HEALTH & WELLNESS
Helping men cope with trauma
According to the U.S. Department
of Veterans Affairs, about six in every
10 men experience at least one
shocking, frightening or dangerous
event in their lives that results in post-
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Those events can be the result of
military service or other traumatic
MICHAEL
KEN
incidents, such as sexual or physical
BIZZARRO,
BURKERT
abuse, neglect, a serious accident or
PHD, LCSW
injury or bullying.
While the signs of trauma sometimes appear immediately
after the event, PTSD can lie dormant until overwhelming stress
or another traumatic event later in life triggers symptoms.
Symptoms of PTSD
Often, men may realize they have a problem with substance
use or anxiety but are unaware that these could be indicators of
something more.
Here are some symptoms of PTSD:
• Repeated and disturbing unwanted thoughts and memories
of the traumatic experience
• Nightmares and disturbing dreams that often cause night
terrors and sweats
• Triggers or reminders of the event
• Sudden onset of feeling like the experience is happening
now, as if you are actually in the event
• Purposeful avoidance of any thoughts, memories or feelings
associated with the traumatic event
• Avoiding people, places and things that may be a reminder
of the traumatic experience
• Unprovoked bouts of anger, irritability and aggressive
behavior
• Risk-taking behavior that can cause harm
• Feeling jumpy, on edge and easily startled
• Difficulty falling and/or staying asleep
• Being super alert or on guard
• Difficulty concentrating
• Experiencing fear, horror, anger, guilt and shame
• Loss of interest in pleasurable activities
• Strong negative beliefs about yourself and the world
• Difficulty experiencing positive emotions
• Feeling emotionally disconnected from people
It’s often not until the symptoms severely impact their daily
functioning that men seek treatment. At Princeton House, our
goal is to teach each patient the skills that will be most effective
in helping him cope with his specific symptoms so that he can
better manage daily life.
Princeton House’s Men’s Trauma Program is a five-day a week,
six-hour a day program that can step down to three hours a
day for three days a week. Sometimes more intensive inpatient
treatment is necessary. Men from every walk of life may have
PTSD, although we do see many law enforcement officers,
firefighters, EMTs and military personnel suffering from PTSD.
Why does therapy help?
For men in general, group therapy provides validation that
their symptoms are real and they are not alone. They may
recognize similar symptoms or concerns among their peers
and make connections about their context. In a cohesive group
setting it’s amazing how quickly things can feel normalized. The
process facilitates what we call “a-ha” moments and enables
men to feel safe enough to finally share their feelings or have an
intimate conversation about their experiences.
Princeton House’s programs are intensive. Men participate
in group and individual therapy sessions including cognitive
p