June is national PTSD awareness month
Contrary to popular belief post-traumatic stress disorder, more commonly known as PTSD, is not exclusive to those who have served in the military. PTSD is a mental health condition that can occur when a person has witnessed or experienced a traumatic event. Some examples of traumatic events are automobile accidents; natural disasters; war/combat; learning of a violent death of a loved one; and personal assault, to name a few. People living with PTSD generally have neurotransmitters that are imbalanced and this imbalance causes one to constantly be anxious or on edge.
Symptoms & Treatment
As you may have read in one of our previous blogs, seniors have experienced several life altering events in their lifetime. Symptoms that one may typically display are flashbacks; inability to fall asleep and stay asleep (insomnia); nightmares; excessive worrying; and an array of unpleasant emotions.
Thankfully there is treatment available for PTSD. It has been proven that a combination of psychotherapy and prescriptive treatment is most effective.
Why do I need both therapy and medication?
Routine psychotherapy aims to help people present less symptomatic through the use of evidence-based interventions and teaching skills to address the symptoms related to PTSD. Psychotherapy is not a “quick fix”! Navigating through therapy sessions and the therapeutic process takes time therefore, PTSD warrants prescriptive treatment at times.
Medication reduces the symptoms of anxiety relatively quickly. As all people are different, they respond differently to medication. Prescriptive treatment providers will review symptoms, history of treatment, and current medications to determine the most appropriate regimen to treat PTSD.
To learn more about the symptoms or treatment of PTSD, or if you believe you/your loved one is living with symptoms associated with PTSD give us a call! We are happy to assist you on the journey to becoming the best version of yourself.