What is PTSD and how does it happen?

What is PTSD, really?

Introducing Nema Health

Hello! 👋🏽 We are Nema Health, a survivor and doctor-led clinic focused on treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a term sometimes used loosely in the media and in our everyday lives. Your friends may joke about PTSD from a bad date, meal, or movie. Although it might be used lightly in conversation, PTSD is actually a health condition that requires diagnosis and treatment.  

What is trauma?

If you have ventured here because you have experienced trauma, you are not alone. American society is unfortunately afflicted by trauma, which is defined as an exposure to actual or threatened death or harm. A whopping 83% of U.S. adults have been exposed to a traumatic event.

How do people develop PTSD?

After a trauma, the majority of survivors recover on their own. However, some survivors will go on to develop symptoms of PTSD, such as flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance of people or places that trigger intrusive memories, or self-blame related to the event. About 7% of people in the United States develop these PTSD symptoms.

Many people think of PTSD as an illness of war veterans, but PTSD is more common in civilians. Traumas such as sexual assault and domestic violence are actually more likely to cause PTSD than active combat. Women are also more likely to suffer from PTSD compared to men.

Is PTSD a treatable condition?

Some may believe that PTSD is permanent and untreatable. We are here to tell you that PTSD has many excellent treatment options. Trauma-specific treatments can help reduce or even completely rid a person of symptoms.

Our clinic’s mission is to help people recover from trauma using the highest-quality treatments for PTSD. Currently, we offer cognitive processing therapy (CPT), which is one of the most reputable and well-studied PTSD treatments.  Stay tuned for our upcoming blog posts to learn more about cognitive processing therapy!