Treating post-traumatic stress disorder
A result of experiencing a traumatic event or repeatedly being exposed to graphic details of traumatic situations, PTSD is more common than you may realize. It’s been estimated that 6 out of every 100 people will experience PTSD at some point in their lives.
PTSD can affect anyone. Those with PTSD often relive the traumatic situation that caused their diagnosis through nightmares or flashbacks. It causes disturbing thoughts, sadness, anger and fear. Those suffering from PTSD may feel detached from the people they love and the situations they used to find happiness in.
The disorder affects their health and wellness and stops them from building extraordinary lives.
The main causes of post-traumatic stress disorder
PTSD is caused by experiencing, seeing or learning about traumatic events involving death, serious injury or sexual violence.
It can be caused by events such as:
– Childhood abuse
– Working in a profession that involves extensive exposure to traumatic events such as the military or first responders
– Physical or sexual assault
– Being threatened
– Witnessing or being involved in an accident
– Domestic violence
People with inherited mental health problems, such as anxiety or depression, are more at risk to develop PTSD after a traumatic event.
Post-traumatic stress disorder treatments
Treatment for PTSD is similar to other mental health disorders. With the guidance of a medical professional, a person suffering from PTSD has a few treatment options to work with.
Some treatments that may be used are:
- Cognitive therapy: Cognitive therapy is a type of talk therapy that helps the patient to recognize the patterns of thinking that are keeping them stuck in a cycle of depression or anxiety. This type of therapy is usually used in tandem with exposure therapy.
- Exposure therapy: Especially helpful for those experiencing flashbacks or nightmares, this type of therapy involves the patient facing their triggers head-on. With the help of a therapist, the patient is placed in a situation or walked through a memory that triggers their PTSD symptoms so that they can learn to properly work through it.
- EMDR or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing: This treatment guides the patient through a series of eye movements while they are participating in an exposure therapy exercise. It helps them process the traumatic situation and process it more effectively.
- Medications: Medications including antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications may be prescribed in addition to other therapy treatments.
Through some trial and error, a doctor and/or therapist will determine which treatment works best for the patient.
Post-traumatic stress disorder treatments
Treatment for PTSD is similar to other mental health disorders. With the guidance of a medical professional, a person suffering from PTSD has a few treatment options to work with.
Some treatments that may be used are:
Cognitive therapy
Cognitive therapy is a type of talk therapy that helps the patient to recognize the patterns of thinking that are keeping them stuck in a cycle of depression or anxiety. This type of therapy is usually used in tandem with exposure therapy.
Exposure therapy
Especially helpful for those experiencing flashbacks or nightmares, this type of therapy involves the patient facing their triggers head-on. With the help of a therapist, the patient is placed in a situation or walked through a memory that triggers their PTSD symptoms so that they can learn to properly work through it.
EMDR or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing
This treatment guides the patient through a series of eye movements while they are participating in an exposure therapy exercise. It helps them process the traumatic situation and process it more effectively.
Medications
Medications including antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications may be prescribed in addition to other therapy treatments.
Through some trial and error, a doctor and/or therapist will determine which treatment works best for the patient.
Alternative post-traumatic stress disorder treatments
In addition to typical treatments, there are also some new options being explored.
One is the breakthrough injection, Stellate Ganglion Block or SGB. This new treatment has been seeing rapid success with an over 85% effective rate in treating the “injury” to the brain that is caused by PTSD.
Patients who have used this new injection have reported feeling relief from a wide variety of symptoms including sleep disturbance, stress, anxiety, hypervigilance, paranoia, fear and anger.
SGB works by injecting a local anesthetic into the nerve bundle in the patient’s neck that is connected to the fight-or-flight system, the system most commonly triggered by PTSD. When this system is activated, a patient can feel a need to run and hide from their triggers or to act out. This PTSD injection helps to calm that feeling so that the individual can remain in the situation without experiencing life-altering symptoms.
In addition to helping PTSD patients, it has also shown some promise as an injection for anxiety and depression suffers as well.
Laser therapy is another type of treatment that is being explored to help patients diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety, depression and other mental health disorders.
Medical professionals, such as those at Fountain Life, have experienced success by using laser therapy that penetrates deep within the body to decrease pain and inflammation that could trigger PTSD symptoms.
Transcranial rotating permanent magnetic stimulation (TRPMS) has also emerged as a potential PTSD treatment. TRPMS works by restoring functional activity to brain tissues through non-invasive stimulation.
Originally designed for and tested on stroke patients, the medical team at Seraya Medical has started to explore how TRPMS could help to restore the damaged brain tissue of those with PTSD. While this type of treatment is in the early stages, it has shown some promising results.
You can learn more about these new medical breakthroughs, and other tips on how to improve your health, by reading Tony Robbins newest book, Life Force.
If you or someone you love is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or any other mental health disorder, reach out to a medical professional for help.
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