PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder is one of the most common mental health disorders in the USA. While war-veterans are most affected by this disorder, it can affect any individual who has experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as war, accident, sexual assault, terrorist attack, or any form of violence.
The person suffering from PTSD tends to relive that trauma through memories, flashbacks, or nightmares long after the event has occurred leading to strong negative reactions. It’s important to know how to deal with PTSD symptoms and seek treatment if you think you have it. This article will help you understand more about the condition and what treatments are available.
What Are The Common Symptoms Of PTSD?
To treat PTSD, one has to diagnose it correctly by identifying the symptoms. People with PTSD may feel stressed or frightened even when they’re not in danger.
They might experience anger and irritability, sleep problems, and outbursts of violence. Other symptoms include
- Avoiding social events or acting aloof
- Lack of trust or emotional detachment
- Self-destructive behavior
- Insomnia
- Feel unhappy and guilty all the time
These symptoms typically begin soon after the event, but at times may not appear until years later. Most people with PTSD continue to experience the symptoms for months or even years after the trauma.
If you or your loved one is showing any of these symptoms after a traumatic event, you must seek professional help. Once you have been diagnosed with PTSD, there are various treatments available to manage it.
Types of PTSD Treatments
Sometimes, PTSD resolves on its own with time. But if the symptoms don’t seem to improve, you can avail treatments to regain control over your life and emotions.
Treatment for PTSD varies based on the severity of the symptoms, but there are some standard approaches that are used. The first step is identifying if an individual has post-traumatic stress disorder, which can be done by a simple assessment process by a psychiatrist.
Once the diagnosis is made then your psychiatrist will discuss treatment options. In most cases, medication combined with therapy is recommended.
Psychotherapy:
If you have PTSD, you may benefit from cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which teaches you how to change the way you react to situations that trigger your symptoms.CBT helps you identify triggers and learn coping skills to manage your anxiety and tackle it head-on.
Exposure therapy (a type of CBT) may also be useful. It encourages you to face situations that cause fear and anxiety and teaches you techniques to manage your anxiety so that such situations eventually lose their ability to provoke intense reactions.
Based on the cause of PTSD, you may be recommended individual, group, or even family therapy.
Medications:
Since PTSD affects the neurotransmitters in the brain, patients are often prescribed medications, usually antidepressants to help them cope with their symptoms better. They affect the way your mind processes threats and help control panic reactions.
The medication also helps control your anxiety and depression and makes you feel more relaxed and happy. They may also be prescribed for solving specific symptoms such as insomnia.
Ketamine Therapy:
Medications often take time to work. And in the meantime, the symptoms may worsen. In severe cases of PTSD, the patients may also develop suicidal thoughts requiring a quicker solution.
Ketamine therapy can prove useful in such cases to manage anxiety and depression- two common symptoms of PTSD. Ketamine is an anesthetic drug that has also been found beneficial in treating mental health disorders.
It is a fast-action drug that is delivered through IV and shows effectiveness within a few hours. Ketamine works even when other drugs don’t prove effective.
So if you are looking for PTSD treatment in Austin, Tx, you can book an appointment at Autin ketamine Specialist. They offer ketamine therapy for various mental health disorders and chronic pain treatment in Austin, Tx.
Dr. Paul Foster and his team will work closely with your mental health provider or physician to determine if ketamine treatment can help. So call them right away for a consultation and reduce your suffering.