PTSD

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is a psychiatric condition triggered by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event.  It involves persistent psychological and physiological symptoms that disrupt daily functioning, often related to nervous system dysregulation and changes in brain regions tied to memory and emotion.

PTSD is reported in about 6-8% of US adults and adult women are twice as likely as men to experience it.  

What are the 4 Symptom Clusters of PTSD?

1. Intrusion: intrusive memories, nightmares, flashbacks.

2. Avoidance: avoiding thoughts, feelings, or reminders of the trauma.  

3. Negative Cognition and Mood: negative beliefs/emotion, emotional numbing, self-blame, detachment, dysphoria.

4. High Arousal and Reactivity: Hypervigilance, startle response, irritability or aggression, sleep problems.

How Can Treatment Help?

Treatment for PTSD is highly effective for many individuals by reducing symptoms, regulating the nervous system, rebuilding self-esteem and learning new coping skills to handle triggers.  Treatment can also lower risks for chronic health conditions (heart disease, immune disorders, addiction) that can result from untreated trauma.

Evidence based effective PTSD Treatments include:

Cognitive Processing Therapy – This modality focuses on how a person perceives and processes a traumatic event.  A client can work through thoughts and emotions that keep them stuck.

EMDR Therapy – EMDR or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing uses bilateral sensory input such as eye movements.  EMDR reprocesses memories from the trauma to create new less-distressing beliefs and associations with it.

Internal Family Systems (IFS) – IFS works on the parts of the person that carry traumatic wounds while also accessing their core Self- the calm, compassionate inner state that can facilitate healing and regulate the nervous system.

If you or a loved one suffer from PTSD and would like to explore treatment options, please reach out to me. I have personally seen amazing transformation through therapy and want to offer the help you need to enjoy life again.