PTSD Treatment & Support

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex mental health condition that impacts both the brain and body following exposure to a highly stressful or traumatic event. To receive a formal PTSD diagnosis, the trauma must fall into specific categories: the person may have experienced it directly, witnessed it happening to someone else, or learned about it affecting someone close to them.

Traumas that can lead to PTSD include:

• Exposure to actual or threatened death
• Exposure to actual or threatened serious injury
• Exposure to actual or threatened sexual violence

While some people experience traumatic events outside of these categories, they may still develop PTSD-like symptoms. In such cases, a trauma counselor or PTSD psychiatrist might instead diagnose adjustment disorder or another related condition.

Most people initially have a natural fight-or-flight reaction after trauma, which may involve vivid dreams, hypervigilance, difficulty sleeping, repetitive thoughts about the event, and avoiding reminders.

For example, if someone was in a car accident at a specific intersection, they might feel anxious about driving through that intersection, replay the crash in their mind, or avoid driving there temporarily. Usually, these symptoms resolve within a month as the nervous system recalibrates, and the person returns to normal functioning. In PTSD, however, symptoms persist for longer periods, are more severe, and significantly disrupt daily life.

Another recognized form is complex PTSD (C-PTSD), described by the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases but not in the DSM. C-PTSD arises from prolonged or repeated traumatic situations, such as childhood abuse, domestic violence, captivity, living in a war zone, human trafficking, or severe bullying, leading to symptoms similar to PTSD but often more intense.

If you are struggling to cope after experiencing trauma, consulting a professional is critical.

Signs you may benefit from seeing a PTSD psychiatrist include:

• Recurrent dreams or flashbacks of the trauma
• Persistent hypervigilance or feeling “on edge”
• Avoiding people, places, or thoughts related to the trauma
• Difficulty managing anger or emotional regulation
• Physical reactions resembling those during the trauma
• Sleep disturbances, nightmares, or insomnia
• Feelings of guilt or self-blame
• Emotional detachment or isolation
• Frequent distress or being easily triggered

At Fine Tune Psychiatry, we provide both in-person and online trauma counseling and psychiatric treatment. You can contact a PTSD psychiatrist today to begin an assessment and explore treatment options tailored to your needs.

Symptoms of PTSD

PTSD symptoms generally fall into three main categories, with some symptoms needing to persist for more than a month to meet diagnostic criteria:

Intrusion Symptoms:

• Unwanted and distressing memories of the trauma
• Nightmares or vivid dreams related to the event
• Flashbacks where the trauma feels like it is occurring in the present
• Intense emotional or physical reactions to reminders of the trauma

Avoidance and Negative Mood Changes:

• Avoiding thoughts, feelings, or memories of the trauma
• Avoiding external triggers such as places or activities
• Difficulty recalling important aspects of the trauma
• Persistent negative beliefs about oneself, others, or the world
• Blaming oneself or others for the trauma
• Feeling detached, numb, or unable to experience positive emotions
• Loss of interest in important activities

Arousal and Reactivity Symptoms:

• Irritability or angry outbursts
• Risky or self-destructive behavior
• Hyper-alertness and being easily startled
• Difficulty concentrating
• Sleep disturbances

Additional Experiences:

• Depersonalization (feeling disconnected from oneself or reality)
• Derealization (feeling the world is unreal or dreamlike)

Complex PTSD is linked to prolonged trauma from which escape is impossible or extremely difficult. It shares the same symptom clusters as PTSD but includes significant challenges in emotion regulation, self-identity, and relationships.

Causes and Risk Factors of PTSD

PTSD affects roughly 6.1% to 8.3% of U.S. adults in their lifetime. Symptoms may appear within three months of the trauma but can sometimes be delayed by years. While about half of people recover within three months, others experience persistent symptoms for decades.

PTSD can affect anyone, regardless of race, gender, age, socioeconomic status, or education level. Higher prevalence is observed among survivors of sexual violence, combat, captivity, and genocide, as well as veterans and first responders.

Other risk factors include:

• Pre-existing mental health conditions
• Childhood trauma or adversity
• Lack of social support before or after the trauma
• Severity and life-threatening nature of the trauma
• Trauma perpetrated by a caregiver
• Limited ability to escape the traumatic event
• Genetic factors
• Traumatic brain injury
• Gender (higher risk in women)

PTSD Treatment at Fine Tune Psychiatry

Treatment is individualized, often combining talk therapy and medication management. Initial appointments may involve a PTSD psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner who will assess your mental health, coping skills, strengths, and risk factors, then develop a personalized treatment plan.

Prescribing providers may recommend medications to manage mood, anxiety, irritability, or sleep disturbances, while therapy addresses coping, triggers, and emotional regulation. Therapy methods include trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and exposure therapy.

If a patient requires intensive or focused therapy, our providers will make recommendations for psychologists and therapists in your area, and will collaborate with them to provide coordinated care. We find that working with a team of specialized providers can result in the best outcomes, and we’re happy to take the time to do so.

Medication Management

Medications prescribed by a PTSD psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner may include:

• SSRIs and SNRIs for depression and anxiety
• Medications to calm the nervous system and reduce hyperarousal
• Sleep aids
• Medications for mood instability, anger, or impulsivity