Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that can develop when exposed to disturbing, damaging, or dangerous events that may trigger uncontrollable reactions lasting for months, or even years, after the incident.
PTSD Symptoms
PTSD symptoms can vary from person to person, but many experience uncontrollable memories, flashbacks, and nightmares reliving the incident resulting in avoidance of the places, activities, or people that remind him or her of the event.
PTSD can affect a person both emotionally and physically. Trauma can prompt feelings of hopelessness and pessimism that can affect the ability to form and maintain relationships. People suffering from PTSD may detach themselves from friends and family, have concentration problems, difficulty experiencing positive emotions or feel emotionally numb. They may start easily or have high anxiety levels, always on alert for signs of danger. They may get irritated quickly, have angry outbursts or behave aggressively. This can be followed or accompanied by self-destructive behavior and feelings of guilt and shame. Hobbies and activities previously enjoyed may now seem lackluster, and they may also have issues sleeping.
Holistic Mental PTSD Treatments
Reducing the symptoms of PTSD is vital to helping patients establish effective coping mechanisms. At Rivia Medical, we are committed to taking a holistic approach to addressing mental health concerns. Our patient-centered approach involves partnering with you as we work together on strategies to help you be your best self. We believe in individualized treatment plans that take into consideration your expectations, goals, and circumstance.
Therapeutic options may include Prolonged Exposure (PE) treatment. PE focuses on changing the patient’s fear structure impacted by the traumatic event. Simply said, the patient is asked to gradually confront their fears and will learn techniques to overcome them.
Another treatment is Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). While attempting to process a traumatic event, survivors may view themselves or the world as functioning differently. CPT helps patients identify why they’re having these thoughts and helps them change their way of thinking about their previous trauma.
Cognitive-Restructuring Therapy is also used to treat PTSD by keeping a record of negative thoughts and feelings and replacing them with a less stressful and more accurate version. The therapist will help you learn more about your trauma while helping you cope with anger, guilt, and fear.
Regaining Control Over PTSD Symptoms
Regaining control of uncontrollable physical behaviors and reactions that disrupt your daily life is possible with techniques like biofeedback. Real-time tracking of physiological bodily functions, such as heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, muscle movements, and body temperature can help a patient gain control over involuntary functions.
A specific type of biofeedback is neurofeedback. It is proven to be highly effective in training PTSD patients to gain better control of the mind. It helps the brain learn how to regulate itself, leading to developments in cognition, emotional stability, and healthier adaptive behavior.
Mindfulness practices, such as meditation and yoga, are also found to improve and reduce PTSD symptoms. Meditation may even reduce your need of medication to control symptoms.
Holistic PTSD Treatment in New York
Understanding every patient’s situation is crucial in providing them with the right care. Visit our clinic in New York or call us at (212) 203-1773. You may also request an appointment through our appointment request form.
