This month, comedian Kathy Griffin, 62, took to TikTok to tell her fans that she has been diagnosed with "complex PTSD" -- post-traumatic stress disorder.
"If any of you know my story, you'll understand that this really started for me about 5 and a half years ago. Wink," she said, apparently referring to when she posted a photo of herself holding a bloodied replica of former President Donald Trump's head in 2017.
Griffin received major blowback from the episode, which hurt her professionally as well as personally. She was fired from hosting CNN's New Year's Eve show with Anderson Cooper. She was investigated by the Secret Service and put on the "No Fly List" for several months. "I couldn't get a gig on TV for years," she said. She stopped leaving her house for months, and self-medicated with anti-anxiety meds.
She overdosed on June 25, 2020 and was hospitalized on a psychiatric hold. In 2021, she was diagnosed with stage I lung cancer, which "didn't help," she noted.
Griffin frequently experiences panic and anxiety attacks. On Instagram she wrote, "For the last year and a half I have been plagued with terrifying panic attacks. Sometimes they last a few hours or more typically, they last at least a full day if not multiple days in a row. I feel silly even telling you this, because I always thought PTSD was just for veterans and stuff. During my attacks, I typically vomit quite a bit and often have to go to the ER just to get IV fluids."
Although Griffin hasn't said how she is currently being treated, she did say that she intended to try eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy.
PTSD
According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), PTSD is defined as a "psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, series of events or set of circumstances. An individual may experience this as emotionally or physically harmful or life-threatening and may affect mental, physical, social, and/or spiritual well-being. Examples include natural disasters, serious accidents, terrorist acts, war/combat, rape/sexual assault, historical trauma, intimate partner violence and bullying."
PTSD can develop in anyone, no matter age, race, sex, or culture, the APA noted, though women are more susceptible than men. It is estimated that PTSD affects about 3.5% of adults in the U.S. every year, and about one in 11 people will be diagnosed with PTSD over the course of their lifetime.
Personal factors -- like previous traumatic exposure, age, and gender -- can affect whether or not a person will develop PTSD. What happens after the traumatic event is also important. Stress can make PTSD more likely, while social support can make it less likely.
Signs and Symptoms
When exposed to a traumatizing event, most people will experience some short-term symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic. However, most do not go on to develop chronic symptoms, i.e., PTSD. Traumatizing events don't always involve dangerous situations, and can also include the sudden death of a loved one, being harassed or verbally abused, or being in a job where you frequently see other people hurt or killed (such as emergency services). Symptoms typically begin within 3 months of the traumatic event but, for some, do not begin until years afterwards.
In order to be diagnosed with PTSD, symptoms must last more than a month and must be severe enough to interfere with relationships or work.
According to the Mayo Clinic, a patient must have all of the following symptoms:
- At least one re-experiencing symptom, including flashbacks, bad dreams, or frightening thoughts
- At least one avoidance symptom, such as staying away from places, events, or objects that are reminders of the traumatic experience, or avoiding thoughts or feelings related to the traumatic event
- At least two arousal and reactivity symptoms, including being easily startled, feeling tense or "on edge," having difficulty sleeping, or having angry outbursts, making it hard to do daily tasks
- At least two cognition and mood symptoms, including trouble remembering the traumatic event, negative thoughts about oneself or the world, distorted feelings like guilt or blame, or loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities
Treatment of PTSD
Both trauma-focused psychotherapy (counseling or talk therapy) and medication are proven to treat PTSD. Sometimes people combine psychotherapy and medication.
Trauma-focused psychotherapy
Trauma-focused psychotherapy is the most highly recommended treatment for PTSD. "Trauma-focused" means that the treatment focuses on the memory of the traumatic event or its meaning. According to the APA, the three most effective types of trauma-focused psychotherapy are:
- Cognitive processing therapy, which teaches patients to understand how trauma changed their thoughts and feelings
- Prolonged exposure therapy, which uses repeated descriptions of the trauma in a safe environment to help a patient face and gain control of their feelings
- EMDR, which helps a patient reprocess the memory of the trauma and uses eye movements similar to those in REM sleep
- Group therapy, in which patients with similar traumatic exposures share their experiences with each other
Medications for PTSD
Medications can be effective for treating PTSD symptoms, including certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors.
Michele R. Berman, MD, is a pediatrician-turned-medical journalist. She trained at Johns Hopkins, Washington University in St. Louis, and St. Louis Children's Hospital. Her mission is both journalistic and educational: to report on common diseases affecting uncommon people and summarize the evidence-based medicine behind the headlines.