PTSD

What is PTSD?

PTSD, also known as post-traumatic stress disorder, develops when people experience traumatic events that cause severe emotional distress. It can be a dangerous event, a threatened one, or something you have heard from a close family member or friend. 

PTSD often develops from: 

• Military duty 
• Physical or emotional abuse
• Physical or sexual assault
• Domestic violence
• Death of a loved one
• Natural disasters
• Car, plane, or train accidents

You can develop PTSD after a single traumatic event or a series of events. For example, you might have been in a single car accident that leaves trauma or experienced more than one natural disaster. 

What symptoms does PTSD cause?

It’s completely natural to experience fear after experiencing traumatic events, but gradually, these feelings should improve. If your symptoms last for one month or longer and worsen, you should consider seeking a professional evaluation at the nearest office of Marc DeLuca, MD.

PTSD causes symptoms that fall into the following categories:

Negative symptoms

Negative symptoms include anxiety, depression, and guilt. You may feel guilty if you think you could have done something different to prevent the trauma.

Intrusion symptoms

PTSD often causes intrusive symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares, and sudden memories. The intrusions continue to make you relive the traumatic event and cause symptoms such as fear, anxiety, and anger.

Avoidance symptoms

You may avoid certain people, places, items, or activities that remind you of the traumatic event. Avoidance symptoms are often so strong that you completely change your daily routine. 

Arousal symptoms

People with PTSD often feel on edge and stay hypervigilant. They may also have insomnia (trouble sleeping) or bursts of anger.

How is PTSD treated?

The team determines the source of your symptoms before developing a treatment plan to help you overcome past trauma. They may use techniques like trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) to help you identify your reactions to the traumatic event, learn new coping skills, and deal with challenging thoughts and emotions. 

You might also benefit from medication management for PTSD. There aren’t specific medications to treat PTSD directly, but the team can address symptoms such as anxiety and depression.

To receive compassionate treatment for PTSD, call Mark DeLuca, MD, or schedule an appointment online today.