Looking for help for PTSD in Orlando? Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health problem that’s more common than you realize. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs it “can occur after you have been through a trauma. A trauma is a shocking and dangerous event that you see or that happens to you. During this type of event, you think that your life or others’ lives are in danger.”
About seven to eight percent of U.S. adults will experience PTSD in their lifetime, with nearly eight million who’ve gone through trauma experiencing it every year. Knowing the symptoms and risks will help you be informed about treatment options.
Living with PTSD
Living with someone afflicted with posttraumatic stress disorder takes love, patience, and commitment to help that person deal with the symptoms. The physical and psychological effects can be like a runaway train, picking up more speed and the ability to do damage if it’s not stopped. PTSD affects about eight percent of the U.S. population, with first responders and soldiers at greatest risk.
How do you help someone with PTSD?
- Let your loved one talk when ready.
- Try and maintain a “normal” schedule of daily activities.
- Let your loved one tell you what he or she is comfortable talking about or doing.
- Be patient.
- Get educated about PTSD.
- Take care to manage your own stress levels.
- Accept mixed emotions.
Many alternate treatment options exist. Research into the efficacy of ketamine “has been conducted by John H. Krystal, M.D., chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine.”
Do You Have Symptoms of PTSD?
If you believe you’re experiencing symptoms of PTSD, you may have had any of the following:
- Intrusive memories
- Avoidance issues
- Negative alterations in mood and thinking
- Changes when dealing with emotional and physical reactions
- Intensity of the symptoms you’re experiencing
The severity and duration of symptoms can be a deciding factor in when you seek treatment, but suicidal thoughts should result in a medical consultation.
“When we look up the criteria for PTSD, we see that it absolutely fits with what our first responders and medical personnel, and many of those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, are experiencing,” says J.W. Freiberg, Ph.D., a Boston-based social psychologist and author. “We will have to observe what happens psychologically to COVID-19′s frontline medical workers, but I would predict a very significant incidence among them in the coming years, and at a very acute level. Preemptive clinical counseling will be crucial.”
What are the Risk Factors?
PTSD doesn’t discriminate based on gender, occupation, faith or income. It can latch onto anyone if that person carries certain risks:
- You survived a mass-shooting or other trauma.
- The trauma repeats and has a long duration.
- First responders and medical professionals on the front lines of COVID-19 carry a higher risk of developing PTSD.
- There’s a history of anxiety, depression, or other mental disorder among blood relatives.
- People who “drown” their sorrows in alcohol or misuse drugs to minimize symptoms.
- You’ve been diagnosed with bipolar disorder or another mental illness.
- You have a small or non-existent emotional support network to rely upon.
Know the Triggers
Someone who lives with PTSD has constant reminders of trauma, with memories intruding into daily life and making it a challenge to function normally. There are many to watch for, such as people and locations that remind of the trauma and shifts in the weather or changes in the season.
What Kind of Treatment is Available?
Victims of PTSD need to know they’re not meant to suffer, nor is the pain they’re experiencing deserved. Treatment is available including self-help, clinical trials, group therapy, in-patient or out-patient, doctor-patient therapy, and ketamine infusion therapy and other alternative options:
- Some forms of therapy, like Cognitive therapy, try and help those who feel like they’re stuck in a loop of repeated symptoms such as flashbacks or negative thoughts.
- Exposure therapy is designed to minimize emotional or physical distress someone feels when confronted with a memory, situation, or objects.
- A doctor or therapist may try guided eye movements and exposure therapy which focus on traumatic memories and how to process them.
Research has been conducted into the efficacy of using ketamine as a form of treatment, which has been known to lessen symptoms of PTSD. Your doctor or therapist will be able to provide a treatment roadmap and answer any questions.
Final Thoughts
PTSD is a common mental disorder that affects not only first responders and soldiers, but anyone who’s experienced a traumatic event. Its symptoms can be severe, but they are manageable. Self-help options may work, but a mental healthcare professional can better assist you in treating PTSD before it’s too late.
If you or a loved one is dealing with the symptoms of PTSD we can help. Contact us today to learn more about our innovative treatment options including Ketamine. Many people that are looking for help for PTSD in Orlando contact us to get their questions answered.