June is PTSD Awareness Month, and if there’s one thing worth knowing about post-traumatic stress disorder, it’s this: it’s far more common, and far more treatable, than most people realize.
About 6 out of every 100 people will experience PTSD at some point in their lives. And while many people picture combat veterans when they hear the term, most PTSD in this country comes from experiences much closer to home: car accidents, assaults, the sudden loss of someone you love, a frightening medical emergency, a difficult childbirth.
Dr. Berberian spent part of his early career helping veterans cope with trauma after combat, and that work shaped how our whole practice approaches it: with patience, without judgment, and with a plan built around the person in front of us.
Four myths that keep people from getting help
Myth 1: PTSD only happens to veterans. Anyone who lives through something terrifying or overwhelming can develop it, at any age.
Myth 2: It shows up right away. Sometimes it does. But symptoms can also surface months or even years later, which is why people often don’t connect what they’re feeling to what they went through.
Myth 3: It’s a sign of weakness. PTSD is your brain’s alarm system doing exactly what it was built to do, protecting you, except the alarm got stuck in the on position. That’s not weakness. That’s biology.
Myth 4: You just have to live with it. You don’t. Treatment for PTSD has come a long way, and most people who get help improve.
What the signs look like
PTSD tends to show up in four ways:
- Reliving it: nightmares, flashbacks, or memories that barge in uninvited.
- Avoiding reminders: steering around certain places, people, conversations, or feelings.
- Feeling on edge: startling easily, trouble sleeping, trouble concentrating, always scanning for danger.
- Changes in mood and beliefs: guilt, numbness, feeling detached from people you care about, or believing the world is no longer safe.
Some of this is a normal reaction right after something terrible happens. The concern is when it sticks around past a month or so and starts interfering with work, sleep, or relationships. That’s the point where talking to a professional makes a real difference.
What treatment looks like
There’s no single best path, and that’s actually good news. Trauma-focused talk therapy helps many people process what happened so the memory loses its grip. Medication can help with sleep, anxiety, and mood while that work happens. Your provider should build the plan around your history, your symptoms, and your comfort level.
What treatment isn’t: reliving the worst day of your life over and over in an office. A good trauma therapist moves at your pace, and much of the early work is simply about feeling safe and steady again. Many people notice the physical symptoms, like sleep and jumpiness, easing before the deeper work is done.
If someone you love has been through something
You can’t talk someone out of PTSD, and pushing them to "just get over it" makes things worse. What helps is steadiness: keep showing up, keep invitations open, and don’t take avoidance personally. If they’re open to it, offer to help them find an appointment. Sometimes the hardest part of treatment is the phone call that starts it.
At North Jersey Health and Wellness, our behavioral health team treats trauma in adolescents, adults, and seniors, in person at four locations or by telehealth. And if you’re struggling right now and can’t wait weeks for an appointment, our Prompt Psych service offers rapid psychiatric evaluations.
Call (201) 588-3491 or book online. You’ve carried it long enough.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988. The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is free and available around the clock.