PTSD

If you have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) resulting from a traumatic event, whether military combat or neglect, see First Cornerstone Health LLC. Serving patients in and around Atlanta, Georgia, North Carolina, Washington, and Florida, Chinwe Ibiam DNP, AGACNP-BC, PMHNP-BC, APRN, offers PTSD treatment to patients six and older via telehealth visits. If you or your child needs relief from PTSD symptoms, call the office or schedule an appointment online today.

What is PTSD?

PTSD is a mental health condition that may develop after you experience a dangerous or traumatic life event, or because of severe mental or emotional distress.

The traumatic events that can cause PTSD include:

• Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse
• Domestic violence
• Accidents (car, plane, boat)
• Death of a loved one
• Natural disasters (earthquakes, floods, and tornadoes)

PTSD can also develop if you learn that a close friend or loved one experienced a traumatic situation.

What are the hallmark symptoms of PTSD?

It’s natural to feel worry, anxiety, or fear after a traumatic event, but the feelings should get better over time. If any of the following symptoms last a month or even longer, you may have PTSD:

• Irritability 
• Anxiety
• Anger
• Nightmares
• Flashbacks
• Shame or guilt
• Difficulty sleeping
• Problems concentrating
• Social isolation 
• Depression
• Avoidance of PTSD triggers

Flashbacks and sudden memories of a traumatic event may trigger intense anxiety, worry, fear, or anger. Avoidance means you stay away from the activities, people, or places that remind you of past trauma.

Children and teeangers may express their anxiety in different ways. They might be clingy or get irritated if they can’t be with their parents. You might also notice regression in their developmental skills, such as wetting their bed after learning to use the toilet.

Why might PTSD symptoms flare up?

After experiencing trauma, your brain records the details associated with a distressing event, including sounds, sights, and smells. But you’re not always aware of the details because such  memories can get pushed into your subconscious.

When you go about daily life, you may randomly encounter details about past trauma that connects with your subconscious and brings back forgotten memories and the worry associated with it. Memories may be powerful and vivid, causing unsettling emotional and behavioral responses.

How is PTSD treated?

Chinwe treats PTSD using psychotherapy (talk therapy) and medication management to help you cope with bothersome traumatic events and overcome anxiousness associated with it. 

During telehealth psychotherapy, you learn to recognize PTSD triggers and new skills to alter thoughts, feelings, emotions, and behavior patterns associated with anxiety. This helps you overcome barriers that PTSD creates in your life.

Eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and other forms of psychotherapy can guide you through memories of traumatic events, gradually explore them, understand the effect on thoughts and behaviors, and diminish troubling reactions.

If or a family member need support dealing with PTSD, call the First Cornerstone Health or schedule a telehealth appointment online today.