On its own, posttraumatic stress disorder can have a profound negative effect on virtually every part of a person’s life. When someone also has another mental or behavioral health concern along with comorbid PTSD, the impact can be substantially more severe. Thankfully, personalized treatment can help people overcome this challenge and experience improved quality of life.
What is Comorbid Posttraumatic Stress Disorder?
In clinical terminology, comorbid is a synonym for co-occurring. Thus, a diagnosis of comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder indicates that a person has PTSD as well as another mental health condition, such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder.
Comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder could also be an appropriate descriptor for someone who has PTSD and an addiction to alcohol or another drug.
While this term may not be familiar to non-clinicians, co-occurring conditions are quite common among people who have PTSD:
- A 2003 article in the journal American Family Physician reported that about 80% of people who were diagnosed with PTSD had at least one co-occurring mental health disorder. This included 88.3% of men and 79% of women who have PTSD.
- The same American Family Physician article noted that 59% of men and 44% of women with PTSD also met the criteria for three or more co-occurring psychiatric concerns.
- A 2020 study from the United Kingdom found that Comorbid Posttraumatic Stress Disorder 78.5% of British citizens with PTSD had a comorbid condition.
- The UK study also determined that major depressive disorder was the most common mental health concern among those who had comorbid PTSD. Other common co-occurring disorders included specific phobia, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and panic disorder.
- A small cross-sectional study that was published in the October-December 2017 edition of the European Journal of Psychiatry revealed that 97.4% of military veterans with PTSD met the diagnostic criteria for at least one other mental health condition.
Signs of Having Comorbid PTSD
A person can develop posttraumatic stress disorder after enduring, witnessing, or repeatedly viewing the aftermath of life-threating situations such as:
- Military combat
- Acts of terrorism
- Violent automobile accidents
- Serious medical conditions
- Being attacked or assaulted
- Child abuse and neglect
- Violent weather such as tornadoes or hurricanes
An individual could also develop PTSD after learning the details of a traumatic experience that happened to a close friend or family member.
As established in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the criteria for a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder include:
- Recurrent intrusive memories of the traumatic event
- Repeated distressing dreams related to the traumatic event
- Flashbacks, which are dissociative episodes during which a person feels that they are re-experiencing the traumatic event
- Intense physical and/or emotional pain when encountering reminders of the traumatic event
The distress of untreated PTSD can cause a person to change their behaviors to avoid reminders of their traumatic history. It can also lead to symptoms such as:
- Persistent fear, anger, shame, or guilt
- Becoming detached from friends and family
- Difficulty experiencing positive emotions such as joy, love, or satisfaction
- Memory loss
- Disrupted concentration
- Hypervigilance, or the sense of being in constant danger
- Sleep problems
- Reckless or self-destructive behaviors
Someone who has comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder may also exhibit a range of other concerning signs and symptoms, depending on which co-occurring condition they are also living with:
- Co-occurring depression can cause low mood, lack of motivation, persistent fatigue, diminished self-confidence, and recurring thoughts of death or dying
- Co-occurring anxiety disorders are associated with symptoms such as excessive fear and worry, even when no credible threat is present.
- Other symptoms of anxiety disorders include an unwillingness to meet new people or attend events where you may be judged and rejected, disproportionate concern about being in wide open or closed spaces, or even refusal to leave your house.
- Co-occurring panic disorder can cause the sudden onset of brief but intense symptoms such as chest pain, racing heart rate, sensation of being choke or smothered, dizziness, tingling in the hands and feet, and the belief that you are about to die.
- Co-occurring substance use disorders (addictions) are characterized by an inability to control your use of alcohol or other drugs, even when you know that your use of these substances has damaged your physical, psychological, or social well-being.
Someone who exhibits symptoms such as the ones we have described in this section should be evaluated by their primary physician, a mental health provider, or another qualified professional.
Posttraumatic stress disorder and the mental health concerns that frequently accompany PTSD are treatable conditions. However, given the profound negative impact that these disorders can cause, failing to get proper care can lead to catastrophic damage.
How is Comorbid Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Treated?
Personalization can be an important feature of treatment for any mental health concern. It may be especially significant when a patient has two or more conditions, such as PTSD along with anxiety, depression, or addiction.
To give a person the best chance of achieving and maintaining improved quality of life, treatment must:
- Address the full scope of their needs, including all mental and behavioral health concerns
- Include the therapies and services that can address how they have been uniquely affected by their mental health struggles
- Be provided in the manner that is most appropriate for them
Depending on a variety of personal factors, effective treatment options for someone who has comorbid PTSD include:
- Individual psychotherapy
- Group therapy sessions
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy
- Electromagnetic brain pulsing (EMBP) treatment
- Ketamine therapy
- Vibroacoustic therapy
- Neurofeedback
There is no single technique or course of treatment that is ideal for every person who has comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder. This is why it is so important to find a provider who will work with you to understand your needs and goals, then develop a customized plan just for you.
Contact Conscious Health to Learn How We Can Help You Treat Comorbid Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Conscious Health is a trusted provider of personalized outpatient treatment for adults who have been living with PTSD, complex posttraumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), and a variety of co-occurring mental health concerns.
At our PTSD treatment center in Los Angeles, California, our patients receive focused care from a small team of dedicated professionals. We are committed to fostering an environment that promotes true growth and lasting healing, with the goal of empowering each of our patients to reach their greatest potential.
To learn more about how we can help you or a loved one, or to schedule a free assessment, please visit our Contact page or call us today.
