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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that can occur when someone has been exposed to a scary, traumatizing event or series of events. It requires professional diagnostic testing to verify the symptoms and conditions and to decide which is the best PTSD therapy for your specific needs.
Treatment for PTSD is commonly needed for people serving in the military during wars. Years ago, it was often called shell shock or combat fatigue.
But PTSD can affect anyone in a number of ways, such as:
Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) is closely related to PTSD. The causes stem from prolonged trauma that’s lasted over a longer period. When you search for PTSD doctors near me in New York and New Jersey, turn to a local expert in PTSD at Neuro Injury Specialists. Dr. Mark Cohen, Dr. Dmitriy Dvoskin and Dr. Leon Reyfman are all experienced in diagnosing and treating PTSD and CPTSD.
Symptoms of PTSD are many and varied. They can start immediately following the event or months after it. Some people with PTSD have thoughts so vivid, it’s as if they’re reliving the event. These types of memories are called flashbacks.
In addition to these unwanted flashbacks, common symptoms of PTSD and CPTSD include:
In addition to the symptoms associated with PTSD, signs that you may suffer from complex post-traumatic stress include:
There are many options for PTSD treatment and CPTSD treatment. PTSD therapies include cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) with a trained, licensed mental health professional. Trauma focused CBT is talk therapy and is one of the main PTSD therapies.
In addition to counselling, other treatment for PTSD may include traditional and alternative options, such as:
Many of the treatments for PTSD are used for CPTSD treatment. They include many types of CBT as well as medications for symptoms. PTSD doctors may also offer CPTSD therapy options, such as:
Traumatic events or life-threatening experiences can cause changes to your brain structure and chemistry. Long term exposure to trauma can cause even more changes. Once these changes occur, your brain doesn’t function as it did prior to the trauma.
These changes take place in at least three areas of the brain:
The amygdala handles emotions. The hippocampus deals with memory and learning. The prefrontal cortex is where the decision making, social behavior and personality are found. PTSD and CPTSD symptoms coincide with the changes in those areas of the brain.
Some people can get better on their own without formal treatment by staying away from anything that’s related to the event, so those memories won’t be triggered.
But trying to provide your own PTSD therapy can lead to additional complications, such as:
If you’ve been having difficulties for a month or longer and it’s causing problems in your life, look for PTSD doctors near me. Acquiesce to comprehensive testing and assessment n New York and New Jersey to determine the level of PTSD that you suffer from so that proper PTSD treatment can get started. Contact Neuro Injury Specialists for an appointment with their neurologist to begin PTSD treatment as soon as possible.