PTSD

What is PTSD?

PTSD is a mental health disorder that occurs after you experience an event that threatens your safety or causes physical harm. You can also develop PTSD if you witness the event or you learn that a friend or family member had a traumatic or dangerous experience. 

Though PTSD affects many veterans, anyone can have PTSD after traumas such as:

• Sexual assault
• Physical assault
• Car, airplane, or train accident
• Earthquakes, floods, or tornadoes
• Gun violence
• Robberies
• Fires

After these events, everyone experiences some distress, anxiety, and fear, but their feelings gradually go away. You may have PTSD if your feelings don't improve or get worse.

What symptoms occur due to PTSD?

PTSD causes four types of symptoms:

Intrusion symptoms

Intrusion symptoms refer to recurring thoughts or dreams that take you back to the event. Examples include nightmares, flashbacks, and memories that suddenly flood your thoughts. Reliving the event causes significant anxiety and distress.

Negative thoughts

This category includes negative feelings, thoughts, and problems arising from your PTSD. You may develop anxiety and depression or have guilt, shame, or fear that is severe enough to affect your life and change how you interact with others.

Avoidance

Many people find that they avoid the people, places, and things that remind them of the event that caused their PTSD.

Arousal and reactivity

PTSD makes you hypervigilant, so you stay on high alert for things that may trigger a flashback. You may feel like you're on edge and quick to turn angry or lose your temper.

How is PTSD treated?

During your first meeting, your provider talks with you about what caused your PTSD, your symptoms, and the things that trigger your symptoms. Your treatment may include medication management, counseling, or both.

Though there aren't medications for treating PTSD, your provider can prescribe drugs that relieve the symptoms associated with PTSD. For example, you may need medication for depression, anger, or sleep problems.

Therapy goes a long way toward easing your anxiety and finding ways to cope with your fears and symptoms. Your provider can also help with other parts of your life affected by PTSD, whether you need support for rebuilding a social life or need to manage feelings of guilt.

You can overcome PTSD with support from the providers at Nunn Psychiatric Care. To schedule an appointment, call or use the online booking feature today.

We see patients in the following surrounding cities: Hodgenville, KY, serving  Elizabethtown, Bardstown and Louisville, KY. Call us to book your appointment today.