Alternative and Complementary Treatments Cold Water Immersion for PTSD: What the Research Says
Cold water immersion is gaining quiet attention as a complementary approach for PTSD. From norepinephrine surges to shifts in mood and stress chemistry…
Clear, compassionate writing about PTSD, trauma, and recovery.
PTSD Blog shares accessible articles, coping ideas, and trauma-informed resources for people learning to understand life after trauma.
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Prognosis and Long-Term Outcomes PTSD and Accelerated Biological Ageing
PTSD does more than affect the mind. Research now links it to shorter telomeres, the protective caps on your DNA, suggesting the body may age faster after…
Associated Side Effects PTSD and Chronic Inflammation: The Immune Link
PTSD does more than affect your thoughts and mood. Research shows it quietly reshapes your immune system, keeping inflammatory proteins elevated in ways that…
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Definitions and Overview
Plain-English introductions to PTSD and complex PTSD — what the terms mean, how definitions have evolved, and how the condition is understood.
Symptoms
Understanding the ways PTSD can show up — flashbacks, dissociation, hypervigilance, and the experiences that often go unnamed.
Diagnosis Criteria
How PTSD is formally diagnosed, including DSM-5 criteria, subtypes, and what to expect from an assessment.
Causes and Risk Factors
Why PTSD develops in some people and not others — from attachment and biology to the circumstances of the trauma itself.
Therapies
Evidence-based psychological treatments for PTSD — EMDR, somatic approaches, art and equine therapy, and what the research says.
Pharmaceuticals (Medications)
Medication options studied for PTSD, how they work, and the questions worth asking before starting or changing treatment.
Alternative and Complementary Treatments
Approaches that can sit alongside formal treatment — exercise, nutrition, cold exposure, animal companionship, and more.
Coping Strategies and Self-Management
Practical, gentle techniques for managing difficult moments — grounding, trigger management, and everyday self-care.
Comorbid Conditions
Conditions that commonly travel with PTSD — from ADHD and depression to sleep apnoea — and why the overlap matters.
Physical Health Manifestations
How trauma lives in the body — the gut, the heart, the immune system — and what that means for whole-person recovery.
Associated Side Effects
The knock-on effects PTSD can have on health and daily life, and ways to reduce their impact.
Side Effects of Treatments
Honest information about the side effects of PTSD treatments, so you can weigh options with your health professional.
Prevention and Risk Reduction
What research suggests about reducing the risk of PTSD after trauma — from cognitive reserve to early intervention.
Prognosis and Long-Term Outcomes
What recovery looks like over the long term — remission, resilience, and rebuilding identity after trauma.
Resources and Support
Helplines, services, tools, and community supports worth knowing about — with a focus on Australian options.
Latest articles
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Comorbid Conditions PTSD and Sleep Apnoea: A Two-Way Problem
PTSD and obstructive sleep apnoea share overlapping biology that makes each condition harder to treat. Understanding this two-way relationship could change how…
Therapies Olfactory Reconditioning: Retraining Smell in PTSD
Smell connects directly to memory centres in the brain. Olfactory reconditioning is an emerging therapy that uses scent to help rewire trauma-related smell…
Physical Health Manifestations PTSD and Eye Movement: Tracking the Visual System Impact
Trauma doesn’t just affect the mind. PTSD can disrupt how your eyes move, track objects, and respond to light. Learn what’s happening and why it matters.
Definitions and Overview DSM-5 PTSD Criteria: Why Definitions Changed
The DSM-5 redefined PTSD diagnostic criteria in 2013, adding new symptom clusters and changing how clinicians diagnose trauma responses. Learn what changed and…
Coping Strategies and Self-Management Time Anchoring: Grounding Yourself in the Present Moment
Temporal disorientation is a lesser-known PTSD symptom where the mind loses track of present time. Time anchoring offers practical tools to reconnect with now.
Alternative and Complementary Treatments Cold Water Immersion for PTSD: Rewiring Threat Response
Cold water immersion offers a novel pathway to interrupt PTSD’s threat-detection cycle. Learn how brief cold exposure can help recalibrate your body’s safety…
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About PTSD Blog
Written for real life, not textbooks
Living with post-traumatic stress — or supporting someone who is — can feel isolating and confusing. PTSD Blog exists to make reliable information easier to find and gentler to read. Every article is written in plain English, grounded in current research, and shaped by a simple belief: understanding what's happening is often the first step towards feeling steadier.