PTSD

Approximately 6% of people in America will have PTSD at some point, and 4% of children under age 18 experience a trauma that leads to the disorder. Emem Nkanga, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC, and the team at Mindful Solutions Psychiatry in Garland, Texas, offer expert and compassionate PTSD care to patients aged ten and older. If you or a loved one have experienced a traumatic life event resulting in feelings of blame, regret, fear, nightmares, or flashbacks, the team is ready to help you. Call the office or book a consultation online. 

What is PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition that occurs after a traumatic life event you experience or witness. Even after the event passes, you may still feel frightened or experience intense memories or flashbacks. 

Car accidents, war, injury, natural disasters, the death of a family member, or any type of abuse can lead to PTSD. 

Children may have PTSD if they experience an animal bite, neglect, bullying, invasive medical procedures, or violent personal attacks. 

Approximately 8% of women and 4% of men will experience PTSD. This statistic is partially due to the fact that women are more likely to experience a traumatic event — like sexual abuse — than men.

What are the symptoms of PTSD?

For an official PTSD diagnosis, you must experience symptoms for over a month. 

You may have one or more symptoms of avoidance — where you refuse to discuss the event or stay away from people or places that remind you of it. You may have one or more intrusion symptoms like nightmares or flashbacks to the event. 

A PTSD diagnosis includes two or more mood and thinking symptoms like: 

• Depression
• Anxiety 
• Irritability 
• Feeling on guard 
• Being easily startled 
• Issues being affectionate 
• Lack of sleep or oversleeping 
• Numbness 
• Memory loss
• Feelings of shame and guilt 
• Hypersensitivity to perceived threats 

Children with PTSD may be disruptive or aggressive or show regressive behaviors like thumb-sucking or bedwetting.

If left untreated, PTSD can lead to substance abuse, chronic headaches, and fatigue. 

What are my PTSD treatment options? 

After a thorough psychiatric assessment, your Mindful Solutions Psychiatry provider may recommend a combination of treatments. 

Medications

Antidepressants alter the chemicals in your brain and improve mood and stress levels. 

Benzodiazepines help with acute anxiety, but you should use them sparingly as they can be habit-forming. 

If you are taking medication or start taking medications, Mindful Solutions Psychiatry offers medication management services. 

Psychotherapy 

Talk therapy, like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and prolonged exposure therapy (PE), offers a safe space to discuss the traumatic event and helps you regain control of your symptoms. 

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) uses a moving light to trigger your brain to revisit the traumatic event. This helps you release feelings of guilt and fear and find joy again. 

Support groups, meditation, a healthy diet, and sleeping routines are also useful tools. 

Call Mindful Solutions Psychiatry today or reach out online to learn more about PTSD treatments.