Posted: February 16th, 2024
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, such as violence, abuse, accidents, war, or natural disasters. People with PTSD may have persistent and intrusive memories of the event, avoid reminders of the trauma, experience negative changes in their mood and cognition, and feel constantly on edge or alert. These symptoms can interfere with their daily functioning and quality of life.
PTSD can be treated with various forms of psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of both. The goal of treatment is to reduce the distress caused by the trauma, improve coping skills, and enhance self-esteem. Some of the common types of psychotherapy for PTSD are:
– Cognitive processing therapy (CPT): This is a 12-week course of treatment that helps people identify and challenge their negative thoughts and beliefs about the trauma and themselves. CPT also involves writing about the traumatic event in detail and processing it with the therapist .
– Prolonged exposure therapy (PE): This is an 8- to 15-session treatment that helps people gradually confront their fears and avoidant behaviors related to the trauma. PE involves breathing exercises, creating a hierarchy of feared situations, and repeatedly exposing oneself to them in real life or in imagination. PE also involves narrating the traumatic event to the therapist and listening to the recording at home .
– Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): This is a treatment that combines exposure therapy with a series of eye movements that are guided by the therapist. The eye movements are supposed to help the brain process the traumatic memories and reduce their emotional impact .
Medication for PTSD may include antidepressants, such as sertraline, paroxetine, or fluoxetine, that can help reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and irritability. Other medications, such as clonazepam, lorazepam, or etizolam, may be prescribed to help with insomnia or nightmares . Medication should be taken as directed by the doctor and monitored for any side effects.
In addition to psychotherapy and medication, people with PTSD can benefit from self-care strategies, such as eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, practicing relaxation techniques, avoiding alcohol and drugs, seeking social support, and engaging in enjoyable activities . These can help them cope with stress and improve their well-being.
PTSD is a treatable condition that does not have to define one’s life. With proper help and support, people with PTSD can recover from their trauma and regain control over their lives.
References:
: Diagnosis for Post traumatic stress disorder – Diagnosis is based on physical examination and psychological evaluation.Psychological examination:Done for evaluating and assessing the patient’s disorder Blood test:To check for any infections or drug abuse. CT scan:To check for abnormalities in the brain. Treatment options for Post traumatic stress disorder – Treatments include medications and psychotherapy, either alone or in combination. Medication for Post traumatic stress disorder – Sertraline, Paroxetine, Fluoxetine (Antidepressants: Helps reducing symptoms of depression. )Clonazepam, Lorazepam, Etizolam (Medicines to treat insomnia: To treat sleeplessness.) Therapy for Post traumatic stress disorder – Cognitive behavior therapy:Changing the thought process. Exposure therapy:Re-living the traumatic incident. Psychodynamic therapy:Handling personal values and emotional conflicts. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR):Changing the thought process based on a series of eye movements. Foods for Post traumatic stress disorder – No particular diet is recommended to manage PTSD. A healthy nutritious diet with fresh fruits and vegetables is recommended: Self Care for Post traumatic stress disorder – Always talk to your provider before starting anything. :Get timely help and treatment. Follow your treatment plan without fail. Take your medications as prescribed at the right time. Specialists who treat Post traumatic stress disorder – Specialists who treat Post traumatic stress disorder – Psychologist:Specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases of the brain, emotional disturbance, and behaviour problems. Psychologist:Specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases of the brain, emotional disturbance, and behaviour problems. Psychiatrist:Specializes in the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness., https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/condition/Post-traumatic-stress-disorder/hp-Post-traumatic-stress-disorder?source=conditioncdx
: 6 Common Treatments for PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) Mental Health Reference What Are the Treatments for PTSD? Medically Reviewed by Smitha Bhandari, MD on January 21, 2022 Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors Therapy Cognitive Processing Therapy Prolonged Exposure Therapy Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing 4 min read Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a type of anxiety disorder, can happen after a deeply threatening or scary event. Even if you weren’t directly involved, the shock of what happened can be so great that you have a hard time living a normal life. People with PTSD can have insomnia, flashbacks, low self-esteem, and a lot of painful or unpleasant emotions. You might constantly relive the event — or lose your memory of it altogether. When you have PTSD, it might feel like you’ll never get your life back. But it can be treated. Short- and long-term psychotherapy and medications can work very well. Often, the two kinds of treatment are more effective together. Therapy PTSD therapy has three main goals: Improve your symptoms Teach you skills to deal with it Restore your self-esteem Most PTSD therapies fall under the umbrella of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The idea is to change the thought patterns that are disturbing your life. This might happen through talking about your trauma or concentrating on where your fears come from. Depending on your situation, group or family therapy might be a good choice for you instead of individual sessions. Cognitive Processing Therapy CPT is a 12-week course of treatment, with weekly sessions of 60-90 minutes. At first, you’ll talk about the traumatic event with your therapist and how your thoughts related to it have affected your life. Then you’ll write in detail about what happened. This process helps you examine how you think about your trauma and figure out new ways to live with it. For example, maybe you’ve been blaming yourself for something. Your therapist will help you take into account all the things that were beyond your control, so you can move forward, understanding and accepting that, deep down, it wasn’t your fault, despite things you did or didn’t do. Prolonged Exposure Therapy If you’ve been avoiding things that remind you of the traumatic event, PE will help you confront them. It involves eight to 15 sessions, usually 90 minutes each. Early on in treatment, your therapist will teach you breathing techniques to ease your anxiety when you think about what happened. Later, you’ll make a list of the things you’ve been avoiding and learn how to face them, one by one. In another session, you’ll recount the traumatic experience to your therapist, then go home and listen to a recording of yourself. Doing this as “homework” over time may help ease your symptoms. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing With EMDR, you might not have to tell your therapist about your experience. Instead, you concentrate on it while you watch or listen to something they’re doing — maybe moving a hand, flashing a light, or making a sound., https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-are-treatments-for-posttraumatic-stress-disorder
: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – Diagnosis and treatment – Mayo Clinic This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Diagnosis & Doctors & Diagnosis To diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder, your doctor will likely: Perform a physical exam to check for medical problems that may be causing your symptoms Do a psychological evaluation that includes a discussion of your signs and symptoms and the event or events that led up to them Use the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), published by the American Psychiatric Association Diagnosis of PTSD requires exposure to an event that involved the actual or possible threat of death, violence or serious injury. Your exposure can happen in one or more of these ways: You directly experienced the traumatic event You witnessed, in person, the traumatic event occurring to others You learned someone close to you experienced or was threatened by the traumatic event You are repeatedly exposed to graphic details of traumatic events (for example, if you are a first responder to the scene of traumatic events) You may have PTSD if the problems you experience after this exposure continue for more than a month and cause significant problems in your ability to function in social and work settings and negatively impact relationships. Treatment Post-traumatic stress disorder treatment can help you regain a sense of control over your life. The primary treatment is psychotherapy, but can also include medication. Combining these treatments can help improve your symptoms by: Teaching you skills to address your symptoms Helping you think better about yourself, others and the world Learning ways to cope if any symptoms arise again Treating other problems often related to traumatic experiences, such as depression, anxiety, or misuse of alcohol or drugs You don’t have to try to handle the burden of PTSD on your own. Psychotherapy Several types of psychotherapy, also called talk therapy, may be used to treat children and adults with PTSD. Some types of psychotherapy used in PTSD treatment include: Cognitive therapy. This type of talk therapy helps you recognize the ways
