PTSD

Severe trauma or abuse can sometimes lead to a condition known as PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder. If you are dealing with this mental health condition, Dr. Ashley Johnson, and the team at Colorado Recovery Solutions can help. Located in the Colorado Springs community, the practice has a well-known reputation for providing cutting-edge treatments for mental health disorders like PTSD. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Ashley Johnson and the team, call the office today, or go on the website to conveniently book online.

What is PTSD?

Everybody experiences some kind of stress in their lives. The loss of a loved one or a car accident are some examples of stressful events. While they cause short-term distress, those feelings usually disappear.

However, for some people, a stressful event triggers a mental health condition known as post-traumatic stress disorder. This condition develops after you have been subjected to an extremely stressful or traumatic situation.

Common triggers for PTSD include military combat, sexual abuse, or surviving a natural disaster. The condition causes your fight-or-flight response to be triggered, causing you to feel scared or on-edge a majority of the time.

Who’s at risk for PTSD?

If you experience any type of stressful situation, you are at a higher risk of developing PTSD. It is not completely understood why some people overcome their fears while others end up with PTSD. Those most likely to develop this condition include people who have:

• Experienced childhood trauma or abuse
• Have intense emotional or physical trauma
• Had exposure to traumatic events from the military
• Suffer from anxiety and depression
• Have substance abuse problems

If you have a job that puts you in stressful situations, you could also be at risk for PTSD. Careers such as nursing, law enforcement, and firefighters are at risk for developing PTSD.

Are there specific symptoms of PTSD?

If you have PTSD, you can suffer from many different symptoms. Everyone experiences this condition differently, but the common symptoms of PTSD include:

• Recurring flashbacks of the triggering incident
• Nightmares about the traumatic event
• Emotional distress with certain triggers
• Avoidance behaviors
• Emotionally feeling numb
• Easily frightened or startled
• Outbursts of anger or irritability

The symptoms of PTSD can come and go, popping up when you least expect them. Any time your mind is triggered by something related to the stressful event, your symptoms can appear.

Is PTSD treatable?

PTSD is a very manageable condition with treatment. This typically includes medications and psychotherapy. They can be used separately or in conjunction with each other.

Medications typically involve antidepressants and medications to help you sleep or deal with night terrors. Anti-anxiety medications are also helpful in controlling your fear or worry.

Ketamine treatments are the main way that PTSD is treated at Colorado Recovery Solutions. Along with IV infusions, Colorado Recovery Solutions also offers Spravato®, a nasal spray. This medication is an FDA-approved treatment for depression and the only form of ketamine that received this designation.

Psychotherapy involves talking about your experiences to understand why your mind reacts the way it does when face-to-face with a triggering event. Psychotherapy allows you to understand your thoughts and feelings to begin to heal.

To learn more about PTSD treatments, call the office in Colorado Springs, or book a consultation online today.