Being in a car accident, being a first responder, being in the military, and the sudden death of a loved one or child are the more easily identified traumatic events.
Living through the event is the first step of many steps in recovering from a traumatic event. Not everyone experiences these events the same, and not everyone will develop post-traumatic stress disorder if they have survived a traumatic event.
So, if you have been through a car accident, you will likely be very anxious driving or riding in a car, and you will likely get nervous in situations similar to those in your accident. You may start out thinking about your accident frequently and worrying about it; however, after a couple of weeks, the symptoms lessen. You will likely always remember the accident; however, you can return to driving, usually with some additional defensiveness. If, after several weeks, the symptoms do not decrease or even increase, it is likely to be the beginning of post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.
As with so many things, PTSD affects men and women differently. Some may be because the socialization rules for men and women differ and maybe because of other factors. It is estimated that about 4 % of women and 2 % of men have PTSD. Men and women are both victims of childhood trauma and sexual violence. Men are more likely to experience trauma as adults, and women are likely to experience trauma at a younger age. Women are more likely to experience sexual trauma as a child, and again, this is not to say that it does not happen to men, only that it appears to occur less frequently. This is most likely due to the socialization of men and women.
It is the differences in response to PTSD that this article will focus on, and to do that, we need to look at what PTSD is.
Most people who experience a traumatic event heal from it without lasting significant impacts or the event affecting their daily lives. However, with PTSD, the symptoms increase over time instead of decreasing, and they often intensify over time. These symptoms may persist for months or years and significantly impact daily life and relationships.
PTSD Symptoms
PTSD often presents with multiple symptoms and overlapping symptoms. The symptoms need to be present for more than a month. The list below is some of the symptoms of PTSD.
- Intrusive or re-experiencing symptoms, such as flashbacks, reliving the traumatic events, bad dreams, or persistent thoughts about the traumatic event.
- Avoid situations, people, or things that are potential triggers for remembering the event. This can also involve changing your daily routine.
- Experiencing an increased startle response and frequently feeling on edge. This will also include difficulty in managing daily tasks.
- Negative changes in thinking or mood: Feelings of guilt or personal blame for what happened, loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy, difficulty with memory, problems with concentration.
Men often experience increased problems with mood regulation, specifically anger and irritability. Men frequently have increased substance use after traumatic events.
PTSD Treatment Options
PTSD presents with multiple and complicated symptoms. It manifests very differently in each person. Fortunately, there are many different effective treatment options. Treatment for PTSD is more process and may take time so being patient and finding the right therapist and treatment modality for you is important.
EMDR Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an eight-phase psychotherapy approach that helps people recover from trauma without having to talk at length about the traumatic experience.
During treatment, you will think about the event and follow movement with your eyes (or alternatively hold tappers in your hands, listen to tones, or do self-tapping on your chest alternating the left and right side (butterfly hugs). This movement is the bilateral stimulation. You are then asked to notice without judging what comes up for you in your body, thoughts, and feelings during the bilateral stimulation. The movements are called dual stimuli or bilateral stimulation. In between the sets of stimulation, you will give feedback to the therapist about what you are experiencing. After reprocessing, the memory becomes associated with a more positive belief. This process can be done either in person or via telehealth.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapies CBT/ Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ACT
Cognitive Behavioral Therapies work on cognitions (thoughts) and aim to reframe and refocus the thoughts about the specific events. Often, people living with PTSD blame themselves for what happened or feel ashamed that they couldn’t prevent it from happening. CBT/ ACT works to take this negative outlook and change the thoughts and behaviors about what happened and what you believe about yourself. The goal is to minimize the effects of events on daily living.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
IFS helps with the sense that we all have different sides or parts. You know, like when one part of you wants to eat a bowl of ice cream, and the other part says no way. So, IFS gives us a way to identify these different parts. During IFS, you will work to find a part, focus on the part, flesh out the part, how close you are to the part, feel the part how you feel toward the part, befriend the part, find out more about the part, and fear what does the part fear. You will also work on learning about the self and how the parts and self interact. The modality seeks to increase the sense of Self and, through this, lower the impact of trauma.
Equine Therapy
Equine-assisted therapy (EAP), in which patients interact with horses to address emotional and behavioral challenges, is widely used to treat a variety of mental health problems. Offering a much different experience than traditional talk therapy, EAP brings people outdoors and offers an opportunity to use all senses while learning and processing emotional challenges.
Horses are uniquely different as a therapeutic tool because of certain traits they have.
Non-Judgmental and Unbiased
Having the horse present may offer peace or calm, as the horse will only react to the client’s behavior and emotions without the threat of bias or judgment of their emotional experience.
Feedback and Mirroring
Horses are keen observers and are vigilant and sensitive to movement and emotion. They often mirror a client’s behavior or feelings, conveying understanding and connection that allows the client to feel safe. This can also be helpful for clients to maintain a sense of self-awareness using the horses’ behaviors for feedback to check in and process what is going on in the present moment.
Managing Vulnerability
It is often difficult to open up and talk about a traumatic event or experience. Horses can offer a reference point for discussing these events. If something feels too painful to discuss, clients can process it more easily by using the horse as an example or aligning their experience with the horses at the moment. Externalizing the content in this way can make things easier to approach and process.
Medication
The symptoms of PTSD are often complex, overlapping, and may seem overwhelming, so in addition to therapy, finding a prescriber to help manage medication can be helpful. Medications can help with depression, anxiety avoidance, and even nightmares or flashbacks. Again, medication often works best in conjunction with therapy, and finding the correct prescriber is also essential.
Now What
Men are often socialized, do not show their emotions to man up, and do not be weak. So, seeking treatment for mental health concerns can be daunting at best. Trauma happens to all of us. It is not any specific type of person or gender. It is important to remember that PTSD is not your fault or a sign of weakness or failure. There are many different types of treatment, and finding one that will work for you is possible. You have survived the event, and now you can start to heal from the event.
Start Working With a Therapist for Men in Powhatan, VA
If you would like to discuss how I can help with processing a traumatic event, please get in touch with me to discuss this further. I would be honored to offer support in addressing the mental health concerns that affect you most. You can start your therapy journey with Gray Horse Counseling by following these simple steps:
- Contact me and schedule a free consultation.
- Check out my FAQs and read more about me
- Start coping and overcoming past trauma!
Other Services Offered with Gray Horse Counseling
I’m happy to offer therapy for men and a variety of other services to support the mental health of folks in Powhatan, VA, and across the state via online therapy. Other services at Gray Horse Counseling include individual therapy, depression therapy, anxiety therapy, group therapy, equine sports, clinical supervision, trauma therapy, and equine therapy. Check out my FAQs, read about me, and contact me today to get the help you deserve!