
Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Approaches to coping and moving on from the affects of trauma.
Aug 04, 2010
Mar 30, 2021
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Psychological Therapy
Your doctor may refer you to a mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist (a medical doctor with a specialty in psychiatry, who can prescribe medication), a psychologist (a licensed therapist with a background in psychology and either a doctorate or master's degree) or a counselor (a licensed or certified individual with supervised training in psychology).
Therapists can offer a range of psychosocial techniques for women with PTSD. Supportive psychotherapy allows women to talk about the trauma and its effects. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) teaches women how to identify and put aside negative thoughts that trigger anxiety and how to change their behavioral responses to reminders of the traumatic event. Exposure therapy helps women with PTSD gradually confront a situation or object that causes anxiety.
Medical Approaches
Medications that raise serotonin levels are typically used to treat the symptoms of PTSD. Serotonin is a chemical naturally produced by the body and brain that takes part in many physical functions, including nerve transmission. Not everyone may receive the same medications for PTSD. This is because medications for PTSD are tailored to the individual's symptoms and any coexisting disorders.
Lifestyle Approaches
The following steps may help you relieve and begin to overcome the symptoms of PTSD:
Questions to Ask Your Health Care Professional about PTSD:
1. Do I have PTSD? How do you know? Do you see a connection between how I feel and PTSD?
2. Is PTSD treatable? Can I recover from it?
3. What treatment do you recommend for me?
4. If you are recommending medication, what is the proper dosage and how do I take it?
5. For medication, what are the expected effects and side effects?
6. For medication, how long should I expect to be taking it?
7. If you are recommending psychotherapy, what type of therapy?
8. For psychotherapy, how long is it expected to take?
9. For psychotherapy, what should I do to cooperate with my therapy?
10. Until my treatment starts working, how can I manage my anxiety and stress to help prevent it from becoming overwhelming?