Psychotherapy Articles

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in the LGBT Community

Five percent of men and 10% of women in the U.S. suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but many of them don’t know they have it. That’s partly because many of the symptoms of PTSD look like the symptoms of other conditions. Also, it’s because many people with PTSD feel like they’re “going crazy” and are therefore afraid to seek assistance.

What is Post-traumatic Stress Disorder?

Post-traumatic stress disorder always starts with trauma, which is experiencing, being threatened by, or witnessing physical harm, and developing a reaction that includes intense fear and helplessness. However, trauma does not always lead to PTSD. About one in five people exposed to trauma go on to develop the condition.

People with PTSD suffer from 3 groups of symptoms for more than 30 days. The first group, intrusion, includes nightmares, night terror (waking up gasping or screaming) and flashbacks (experiencing a prior event as if it is happening now). The second group, avoidance, includes not remembering certain aspects of the trauma or avoiding people or places related to the experience. People with PTSD often take the blame for what happened and experience shame, even though their actions were unrelated to the incident. They may feel a strange sense of detachment or that they don’t fit in.

The third group is related to arousal. People with PTSD may have trouble falling asleep or wake up in the middle of the night. They are prone to being irritable and angry. People may become hyper-aware of their surroundings and on the lookout for something bad happening. More often than not, PTSD involves a loss of trust and a feeling that the world is not a safe place.

PTSD can make it difficult, if not impossible, to function normally. Additional symptoms are less common but nonetheless can happen. For example, some people think that someone or some group is out to get them. Alternatively, people can dissociate. Everyone gets spacey from time-to-time, but dissociation is more intense and longer-lasting. Another symptom is to feel as if life isn’t real, like you’re watching a movie.

Keep in mind that someone with PTSD may experience just a few of these symptoms. Go to mental-health-today.com for specifics about the symptoms of PTSD.

Many people with PTSD feel the need to escape. Nearly 1 in 5 people with PTSD actually attempt suicide (the ultimate escape). Short of suicide, others attempt to cope in ways that make things worse. These include abusing drugs and alcohol, overeating, gambling, and becoming hyper-sexual.

Events that cause trauma

PTSD can come from a single event or from several. Some events are known to cause PTSD. These include: • Surviving a disaster 

  • Wartime combat
  • Being abused by your partner
  • Childhood sexual and physical abuse
  • Witnessing abuse of a parent or siblings

      • However, consider this. Recent studies show that the brain does not distinguish between emotional and physical pain. So, it would appear that emotional abuse can also lead to PTSD.

      LGBT PTSD

      If it’s true that emotional trauma contributes to PTSD, then growing up in a hostile environment can cause trauma, even to the point of PTSD. A history that includes the threat of physical assault, actual physical and sexual assaults, on top of emotional abuse means PTSD is possible. Aside from abuse, an HIV diagnosis can also lead to PTSD.

      Contributing to challenges stemming from being traumatized is the inability to come forward to discuss challenges related to being GLBT. To contrast the situation with ethnic and religious minorities, most children and adolescents get support in their families of origin for their ethnicity and religion. Not if you’re raised in a non-gay home.

      Since you may have had little to no support for coming out, you might have felt isolated, which can lead to feelings of depression and anxiety. These feelings can create an even riper environment for substance abuse, trapping the trauma inside of you.

      Getting better

      As a GLBT person, you might be thinking: Could former verbal and physical violence have given me PTSD? If so, how do I get better?

      The answer to both questions begins with being evaluated by a mental health practitioner who has experience in treating trauma. However, the mental-health-today website as well as the one listed below have pertinent information. Note that people can have some symptoms and not have full-blown PTSD, but any distressing symptoms can be addressed.

      People with PTSD can and do get better, but it almost never resolves itself. As an example of why it’s so challenging to go it alone, there’s a general belief that when someone has an addiction, recovery is your Number One priority. Unlike other conditions, when the drug is taken away, people with PTSD usually get worse. That’s why for people with an addiction and PTSD, both challenges need to be treated at the same time.

      PTSD treatment often includes a blend of cognitive-behavioral and supportive psychotherapy. For a detailed explanation of PTSD treatment, go to PTSD Support Services.