Difference Between PTSI and PTSD
The Difference Between Post Traumatic Stress Injury (PTSI) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Trauma affects everyone differently, and the language we use to describe its impact can influence how we approach healing and recovery. As a trauma therapist and EMDR practitioner, I support first responders with first responder therapy and adults or youth who have experienced the impact of childhood or adult trauma with trauma therapy to navigate how to move forward.
One common question I encounter is about the difference between Post-Traumatic Stress Injury (PTSI) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). While the terms describe similar trauma responses and impacts of trauma, they also reflect different perspectives that can profoundly influence how we view trauma, healing, and recovery.
Understanding PTSI vs. PTSD: While both terms address the psychological impact of trauma, they reflect different perspectives on recovery and diagnosis.
From 'Disorder' to 'Injury': PTSI emphasizes trauma as a treatable injury rather than a lifelong condition, shifting the focus to healing and hope. A focus within working through PTSIs is reconnecting to strengths, resilience, and growth processes.
Clarifying the distinctions: Exploring these terms helps reduce stigma and fosters a better understanding of the effect of trauma and recovery paths.
What is PTSI?
PTSI, or Post-Traumatic Stress Injury, views trauma responses as a natural response to extreme stress that can result in a psychological injury. Rather than labeling the response to trauma as a “disorder,” understanding it as an injury supports healing and reduces stigma. PTSI honours that trauma’s effects are treatable and temporary, much like healing a physical injury.
Focus on healing: PTSI emphasizes recovery and resilience, which reduces the stigma that often accompanies mental health diagnoses.
Reframing the narrative: By framing trauma as an injury, PTSI promotes hope and empowerment, encouraging individuals to seek early intervention and support in a preventative approach to trauma exposure or impact.
Gaining traction: Though not yet as widely recognized as a term as PTSD, the term PTSI is becoming widely adopted and is encouraged amongst advocates or mental health professionals who support trauma-informed care. The movement towards the term PTSI is particularly significant for first responders who experience a high exposure to trauma. Understanding trauma through an injury and recovery lens is also supportive in moving through complex and childhood trauma towards greater healing, understanding, and well-being.
What is PTSD?
PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, is a diagnosable mental health condition that results from exposure to traumatic events. It has been a part of mental health terminology since its inclusion in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) in 1980.
Recognized symptoms: PTSD often involves flashbacks, hypervigilance, emotional numbness, and difficulty functioning in daily life.
Severity matters: Symptoms can range from mild PTSD to severe, chronic conditions requiring comprehensive care.
Longstanding terminology: PTSD remains the primary clinical term for diagnosing trauma-related mental health issues being the current clinical diagnosis in the current DSM-5.
What is a Post Traumatic Injury?
PTSI views the psychological impact of trauma as an injury, which compares it to physical injuries suggesting the impact can be treatable and temporary.
Repair and recovery: Just as a broken bone can heal with proper treatment, trauma-related psychological injuries can also mend.
Reducing stigma: PTSI emphasizing healing and reducing stigma by viewing trauma as a natural response to extreme stress.PTSI avoids labeling individuals with a “disorder,” focusing instead on the idea that trauma is an external event, not a flaw within the person.
Shifting the conversation: By redefining trauma’s impact as an injury, PTSI encourages those affected to seek help without fear of judgment. PTSI acknowledges there is often wisdom in the wounding and growth experiences can occur through difficult experiences of suffering. A framework for understanding the ways we can be shaped and changed by suffering or trauma is Post-Traumatic Growth.
PTSI vs. PTSD: What Do I Have?
Although the experiences they describe are similar, PTSI and PTSD differ in their framing:
Similar responses, different perspectives: Both terms describe responses to trauma, such as hypervigilance, emotional dysregulation, and avoidance.
Diagnosis vs. viewpoint: PTSD is a medical diagnosis provided by a psychiatrist or psychologist, which can be required in insurance or medical reimbursement processes. PTSI represents a hopeful and non-diagnostic perspective and understanding on trauma recovery supported and encouraged by a range of mental health clinicians.
Seek professional guidance: A trauma therapist can help you develop an understanding of which term resonates with your experience the most and what parts of trauma responses you may be experiencing from a trauma-informed approach. A therapist can also help guide you in the process of understanding if a clinical diagnosis is helpful or required for medical, work, or insurance purposes. Discussions surrounding connecting with a general practitioner doctor for a referral to a psychiatrist or psychologist for clinical diagnosis can be supportive.
PTSD vs. PTSI Symptoms: How Are They Different (or Similar)?
The symptoms of PTSD and PTSI often overlap, but their framing can influence how individuals perceive and address their trauma:
Overlap in responses: Both can involve hypervigilance, distressing memories, emotional numbness, difficulty concentrating, difficulty remembering events, disrupted relationships, and difficulty with daily functioning.
Key difference in framing: PTSI focuses on the temporary, treatable nature of symptoms or trauma responses, while PTSD can imply a long-term impact that may impact a person’s ability to engage in therapeutic support or hope surrounding change.
Emotional impact: Whether labeled as PTSD or PTSI, trauma can profoundly affect personal relationships, work, and overall quality of life or well-being.
What Does PTSD or PTSI Treatment Look Like?
Treatment for both PTSD and PTSI focuses on reducing distress, processing trauma, and fostering resilience:
Trauma-focused and trauma-informed therapies: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and somatic approaches are highly trauma-informed therapies that support recovery being effective for both PTSD and PTSIs.
Medication and support: In some cases, antidepressants or anxiety medications, combined with support groups, can complement therapy.
Healing is possible: Both PTSD and PTSI treatments focus on managing symptoms and fostering resilience towards long-term recovery and growth.
How Do I Get Help with PTSD or PTSI?
Taking the first step toward healing can feel challenging, but trauma responses are not meant to be navigated alone and help is available:
Seek professional support: Contact a therapist, counsellor, psychologist, or medical professional (general practitioner doctor or psychiatrist) experienced in trauma to help guide you through understanding and processing trauma responses.
Explore resources and community support: Local and online support groups can provide connection and understanding. Many first responder and Public Safety Personnel (PSP) communities have developed peer-support networks and chaplains who offer emotional, psychological, and spiritual support; these connections can help normalize conversations surrounding mental health and help encourage seeking additional support when needed.
Take the first step: Acknowledge the benefit of receiving support—receiving help, whether as a preventative approach to strengthen resources or as help to navigate current trauma responses, is a courageous act that sets the stage for greater understanding, recovery, and healing.
What Types of Therapy Can Help with Trauma?
Various trauma-informed therapeutic approaches can address trauma’s impact when supported by a therapist who is well-versed in trauma and occupationally-aware. The approaches below are part of the framework I use to support clients as a trauma therapist:
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): EMDR therapy is effective for trauma; it supports the processing of traumatic memories and reduces the emotional intensity. As the past is the present when experiencing trauma responses, EMDR helps reduce nervous system activation to trauma in the present on a neurological level to gain greater distance from distressing experiences, which helps support coping and resilience in the present.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Helps reframe negative thoughts and build healthier coping strategies by examining negative beliefs or stuck thinking processes.
Somatic and body-based therapies: Somatic techniques and grounding/mindfulness practices focus on releasing trauma stored in the body to support overall nervous system healing.
Recovery for PTSIs and PTSD
Whether you resonate with the medical model term PTSD or the injury-based perspective of PTSI, it’s important to remember that recovery and growth are possible.
Moving Towards Healing
As a trauma therapist offering in-person EMDR in Squamish, BC, I provide a compassionate and supportive space for those navigating the effects of trauma. I also offer online EMDR therapy, which is equally as effective for those living throughout British Columbia. The trauma therapy I offer is client-driven; multiple approaches are used and agreed upon collaboratively based off your needs, goals, and desires for support.
Reaching out for Support
If you or a loved one are being impacted by trauma, please do not hesitate to reach out to book a complimentary phone consultation to discuss how we may begin working together towards greater hope, healing, and change.
