Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
What is PTSD?
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental health condition that is typically triggered by a stressful event. Often associated with veterans, the majority of PTSD cases are actually associated with domestic violence. Women are twice as likely to be affected by PTSD, and Latinos, African Americans, and Native Americans/Alaska Natives are disproportionately affected by PTSD (psychiatry.org).
Signs and Symptoms
PTSD symptoms linger long after the triggering event and cause significant distress or problems with daily functioning. Signs and symptoms typically develop within three months following the triggering event. Possible signs and symptoms of PTSD include:
- Difficulty sleeping or concentrating
- Feeling on edge or overly watchful
- Flashbacks or repeated intrusive thoughts/memories of the event
- Nightmares
- Avoiding people, places, or things that remind them of the traumatic event
- Feeling detached from others
- Strong adverse reactions to ordinary sounds, smells, feelings, places, or other things that remind them of the traumatic event
- Negative feelings about oneself or feeling ashamed
- Inability to remember important pieces of the event
- Behaving recklessly
- Having angry outbursts
Causes
PTSD is a mental health disorder that develops in people who have experienced a traumatic event or a prolonged traumatic experience.
Examples of traumatic events that could trigger PTSD:
- War
- Life-threatening accidents such as car accidents
- Rape and sexual assault
- Bullying
- Terrorist attacks
- Natural disasters
- Home invasions
- Witnessing a shooting
- Domestic violence
Treatments of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Common PTSD Treatments
PTSD is typically treated with psychotherapy, often referred to as “talk therapy”. Common types of psychotherapy used to treat PTSD include cognitive processing therapy (CPT), prolonged exposure therapy (PET), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR) and others. Psychotherapy may be accompanied by traditional antidepressant medications such as SSRIs or SNRIs as part of your PTSD treatment plan.
Is Your PTSD Treatment Working?
If psychotherapy and traditional antidepressant medications aren’t enough, Advanced Brain and Body Clinic can develop a personalized treatment plan to help you get your life back. Combining innovative treatment methods and laboratory analysis, our mental health providers will work with you to create a targeted treatment plan that considers your genetics, medical history, inflammatory markers, hormones, vitamins and mineral levels, lifestyle, personal preferences, and your insurance coverage. Through our precise approach, we have been able to see significant improvement in 75% of patients who have not found relief from other treatments.
Advanced PTSD Treatments
At Advanced Brain and Body Clinic, we offer advanced PTSD treatment options that work differently than common antidepressant medications. These cutting-edge treatment methods can help stabilize even the most severe cases of PTSD and suicidal thoughts.
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
- Ketamine Therapy/esketamine (Spravato)
- Holistic practices
- Meditation/breathing exercises
- Exercise
- Eating healthy
- Getting enough sleep
- Maintaining healthy relationships
Our Approach to PTSD – Putting You in Control of Your Brain Health
As our name suggests, we look at your health holistically. Many physical health factors can influence your mental health and can prevent antidepressants from working as expected. Identifying genetic abnormalities and addressing hormonal and vitamin deficiencies, inflammation, and thyroid issues can help improve your brain’s response to PTSD treatments. By taking a targeted approach and utilizing the best PTSD treatments, we can help you break through your PTSD when nothing else seems to be helping.