What is PTSD Training?

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) training is education designed to help people identify and intervene in cases of PTSD. It can be provided to people like clinical care providers, as well as supervisors in stressful and traumatic occupations to allow them to spot the early warning signs of PTSD in the people they work with. People can access PTSD training in a variety of ways, including attending trainings and asking trainers to come to their workplaces or communities.

In PTSD training, the trainer discusses the origins of post traumatic stress disorder with participants so they can learn to identify people at risk. While this condition is often associated with emotional and physical trauma on the battlefield, PTSD can also be observed in rape and child abuse survivors, victims of violent crimes, and other individuals who experience extreme emotional stress. People like paramedics and fire personnel can also develop PTSD as a result of mass trauma responses to events like bridge and building collapses.

The trainer will also familiarize people with symptoms of PTSD, including behavioral changes, sleeplessness, and depression. Emphasis is placed on helping people learn to spot PTSD in a variety of guises, as it does not always present in the same way. Trainees are also usually reminded that men and women alike can get this mental health condition and that some may experience stress, embarrassment, or humiliation that makes them hesitant to ask for help. Learning how to approach people with PTSD to help them get treatment is an important part of PTSD training.

For people like supervisors, part of the goal of PTSD training is to allow people to identify individuals who need therapy and may need to be temporarily relieved of duty while they are treated. Individuals with PTSD can be retraumatized by duties at work and may also experience a decline in productivity and ability to work. Intervention to get treatment early can provide people with more treatment options, and their jobs can be held until they are ready to return.

Care providers receive more extensive PTSD training to learn about different treatment approaches. Many people develop their own approach to care, combining elements of various techniques, and may find it helpful to attend trainings to learn about the latest research. Trainers also provide information about comorbidities; for example, many soldiers with PTSD also have traumatic brain injuries. The neurological damage associated with the brain injury can complicate PTSD treatment.