SALT LAKE CITY — Post-traumatic stress disorder affects far more people than most realize, and the signs can be easy to miss.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Dr. Mike Woodruff, Executive Medical Director at Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield, is urging people to take a closer look at what PTSD really is — and why getting help is nothing to be ashamed of.
PTSD is a mental and physical health condition that develops in response to serious distressing events involving the threat of death or harm. It is not temporary stress. It is long-term, and it causes real dysfunction in daily life.
"This isn't just like, oh, I'm stressed about something. This is actually something that sticks with you. It's long-term, and it causes real dysfunction in your daily life," Woodruff said.
While many people associate PTSD with a single catastrophic event like combat or childhood trauma, Woodruff said there is another form that often goes unrecognized. "There's also a form called cumulative PTSD, which is sort of the sum of a lot of different smaller traumatic events," Woodruff said.
Cumulative PTSD is most common among first responders, including police, fire, and EMS personnel, as well as healthcare workers who face heartbreaking situations on a near-daily basis.
How common is PTSD?
PTSD affects people of any age, ethnicity, nationality, or culture. In the general population, fewer than 1 in 10 people will experience PTSD symptoms during their lifetime. Among combat veterans, first responders, and healthcare workers, that number climbs to as high as 1 in 3.
What are the signs?
Woodruff said one of the biggest misconceptions is that flashbacks are the primary symptom of PTSD. In reality, many symptoms are vague and can easily be mistaken for personality issues.
"A lot of the symptoms are very vague, and they're things like I'm grumpy, I'm having angry outbursts, I'm having difficulty concentrating, I'm having difficulty sleeping, maybe I startle easily with loud sounds," Woodruff said.
He added that substance abuse is another significant warning sign. Other symptoms can include chronic fatigue, emotional numbness, hypervigilance, and avoidance of certain places or situations.
What treatments are available?
Woodruff said there are several effective treatment options, and people who have tried therapy in the past should not rule it out again. "If you've even had therapy in the past, chances are today therapies are more effective. So, it's worth giving it another shot," Woodruff said.
Effective treatments include:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): Helps reframe how a person thinks about and approaches difficult memories.
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): Trains the body to reshape how memories are formed and processed.
- Medication: Can be effective, particularly for those who also experience depression.
Breaking the stigma
Woodruff said stigma remains the biggest barrier to people seeking help.
"There's no shame in getting treatment for PTSD. It's a medical disorder, and you need help getting better when you have a medical disorder," Woodruff said.
For those in crisis or looking for support, 988 is a free and confidential resource. In Utah, callers are connected to a trained local professional. The Safe UT app is also available for download, and a version specifically for healthcare workers and first responders — Safe UT Front Line — is available as well.
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