
- A terrorist attack
While it is normal to have some anxiety after a traumatic event, people with PTSD continue to feel anxious and have symptoms that interfere with their daily lives long after the event is over. Anyone can get PTSD at any age.
Who Experiences PTSD More Often? Men or Women?
While it’s been reported that more men experience a traumatic event than women, they are not diagnosed with PTSD as often. This could be for a few reasons, one of which includes the type of trauma. Women are more likely to experience sexual abuse or violence during childhood and adulthood, and these types of experiences are more likely to cause PTSD.1
However, one of the other major factors is the culture. In cultures where gender roles are more reinforced, men are less likely to be emotionally vulnerable. While they may still be struggling with the long-term effects of trauma, they may not recognize or acknowledge them as easily. This can lead to men being less likely to seek help and more likely to suffer in silence.
Signs of PTSD
When men experience some form of trauma, they may not get treatment for it right away. Often, they don’t realize that they have PTSD. They might internalize their symptoms and assume that something is wrong with them. Once someone understands that their symptoms are from an external traumatic experience, they can get help for it. These signs and symptoms may include:
- Feeling extraordinarily lonely or isolated
- Having intense emotions and being unable to regulate them
- Being hypervigilant or always on edge
- Experiencing flashbacks, nightmares, and/or intrusive memories
- Dissociating
- Constantly bracing for further potential trauma
- Feeling helpless or ashamed
- Avoiding people, places, things, smells, sights, or other reminders of the event
- Turning to drugs or alcohol to cope with symptoms
Realizing that there is a problem is hard enough, and finding help is even harder. At Red Oak Recovery®, we believe that there is no shame in seeking help. If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms of PTSD, please reach out to our team of caring and compassionate clinicians.
What to Expect from PTSD Treatment at Red Oak
Each person is unique, so the right therapy may vary. Often, people with PTSD benefit from some combination of medication and therapy, like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). This therapy helps men evaluate how their thoughts and feelings affect their actions.
Prolonged exposure (PE) therapy is a type of CBT that can also be helpful because it allows people to confront problems and overcome their fears and anxieties. Group therapy can help those with PTSD gain peer support, advice, and feedback from people who are going through a similar experience—vital among men, who often have a hard time expressing how they feel about their mental health.
In addition, people with PTSD may also benefit from options like yoga, mindfulness meditation, individual therapy, and family counseling. Other treatments that may support recovery include:
- Dialectical behavior therapy
- Experiential therapy
- Family therapy
- Nutritional therapy
At Red Oak Recovery®, our goal is to help men improve their mental health and overcome addiction. If you or a loved one struggles with PTSD, we can help. Our gender-specific treatment center in the Blue Ridge Mountains is a refuge for men struggling with trauma, addiction, and co-occurring mental health conditions.
Get Help from Red Oak Recovery® Today
While it can be challenging to deal with PTSD, our mental health treatment center has extensive experience treating trauma-based disorders—particularly when they co-occur with substance abuse.
Red Oak Recovery® can help you or a loved one process trauma, discover better mental health, and find a better way forward. Our team can help you find the therapy options to achieve mental wellness. Learn more about our treatment programs for men by contacting our team online or calling 828.382.9699 today.
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