PTSD

What is PTSD?

PTSD is a serious mental health disorder that causes uncontrollable emotional and behavioral symptoms after you experience or witness a dangerous, stressful, or life-threatening event.

Traumatic events that commonly cause PTSD include:

• Military duty
• Physical assault
• Sexual assault
• Emotional or physical abuse
• Automobile, plane, and train accidents
• Earthquakes, floods, and tornadoes
• Death of a loved one
• Gun violence
• Robberies
• Fires

Everyone has anxiety, fear, and grief after these events, but as time passes, you should start to recover and feel better. If your symptoms don’t go away or get worse, you may have PTSD.

What symptoms occur due to PTSD?

People with PTSD experience a wide range of recurring symptoms. Anxiety tends to be a constant problem. Your anxiety may sometimes be mild and controllable, then it can suddenly flare up.

In addition to anxiety, PTSD symptoms include:

• Flashbacks
• Ongoing nightmares
• Uncontrollable memories of the trauma
• Uncharacteristic angry outbursts
• Difficulty sleeping
• Depression and sadness
• Loss of concentration
• Isolation from family and friends
• Guilt or shame (that you didn’t stop the trauma)
• Avoidance symptoms

Avoidance symptoms refer to feeling compelled to avoid anything that reminds you of the trauma, including people, places, and activities. The need to avoid your PTSD triggers is so strong that you may change your daily routine, even to the point of not fulfilling your responsibilities.

What causes sudden PTSD symptoms flare-ups?

When you experience a traumatic event, your brain automatically records the details, like sounds, sights, and smells. But you’re not fully aware of them because they get tucked away in your subconscious.

During the course of daily life, you inevitably come across one of those details and it triggers your subconscious, pushing the memories back into your consciousness. As a result, you have an unexpected flood of intense emotions. 

How is PTSD treated?

The first line of treatment for PTSD typically involves therapy. There aren’t any medications to cure PTSD. However, Dr. Wright may prescribe medications that improve specific symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, and anger.

Dr. Wright specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and trauma-focused therapies that gently guide you through the trauma and help you safely process the memories and feelings. As you remember and deal with the event, the trauma loses its power to control your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

You may feel like you’re in the grip of PTSD, but Ryan Wright, MD, can help you overcome the trauma. To schedule an appointment, call or book online today.