Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – PTSD Treatment

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms

There are many symptoms associated with PTSD. They can be grouped into three main categories:

PTSD RE-EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS

• Flashbacks (reliving the trauma over and over)
• Nightmares
• Frightening thoughts

PTSD AVOIDANCE SYMPTOMS

• Staying away from places, events, or objects that are reminders of the experience
• Feeling emotionally numb
• Feeling strong guilt, depression, or worry
• Losing interest in activities that were enjoyable in the past
• Having trouble remembering the dangerous event

PTSD HYPERAROUSAL SYMPTOMS

• Being easily startled
• Feeling tense or “on edge”
• Having difficulty sleeping, and/or having angry outbursts

It is very natural, after a life threatening or dangerous event, for people to experience many of these symptoms. This is called acute stress disorder and reflects a short-term reaction to a very frightening event. For many, these symptoms go away after a few weeks. However, if the symptoms last more than a few weeks and become an ongoing problem, the individual may be diagnosed with PTSD. Sometimes people who are diagnosed with PTSD do not show any symptoms for weeks or months following the traumatic event.

Causes of PTSD

Any life-threatening event or an event that significantly and severely compromises the physical or emotional well-being of an individual or causes extreme fear may cause PTSD. In addition, some people experience PTSD after a friend experiences danger or is harmed or if there is a sudden, unexpected death of a loved one.

Commonality of PTSD

Studies suggest that approximately 5 million people suffer from PTSD in any one year. There is a lifetime prevalence of 7-30%.

Diagnosis of PTSD

Diagnosing PTSD can be difficult because individuals often come into the therapy office complaining of symptoms other than the anxiety-related symptoms associated with the traumatic experience (e.g., substance abuse or addiction, depression). Thus, it is imperative for the practitioner to do a thorough evaluation of a client’s family, medical, mental health, and relational history.

The actual diagnosis of PTSD is sometimes done through an interview with a clinician during the course of therapy and sometimes this is done through more comprehensive psychological evaluation (to rule out other potential issues). Often a therapist will ask many questions throughout the evaluation process (whether it is simply an interview or a more formal psychological evaluation) that assesses a client’s history of symptoms.

Other times, the evaluation process is done in the beginning of therapy (over the course of several sessions) where the therapist gathers the necessary historical and current information from the client to help formulate a diagnosis and treatment plan.

We then help our clients learn strategies to deal with problems of inattention and develop skills to manage problems with impulsivity and hyperactivity.

The symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder may look very different in children and teens than how they look in adults. To learn more about PTSD in children or teens please click here.

PTSD Treatment

Post traumatic stress disorder treatment often combines therapy and psychoeducation (helping individuals understand the diagnosis and symptoms). PTSD treatment may also explore the possibility of medication management with a psychiatrist. In addition to addressing the symptoms in talk therapy, therapists can help clients who are diagnosed with PTSD learn practical coping skills to deal with what feels like very intense symptoms.

For successful PTSD treatment, it is very important to see a mental health professional that has training and experience working with individuals diagnosed with PTSD. When appropriate, family members may be included in therapy to provide education around the disorder and to help them develop skills to help their loved one.

Equilibria’s therapists in Philadelphia are trained to provide treatment for individuals with PTSD by utilizing the most up to date treatment approaches. Based on the individual’s needs, our therapists design effective treatment, consultation and assessment strategies pulling from cognitive behavioral, interpersonal, systems-focused, and insight-oriented approaches. With a detailed approach to PTSD treatment, our psychologists are able to best help our clients overcome PTSD.