June is PTSD Awareness Month, a time dedicated to increasing public understanding of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), reducing stigma, and helping those who are suffering access effective treatment and support.
Trauma is more common than many people realize. While conversations about trauma have become more mainstream, misconceptions continue to prevent many individuals from recognizing their symptoms and seeking help. One of the most important messages of PTSD Awareness Month is this: You do not have to be a soldier returning from war to experience PTSD. Trauma can happen to anyone.
What Is PTSD?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. These events may include:
- Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse
- Domestic violence
- Serious accidents or injuries
- Medical trauma
- Natural disasters
- Community violence
- Sudden loss of a loved one
- Childhood neglect
- Exposure to threatening or frightening situations
PTSD is not simply “having a hard time moving on” or “thinking too much about the past.” Rather, it reflects the nervous system’s ongoing efforts to protect us from perceived danger long after the threat has ended.
Individuals with PTSD may experience:
- Intrusive memories or flashbacks
- Nightmares
- Hypervigilance or constantly feeling on guard
- Anxiety and panic
- Emotional numbness
- Avoidance of reminders of the trauma
- Difficulty concentrating
- Irritability or anger
- Sleep disturbances
- Feelings of shame, guilt, or isolation
These symptoms can significantly interfere with daily functioning, relationships, work performance, and overall quality of life.
What Is Complex PTSD (CPTSD)?
Complex PTSD, often referred to as CPTSD, develops from repeated, chronic, or prolonged exposure to traumatic experiences, particularly when the individual feels trapped, powerless, or unable to escape.
Examples may include:
- Childhood abuse or neglect
- Ongoing domestic violence
- Repeated emotional abuse
- Human trafficking
- Long-term bullying
- Living in chronically unsafe environments
In addition to the symptoms associated with PTSD, individuals with CPTSD often struggle with:
- Chronic feelings of shame or worthlessness
- Difficulty trusting others
- Emotional dysregulation
- Persistent feelings of emptiness
- Relationship difficulties
- A fragmented or unstable sense of self
Many adults with CPTSD describe feeling as though they have spent their lives in survival mode.
Debunking Common Myths About PTSD
Myth #1: PTSD Only Happens to Military Veterans
While military personnel can absolutely develop PTSD, they are not the only population affected. Trauma does not discriminate. Children, adolescents, adults, parents, healthcare workers, first responders, survivors of abuse, accident victims, and everyday individuals can all develop PTSD.
Myth #2: The Event Must Be Horrific for PTSD to Develop
Many people mistakenly believe that trauma is defined solely by the severity of the event. In reality, trauma is not only about what happened; it is also about how the nervous system responded to what happened. Two people may experience the same event and respond very differently. Factors such as age, support systems, prior experiences, genetics, nervous system sensitivity, and available coping resources all influence how an individual processes stress. Trauma occurs when an experience overwhelms our capacity to cope, process, and integrate what happened.
Myth #3: People Should Just “Get Over It”
Healing from trauma is rarely a matter of willpower. When trauma occurs, the brain and body can become organized around protection and survival. Symptoms such as hypervigilance, avoidance, emotional numbing, and anxiety are not signs of weakness. They are often adaptive survival responses that once served a protective purpose. The challenge is that these responses may continue long after the danger has passed.
An ACT Perspective: Your Mind Is Trying to Protect You
From an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) perspective, trauma survivors often become entangled with painful thoughts, memories, emotions, and bodily sensations.
The mind learns important lessons after trauma:
- “People aren’t safe.”
- “I can’t trust anyone.”
- “I must stay alert.”
- “Something bad could happen at any moment.”
- “I am broken.”
These thoughts are understandable attempts by the mind to prevent future pain. Unfortunately, when we spend all of our energy trying to avoid, suppress, control, or eliminate difficult internal experiences, our lives can become increasingly restricted.
ACT helps individuals learn new ways of relating to painful thoughts and emotions while gradually reconnecting with the people, activities, and values that make life meaningful. The goal is not to erase the trauma. The goal is to help individuals build a life that is no longer organized around fear alone.
Why Trauma Healing Requires More Than Just Talking
For many years, trauma treatment focused primarily on thoughts and memories. Today, we understand something equally important: Trauma lives in the body as well as the mind. Many trauma survivors describe feeling disconnected from their bodies, chronically tense, exhausted, numb, restless, or stuck in a state of constant alertness. This is because trauma can disrupt the nervous system’s ability to accurately distinguish between safety and danger. Healing often involves learning how to reconnect with the body and restore a sense of safety.
Some body-based approaches include:
Somatic Yoga: Somatic yoga emphasizes gentle movement, body awareness, and mindfulness. Rather than focusing on performance, it encourages individuals to notice internal sensations and gradually rebuild trust in their bodies.
Vagus Nerve Theory: The vagus nerve plays an important role in regulating our nervous system. When functioning optimally, it helps us move into states of connection, calmness, and emotional regulation.
Activating the Parasympathetic Nervous System
Trauma can leave individuals stuck in states of fight, flight, freeze, fawn, or shutdown. The parasympathetic nervous system is often referred to as the body’s “rest and digest” system.
Helpful practices may include:
- Slow diaphragmatic breathing
- Meditation
- Mindfulness exercises
- Gentle movement
- Grounding techniques
- Soothing touch
- Spending time in nature
- Safe social connection
These interventions are not about “relaxing away” trauma. Rather, they help teach the nervous system that moments of safety are possible again.
What Does Healing From Trauma Look Like?
Healing is not forgetting. Healing is not pretending the trauma never happened.
Healing often involves:
- Making sense of what happened
- Learning to tolerate difficult emotions
- Reconnecting with your body
- Reducing avoidance
- Rebuilding trust
- Strengthening relationships
- Reclaiming meaningful activities
- Creating a life guided by values rather than fear
Healing is often gradual, nonlinear, and deeply personal. But it is possible.
Understanding Different Levels of Care
Trauma treatment exists along a continuum of care. Different individuals may require different levels of support depending on symptom severity and functional impairment. A qualified mental health professional can help determine the level of care that best fits an individual’s needs.
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About the Author
Dr. Amanda Aster McKenna, Psy.D. is a Licensed Psychologist based in Montclair, NJ, providing both in-person and virtual therapy across all PSYPACT states (see full list here).
She specializes in Trauma-Informed Care, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT).
In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. McKenna is a professor of psychology at Kean University in Union, NJ — and a proud working mom to three beautiful children.
Until next month,
Your favorite enabler of Mental Wellness
The Montclair Therapist
Dr. Amanda Aster-McKenna, Psy.D.
(She/Her/Hers)
NJ Licensed Psychologist #5888, Private Practice, Montclair, NJ
Adjunct Professor, Kean University, Department of Advanced Studies in Psychology
Manager, New York City Chapter of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science
Board Member, Mental Health Association of Essex and Morris
*Peace, Love, & Fierce Acceptance*
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