PTSD

Anyone who goes through or witnesses trauma could develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), although military combat and living in a war zone are the most well-recognized triggers. Experienced nurse practitioners Scott Lane, FNP-C, Sean Leonard, PMHNP-BC, and their team at NuGen Wellness Center in Boise, Idaho, understand the effects of trauma. You can leave PTSD in the past with their support and personalized treatment. Call the NuGen Wellness Center team or request an appointment online today to learn how their experts can help you.

What is PTSD?

PTSD affects people after a severely distressing experience, such as:

• Military combat
• Living in a war zone
• Natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, and tornadoes
• Personal assault
• Severe auto accident injuries
• Plane, train, or shipping accidents
• Building collapse or fire
• Terrorist attacks
• Mass shootings

It’s unclear why some people get PTSD and others don’t, but the traumatic event may alter the chemicals in your brain. Your risk of PTSD is higher if there’s a personal or family history of problems like anxiety or depression.

What symptoms does PTSD cause?

PTSD symptoms typically fit into one of four groups:

Intrusive thoughts

Intrusive thoughts take several forms. Vivid nightmares are one; recurring images of the event are another.

One of the most notable symptoms of PTSD is flashbacks. These occur when something makes you relive the trauma. A certain sound or image could transport you back to the incident scene, so you feel like you’re going through the experience again.

Avoidance

Avoidance takes several forms. You might refuse to talk about your experience or do anything that reminds you of it. Avoidance behaviors include going to extreme lengths to avoid people, activities, and places that could trigger a flashback.

Negative thoughts and mood

Depression and anxiety commonly affect people with PTSD. You might feel hopeless, guilty, self-loathing, afraid, and continually on edge. Stress levels in people with PTSD are usually extremely high.

Physical and emotional reactions

PTSD often affects your ability to sleep. You might develop insomnia and lie awake for most of the night. Or you might fall asleep only to wake up in distress because of frequent nightmares. People with PTSD are often irritable and quick to anger. Jumping at the slightest sound is also common.

PTSD symptoms may develop within a few hours or days of the trauma. However, some people don’t develop PTSD for months or even years afterward.

How is PTSD treated?

Medicines can reduce the severity of your symptoms and help you sleep better. Talk therapy enables you to process the trauma and learn coping skills for everyday life.

If you have treatment-resistant PTSD, the NuGen Wellness Center team offers transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). This painless, noninvasive treatment uses magnetic energy to restore healthy brain function.

Call NuGen Wellness Center to begin your recovery from PTSD, or book an appointment online today.