Telemedicine

PTSD Treatment

High-quality, affordable, and patient-centered PTSD treatment in the states of New Mexico and Kansas.

What Is PTSD?

The presence of trauma does not necessarily mean that an individual will experience PTSD. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is the sequelae of symptoms individuals may develop in response to a traumatic experience. Men are more likely to develop symptoms from combat related trauma (e.g., war), while trauma in women is often due to assault or rape.

What Are The Symptoms of PTSD?

Symptoms according to the DSM 5

Exposure to trauma

- Directly experiencing trauma
- Witnessing trauma as it occurred to others
- Learning about trauma as it occurred to a close relation or
- Repeatedly exposed to aversive details of a traumatic event

Intrusion symptoms

- Recurrent and intrusive memories of the event
- Recurrent and distressing dreams associated with traumatic event (nightmares)
- Dissociative reactions (flashbacks)- reliving the event
- Intense or prolonged distress or physiological reactions if exposed to cues similar to the aspects of the trauma

Avoidance symptoms

- Avoid or make effort to avoid memories, feelings, or thoughts about or closely related traumatic event
- Avoid or make effort to avoid external reminders (people, places, situations) that trigger memories or feelings about or closely related traumatic event

Alterations in cognition and mood

- Forget important details about traumatic event
- Persistent and exaggerated negative feelings about self
- Blame self for traumatic event
- Constant negative emotional state (fear, shame, guilt, horror)
- Isolate or detach from others
- Marked diminished interests in significant activities
- Constant inability to experience positive emotions

Alterations in arousal and reactivity

- Irritability and anger outburst
- Recklessness
- Hypervigilance
- Exaggerated startle reaction
- Concentration disturbance
- Sleep disturbance (nightmares, insomnia)

May present with dissociative symptoms
- Derealization and depersonalization

PTSD Treatment

Treatment consists of a combination of psychotherapy and medications. Some common forms of effective psychotherapy for PTSD include Psychodynamic psychotherapy exposure therapy and Eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR). Antidepressants, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are the first-line pharmacological treatment for PTSD.

Other Medications Used For PTSD

Other medications used to treat PTSD include buspirone (BuSpar), MAOIs, amitriptyline (Elavil), imipramine (Tofranil), trazodone (Desyrel), anticonvulsant mood stabilizers, clonidine (Catapres) and propranolol (Inderal), prazosin (Minipress) may also be utilized in treatment.

Note that benzodiazepines e.g Alprazolam (Xanax), Lorazepam (Ativan), Diazepam (Valium), Clonazepam (klonipin) are considered harmful in the treatment of PTSD as they could worsen patient outcomes.