Good Morning,
PTSD can be physically induced as well as emtionally/mentally. In either case, the patient is truely incapable of controlling the reaction as they no longer have normal physiological brain function.
Please treat these patients with extreme care, compassion, understanding and acceptance. Writing them up, threatening them with removal, or expecting them to behave differently is not realistic to their condition and will actually harm them, making their PTSD worse.
Please contact PTSD and Brain Injury Expert Professionals to learn how to deal with these patients without causing harm to them or yourselves. With training, staff can learn appropriate, effective skills to cope with the patients behavior and staffs reactions/feelings.
It is incumbant upon you, as the caregiver, to understand the patient and meet their needs. It is not the patient's responsibility nor within their capacity to teach you, explain to you, understand themselves, or immediately alter or contain their behavior.
As difficult as it may be for you to understand this or accept this, they truly cannot control their behavior much. Kindness and understanding in dealing with them will be most effective in calming them.
If you google "brain injury" or "PTSD" you will find informative resources.