Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Understanding PTSD in Alaska
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop after experiencing or witnessing an event that overwhelms a person's ability to cope, such as an accident, assault, disaster, or combat exposure. Common symptoms include intrusive memories or flashbacks, avoidance of reminders, and changes in mood, sleep, and alertness that persist well after the event itself has passed. Left unaddressed, PTSD can affect relationships, work, and physical health, and can manifest differently depending on age, personality, and prior experiences. Rural and remote Alaskans may be at heightened risk of PTSD following natural disasters, subsistence-related accidents, or other traumatic losses within their communities - experiences that can be felt especially acutely in small, tightly connected villages. Additionally, limited access to trauma-informed care in much of the state means many Alaskans live with PTSD symptoms without specialized support nearby, often relying on community, cultural practices, or telehealth to fill gaps in available care.
Common symptoms of PTSD include:
Intrusive memories, flashbacks, or nightmares related to the traumatic event
Avoiding people, places, conversations, or activities that serve as reminders
Persistent negative thoughts or feelings, such as guilt, shame, or a distorted sense of blame
Feeling detached from others, emotionally numb, or losing interest in activities once enjoyed
Hypervigilance or an exaggerated startle response
Irritability, anger outbursts, or difficulty controlling emotions
Trouble concentrating or a mind that feels constantly "on alert"
Trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or experiencing disrupted sleep
Treatment Options for PTSD
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A multimodal approach is helpful for managing PTSD. In individual therapy, patients can develop new skills and receive immediate feedback that supports progress and improves confidence.
Dialectical behavioral therapy focuses on tolerating distress, regulating affect, and, in turn, improving interpersonal functioning.
Cognitive behavioral therapy teaches participants to identify and correct thinking errors. Examples of thinking errors include: internalizing blame, catastrophizing, negative filtering, and emotional reasoning.
Trauma therapy helps patients to shift from a state of chronic emotional and physical hyper-arousal into a relaxed, mindful state wherein difficult experiences can be emotionally processed and cognitively shelved.
Exposure therapy helps patients to walk towards and through anxiety-provoking situations with physical calm, emotional availability, and cognitive capacity to problem-solve.
Social skills training helps patients to understand nonverbal and situational cues and social conventions. In individual therapy, participants can practice communication skills and receive immediate feedback that supports progress and improves confidence.
Click here to learn more about the psychotherapy services offered by Alaska Telepsychology
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Regular physical activity, consistent sleep routines, healthy eating habits, and social connection improve attention, mood, and self-regulation for individuals with anxiety.
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Psychiatric medications can help alleviate symptoms that often accompany PTSD, such as anxiety, low mood, and sleep disruption.
Click here to learn more about the psychiatric services offered by Alaska Telepsychology.
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Outcomes are best for patients with a coordinated care team that includes a mental health provider and a medication provider. At Alaska Telepsychology, we lean into this by providing psychological testing, psychiatry, and psychotherapy in-house and by coordinating with professionals outside our clinic.
Uniquely Alaskan Challenges
Trauma can be especially difficult to navigate in Alaska, where geography itself creates barriers to care. Many rural and remote communities have little to no local access to psychiatrists or psychotherapists; residents may need to travel hundreds of miles, often by plane, just to see a provider. Someone experiencing PTSD may go without an accurate diagnosis or appropriate treatment for extended periods, allowing symptoms like hypervigilance, avoidance, and sleep disruption to become more entrenched and harder to treat over time.
The tight-knit nature of many Alaskan communities can also complicate recovery. Encountering reminders of a traumatic event may be unavoidable in a small village where paths regularly cross with those connected to the trauma, and concerns about privacy or confidentiality can make some individuals hesitant to seek local care. Moreover, feelings of isolation can be compounded by long winters and extended darkness.
Want help? We offer psychological testing, psychotherapy, and psychiatry.