Last Updated on September 19, 2026 by
Alternative to Meds Editorial Team
Medically Reviewed by Dr Michael Loes MD
Table of Contents:
The history of PTSD treatment has ranged from lobotomies to drugs to ECT. The last few centuries have seen many ways to diagnose and treat mental health.
Research and integrative medicine have achieved great progress in finding new ways to combat this disorder as people are becoming aware of the true nature of this complex diagnosis.
To understand how to effectively treat post-traumatic disorder, let us understand the origins of the PTSD diagnosis.
Origins of PTSD
Over the last 200 years, the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (“PTSD”) were known by many different names. The symptoms, now referred to as PTSD, were diagnosed throughout American and world history using terms like:
- Shell Shock” after all the bombing in WWI 4
- “Gross Stress Reaction” (see DSM 1, 1952 version)
- “Adjustment Reaction to Adult Life” or “Adjustment Disorder“
While the terms may have changed, the symptoms have not. To investigate this condition and its symptoms, let’s journey through history.
The acronym for “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder,” is a diagnosis used to describe a certain set of symptoms that linger in the present after experiencing a trauma in the past. Anything from lingering dread after a car accident to residual fear post witnessing a horrific event may lead to a diagnosis of the condition.
Examples of PTSD:
- Residual effects from military combat experience.*
- Experiencing natural disasters, such as earthquakes or tornadoes
- Terrorist attack
- Violent personal assaults, such as sexual assault or robbery
- Serious accidents or witnessing a violent death
- Prolonged sexual abuse, violence, or severe neglect
- Receiving a diagnosis of a life-threatening condition
*A study on military veterans showed that up to 500,000 returning soldiers were diagnosed with PTSD from 2003 to 2016.
The diagnosis of PTSD has been used since 1980 to classify difficult symptoms presenting in an individual long term after a traumatic experience. PTSD is most well-known for causing extreme symptoms in those returning home from military service. While the diagnosis has become very common in today’s times, it is a relatively recent diagnostic term.1
To understand how PTSD came to be, we will take a look at the history of PTSD in the DSM (Diagnostic Statistical Manual).
PTSD and the DSM From 1952 to 2019
The DSM is a manuscript used by professionals in the field of mental health. The DSM describes patient diagnoses based on existing symptoms. Created in 1952, the DSM has undergone many revisions and additions based on new research and discoveries in modern medicine. While PTSD was not added to the DSM until 1980 in version DSM-III, symptoms experienced by those suffering from the symptoms have been recorded for hundreds of years.
1952
The DSM-I, developed by the American Psychiatric Association, was a tool assisting in the diagnosis of mental health disorders. PTSD was not listed in this early version. In the DSM-I, the term gross stress reaction was used for people who displayed symptoms after a traumatic event. Common traumatic events in these early days of the DSM included being a victim of a disaster or participating in a war. The gross stress reaction diagnosis, however, did not account for long-term symptoms of six months or more. The diagnosis was then removed from the following DSM version.
1968
With the rollout of the DSM-II, a new term was created called adjustment reaction to adult life. This explained PTSD-like reactions from trauma caused by three types of events:
- Fear due to combat in the military,
- Suicidal thoughts with an unwanted pregnancy,
- Ganser’s Syndrome5 – Determined by incorrect responses to questions, in death sentence prison cases.
While this was a minor improvement over the explanation given in the DSM-1, the DSM-II fell short of offering an in-depth assessment of the symptoms lingering in many trauma victims. The common types of trauma and symptoms experienced post-trauma by victims were yet to be acknowledged.
1980
The term was added to the DSM-III, linking traumas to wars suggesting it was a rare type of condition. Vietnam veterans, Holocaust survivors, sexual trauma victims, and others were included in the diagnostic population. After multiple revisions, the current DSM-V version suggests that the diagnosis is relatively common.
2019
Now considered a broad range of conditions with multiple sub-categories of symptoms. No longer considered an anxiety disorder in the DSM-V. but listed under “Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders,” PTSD has been expanded to include multiple categories of symptoms.
Genetics, Social Factors, and PTSD
Research out of France has found social context, as well as genetics, may be associated risk factors to consider in some persons who develop PTSD symptoms. Diet modification and counseling would be recommended avenues for treatment in such cases. 8
PTSD and Depression
Depression is commonly co-occurring in PTSD conditions and sometimes masks the traumatic part of the diagnosis. Other symptoms may also present, and these can be puzzling to a practitioner who is unfamiliar with treating the lingering effects of trauma. Simply taking an antidepressant is not likely to be the best treatment for PTSD.9,10
Symptoms That Warrant a Diagnosis
- Re-experiencing or reliving the traumatic event.
- Avoiding similar situations or triggers of the trauma.
- Having negative beliefs and feelings not present prior to a traumatic event.
- Hyper-reactive, overreacting, or being “keyed up.”
Some of the above symptoms are common in a person who has experienced trauma. However, if a person is displaying all four symptoms, a diagnosis of PTSD is likely to occur.
So, what is the best course of action for someone suffering from trauma-related symptoms?
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Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
The condition develops in an individual following a frightening or dangerous event. Over the days or weeks after the traumatic event, reactions to triggering sounds or circumstances begin to manifest. and if left untreated, can worsen and become extreme anxiety, fear, or depression. The first step in treating PTSD is in understanding the early warning signs. It is recommended to seek help for such symptoms early rather than later, according to research published in the French Journal Presse Med. Left untreated, the symptoms may become chronic and even lead to addiction and other negative outcomes.7
[/colorsection]A Natural Approach to Treatment
Many of those affected by “mental health disorders” find the commonly prescribed medication-based treatments hard to agree to. Whether an individual is sensitive to the pharmaceuticals, or just not wanting to become reliant upon them long-term, many people seek medication alternatives.
The Alternative to Meds Center philosophy is that most individuals given the proper support can recover from their unwanted conditions. The type of support we provide at Alternative to Meds is in the repair of a person’s brain chemistry through nutrition, supplementation, as well as talk therapy, and professional guidance surrounding the trauma.
ATMC offers one of the only programs in full neurotransmitter rehabilitation, known to help relieve issues including:
- Lack of sleep
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Mood swings
- Medication side effects
- Medication withdrawal
How well do you understand anxiety? Take Our Quiz
How to Recover Natural Mental Health
Education about nutrition, and how the body works helps patients understand how best to achieve and maintain optimal natural mental health. Individual counseling and therapy are important aspects as well, but without helping the whole body’s ecosystem, including the brain and central nervous system recover, long-term healing may be hard to achieve.
There is more to the human being than chemistry and brain cells. At ATMC, we incorporate long-term strategies into the individual’s lifestyle and health regimen. Rather than relying strictly on psychiatric medications and counseling, we treat the entire individual. Licensed, medical practitioners review each patient’s history for an in-depth look at a range of potential, underlying factors related to a person’s PTSD symptoms.
With a healthy diet designed to address deficiencies found in testing, nutrient-based therapies, neurotoxin removal treatments, CBT counseling, and many adjunctive treatments, and a welcoming, friendly social setting, ATMC provides an unparalleled, comprehensive, drug-free PTSD treatment program. Please feel free to call us for more information on this very important subject.
for PTSD Help for You or a Loved One
Sources:
1. Reisman M, “PTSD Treatment for Veterans: What’s Working, What’s New, What’s Next.” Pharmacy and Therapeutics Journal 2016 Oct, PMID 27757001 [cited 2020 Dec 1]
2. Moeller-Bertram T, et al., “Pain and post-traumatic stress disorder – review of clinical and experimental evidence.” Neuropharmacology. 2012 Feb;62(2):586-97. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.04.028. Epub 2011 May 10. PMID: 21586297 [cited 2020 Dec 1]
3. Sher L.” The concept of post-traumatic mood disorder. Med Hypotheses.” 2005;65(2):205-10. DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2005.03.014. PMID: 15922089. [cited 2020 Dec 1]
4. Jones, E. “Shell Shocked” published in American Psychological Association Online, June 2012. Print version p.18 [cited 2020 Dec 1]
5. Dwyer J, Reid S, “Ganser’s syndrome.” The Lancet July 31 2004 [cited 2020 Dec 1]
6. HansenC, et al, Assistance dogs help reduce mental health symptoms among Australian Defence Force veterans… Journal of Psychiatric Research Volume 324 [published June 2023] [cited 2023 Aug 2]
7. Vaiva G, Lestavel P, Ducrocq F. Quand traiter le psychotraumatisme ? [When should psychological trauma be treated?]. Presse Med. 2008 May;37(5 Pt 2):894-901. French. doi: 10.1016/j.lpm.2008.01.018. Epub 2008 Mar 19. PMID: 18356014. [cited 2023 Aug 2]
8. Auxéméry Y. L’état de stress post-traumatique comme conséquence de l’interaction entre une susceptibilité génétique individuelle, un évènement traumatogène et un contexte social [Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a consequence of the interaction between an individual genetic susceptibility, a traumatogenic event and a social context]. Encephale. 2012 Oct;38(5):373-80. French. doi: 10.1016/j.encep.2011.12.003. Epub 2012 Jan 24. PMID: 23062450.[cited 2023 Aug 2]
9. Ducrocq F, Vaiva G, Cottencin O, Molenda S, Bailly D. Etat de stress post-traumatique, dépression post-traumatique et épisode dépressif majeur: la littérature [Post-traumatic stress, post-traumatic depression and major depressive episode: literature]. Encephale. 2001 Mar-Apr;27(2):159-68. French. PMID: 11407268. [cited 2023 Aug 2]
10. Gros DF, Simms LJ, Acierno R. Specificity of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms: an investigation of comorbidity between posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and depression in treatment-seeking veterans. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2010 Dec;198(12):885-90. doi: 10.1097/NMD.0b013e3181fe7410. PMID: 21135640. [cited 2023 Aug 2]
Originally Published Feb 14, 2019 by Diane Ridaeus
Dr. Michael Loes, M.D.
Dr. Michael Loes is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Pain Management and Addiction Medicine. He holds a dual license in Homeopathic and Integrative Medicine. He obtained his medical doctorate at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 1978. Dr. Loes performed an externship at the National Institute of Health for Psychopharmacology. Additionally, he is a well-published author including Arthritis: The Doctor’s Cure, The Aspirin Alternative, The Healing Response, and Spirit Driven Health: The Psalmist’s Guide for Recovery. He has been awarded the Minnesota Medical Foundation’s “Excellence in Research” Award.
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Diane is an avid supporter and researcher of natural mental health strategies. Diane received her medical writing and science communication certification through Stanford University and has published over 3 million words on the topics of holistic health, addiction, recovery, and alternative medicine. She has proudly worked with the Alternative to Meds Center since its inception and is grateful for the opportunity to help the founding members develop this world-class center that has helped so many thousands regain natural mental health.