What Can I Do If Im Not Happy With My Treatment
If you arent happy with your treatment you can:
- talk to your doctor about your treatment options,
- ask for a second opinion,
- get an advocate to help you speak to your doctor,
- contact Patient Advice and Liaison Service , or
- make a complaint.
There is more information about these options below.
How can I speak to my doctor about my treatment options?
You can speak to your doctor about your treatment. Explain why you arent happy with it. You could ask what other treatments you could try.
Tell your doctor if there is a type of treatment that you would like to try. Doctors should listen to your preference. If you arent given this treatment, ask your doctor to explain why it isnt suitable for you.
Whats a second opinion?
A second opinion means that you would like a different doctor to give their opinion about what treatment you should have. You can also ask for a second opinion if you disagree with your diagnosis.
You dont have a right to a second opinion. But your doctor should listen to your reason for wanting a second opinion.
What is advocacy?
An advocate is independent from the mental health service. They are free to use. They can be useful if you find it difficult to get your views heard.
There are different types of advocates available. Community advocates can support you to get a health professional to listen to your concerns. And help you to get the treatment that you would like. NHS complaints advocates can help you if you want to complain about the NHS.
Grounding To Offset A Ptsd Episode
Although they come on quickly, a person will usually have a little bit of warning prior to the flashback or dissociation. They may feel they are losing their connection to reality or things may start to look blurry. One method for not completely losing touch with reality is through a technique known as grounding, which is similar to mindfulness.
Just as it sounds, grounding can help a person stay present so that they recognize their oncoming PTSD symptoms for what they are. This technique involves strategies such as these:
- Engaging each of the senses by identifying things in the immediate environment they can see, smell, touch, taste, and hear
- Moving aroundwhether by walking, running, or jumpingto help disrupt the bodys stress response
- Breathing deeply and slowly to help calm themselves
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Tip : Reach Out To Others For Support
PTSD can make you feel disconnected from others. You may be tempted to withdraw from social activities and your loved ones. But its important to stay connected to life and the people who care about you. You dont have to talk about the trauma if you dont want to, but the caring support and companionship of others is vital to your recovery. Reach out to someone you can connect with for an uninterrupted period of time, someone who will listen when you want to talk without judging, criticizing, or continually getting distracted. That person may be your significant other, a family member, a friend, or a professional therapist. Or you could try:
Volunteering your time or reaching out to a friend in need. This is not only a great way to connect to others, but can also help you reclaim your sense of control.
Joining a PTSD support group. This can help you feel less isolated and alone and also provide invaluable information on how to cope with symptoms and work towards recovery.
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Reasons Why Your Ptsd Could Be Getting Worse
PTSD is one of the most common mental health disorders in the country, with approximately 1 out of every 6 Americans experiencing it. If you are one of these individuals, then you can understand just how difficult it can be to live with this disorder. Even with treatment, PTSD can be hard to manage if you are not fully focused on maintaining your recovery. As a result, you might begin noticing that your PTSD is getting worse, which can be demoralizing. However, identifying why your condition may be getting worse is the first step in getting back in control.
Tip : Support Ptsd Treatment With A Healthy Lifestyle
The symptoms of PTSD can be hard on your body so its important to take care of yourself and develop some healthy lifestyle habits.
Take time to relax. Relaxation techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, massage, or yoga can activate the bodys relaxation response and ease symptoms of PTSD.
Avoid alcohol and drugs. When youre struggling with difficult emotions and traumatic memories, you may be tempted to self-medicate with alcohol or drugs. But substance use worsens many symptoms of PTSD, interferes with treatment, and can add to problems in your relationships.
Eata healthy diet. Start your day right with breakfast, and keep your energy up and your mind clear with balanced, nutritious meals throughout the day. Omega-3s play a vital role in emotional health so incorporate foods such as fatty fish, flaxseed, and walnuts into your diet. Limit processed food, fried food, refined starches, and sugars, which can exacerbate mood swings and cause fluctuations in your energy.
Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can trigger anger, irritability, and moodiness. Aim for somewhere between 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Develop a relaxing bedtime ritual and make your bedroom as quiet, dark, and soothing as possible.
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Hiring Experts Who Can Help With Your Case
Experts can be critical to a PTSD-related decision review process, especially if VA doctors contest your condition. Law firms generally provide experts at no up front cost to you.
Your attorney wont just help with the decision review processthey will lead it. They may only ask you to participate when absolutely necessary, such as when you must undergo medical evaluation. Otherwise, your attorney will handle your VA disability benefits case so you can get treatment for your PTSD.
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Why Does Ptsd Cause Anger
You are more likely to respond to stress with full activation if you have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. You can react as if your life is in danger. There are serious problems in the workplace and in family life that can be caused by the automatic response of anger and Illness in people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
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Cognition And Mood Symptoms Include:
- Trouble remembering key features of the traumatic event
- Negative thoughts about oneself or the world
- Distorted feelings like guilt or blame
- Loss of interest in enjoyable activities
Cognition and mood symptoms can begin or worsen after the traumatic event, but are not due to injury or substance use. These symptoms can make the person feel alienated or detached from friends or family members.
It is natural to have some of these symptoms for a few weeks after a dangerous event. When the symptoms last more than a month, seriously affect ones ability to function, and are not due to substance use, medical illness, or anything except the event itself, they might be PTSD. Some people with PTSD dont show any symptoms for weeks or months. PTSD is often accompanied by depression, substance abuse, or one or more of the other anxiety disorders.
Untreated Ptsd Makes Life More Difficult Than It Has To Be For Veterans And Their Families
PTSD is one of the most common disabilities that veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan receive disability ratings for. While PTSD can be difficult to treat, when left untreated, the mental health condition can cause significant psychological, physical, and social issues.
Not only are veterans with PTSD at risk of suffering emotionally, but the condition puts them at an increased risk for several life-threatening conditions. These conditions may include:
- Type-II diabetes
- Substance abuse disorders
Veterans with untreated PTSD are also at a higher risk of committing suicide and having lower life expectancy. If you believe you or a family member may have PTSD, or if you have a diagnosis but have not undergone treatment, you may want to talk to your doctor about treatment.
For a free legal consultation, call
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Ptsd Treatment And Therapy
Treatment for PTSD can relieve symptoms by helping you deal with the trauma youve experienced. A doctor or therapist will encourage you to recall and process the emotions you felt during the original event in order to reduce the powerful hold the memory has on your life.
During treatment, youll also explore your thoughts and feelings about the trauma, work through feelings of guilt and mistrust, learn how to cope with intrusive memories, and address the problems PTSD has caused in your life and relationships.
The types of treatment available for PTSD include:
Trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy involves gradually exposing yourself to feelings and situations that remind you of the trauma, and replacing distorted and irrational thoughts about the experience with a more balanced picture.
Family therapy can help your loved ones understand what youre going through and help you work through relationship problems together as a family.
Medication is sometimes prescribed to people with PTSD to relieve secondary symptoms of depression or anxiety, although they do not treat the causes of PTSD.
EMDR incorporates elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy with eye movements or other forms of rhythmic, left-right stimulation, such as hand taps or sounds. EMDR therapy techniques work by unfreezing the brains information processing system, which is interrupted in times of extreme stress.
When To Seek Medical Advice
It’s normal to experience upsetting and confusing thoughts after a traumatic event, but in most people these improve naturally over a few weeks.
You should visit your GP if you or your child are still having problems about 4 weeks after the traumatic experience, or the symptoms are particularly troublesome.
Your GP will want to discuss your symptoms with you in as much detail as possible.
They’ll ask whether you have experienced a traumatic event in the recent or distant past and whether you have re-experienced the event through flashbacks or nightmares.
Your GP can refer you to mental health specialists if they feel you’d benefit from treatment.
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How Is Ptsd Diagnosed
Theres no scan or blood test for PTSD. If youve experienced a traumatic event and are having symptoms of PTSD, talk to a healthcare provider.
The healthcare provider can make the diagnosis based on a conversation about your symptoms. To be considered PTSD, symptoms must last more than a month and interfere with your life.
How Untreated Ptsd Affects Family Members And Others
Those who do not find treatment for PTSD allow their condition to get worse. The effects will increase until the victim no longer has control or can manage. When a person loses control to PTSD, every aspect of his or her life is affected.
Individuals struggling with untreated PTSD are unable to control their thoughts, actions, and behavior.
A thoroughly heartbreaking reality for family members and friends to witness, innocent bystanders can also be put in harms way due to the dangerous effects of the disorder. PTSD can lead to acts of violence, aggression, and arguments, and these problems only escalate when drugs or alcohol are involved.
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What Happens When You Dont Get Treatment
PTSD is a complex disorder that is characterized by a number of upsetting and disruptive symptoms. From flashbacks and uncontrollable fear to hostility and insomnia, this disorder has the ability to change the course of ones life for good, especially if left untreated.
There are several risks that can develop if PTSD is not treated. One of the most common side effects of untreated PTSD is substance abuse. Individuals may find reprieve from their symptoms by drinking or doing drugs. Unfortunately, the more that an individual turns to mind-altering substances as a means of coping, the more likely they become to develop a substance use disorder.
Having an active substance use disorder while also dealing with untreated PTSD can lead to even more painful consequences. It is common for those who are experiencing an untreated mental health disorder to struggle to maintain good standing at work and among friends, as well as begin having financial and even legal issues. If PTSD and its symptoms are given the go-ahead to run rampant, then they will. Control over the negative effects of PTSD only comes with the appropriate treatment, which can be obtained through a mental health professional.
Will People With Ptsd Get Better
“Getting better” means different things for different people. There are many different treatment options for PTSD. For many people, these treatments can get rid of symptoms altogether. Others find they have fewer symptoms or feel that their symptoms are less intense. Your symptoms don’t have to interfere with your everyday activities, work, and relationships.
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Tips To Prevent Panic Attacks At Night
Experiencing a panic attack at night may make you worry about having another, causing a vicious circle, and leading to insomnia. There are a number of things you can do to try and avoid this becoming a frequent problem, and ensure that youre getting a good nights sleep:
Give yourself enough time to get the sleep you need
On average, adults need eight to nine hours sleep each night to feel rested and refreshed. Therefore, its important to make sure you go to bed at least eight hours before you need to get up so youre giving yourself enough time to have a good nights sleep. Going to bed too late and not leaving enough time for sleep may result in you constantly checking the clock and worrying that youre not going to feel rested the next day. These negative thought processes can fuel anxiety, and potentially spiral into a panic attack.
Prepare yourself for the following day
Many people struggle to get to sleep because they are anxious about the following day. You can try to reduce this anxiety by making sure that you have everything prepared. For example, you could have a to-do list, or even have your clothes laid out.
Establish a consistent sleep routine
Limit caffeine, sugar and alcohol before bed
Avoid electronic devices late at night
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An Overactive Fight Or Flight Response
Hyperarousal is often a survival mechanism for soldiers at war who have to be incredibly protective of their surroundings out of a fear of the enemy finding them or worse, killing them. When combat vets return home, for many their fight or flight response remains in overdrive, even when they are safe and secure with their loved ones.If this symptom is happening, its often a sign that PTSD is active and in need of support to help put things in perspective. When the fight or flight response becomes dangerous, multiple treatment options often need to be addressed including, medication, counseling, EMDR, and support for the family. By looking at a holistic treatment plan, hyperarousal can be managed and brought back under control.While hyperarousal is often attributed to soldiers, they are by no means the only ones who struggle with this issue. Victims of abuse , neglected children, car accident or other accident victims, people who experienced natural disasters or war-like traumas like 9/11 also exhibit overactive fight or flight responses. The treatment model above is equally as helpful for those clients and has been proven to ease the pain of PTSD over time.
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Next Steps For Ptsd Research
In the last decade, progress in research on the mental and biological foundations of PTSD has lead scientists to focus on better understanding the underlying causes of why people experience a range of reactions to trauma.
- NIMH-funded researchers are exploring trauma patients in acute care settings to better understand the changes that occur in individuals whose symptoms improve naturally.
- Other research is looking at how fear memories are affected by learning, changes in the body, or even sleep.
- Research on preventing the development of PTSD soon after trauma exposure is also under way.
- Other research is attempting to identify what factors determine whether someone with PTSD will respond well to one type of intervention or another, aiming to develop more personalized, effective, and efficient treatments.
- As gene research and brain imaging technologies continue to improve, scientists are more likely to be able to pinpoint when and where in the brain PTSD begins. This understanding may then lead to better targeted treatments to suit each persons own needs or even prevent the disorder before it causes harm.
What To Do When Therapy Makes Ptsd Gets Worse Not Better
First and foremost, it’s important to remember that trauma therapy happens on your timeline. There’s no time limit on healing. If it feels like your therapist is pushing you too fast, it’s okay to take a step back and reevaluate. A break to focus on self-care and self-compassion is needed at times.
Of course, that’s not to say that we should run away from therapy when it starts to get tough because therapy often makes PTSD worse before it gets better. Sometimes it’s necessary to go through those tough times in therapy, with the hope of healing and peace on the other end. And there are many different methods a person with PTSD can use to self-soothe while facing scary emotions and memories.
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How Common Is Ptsd
At least half the people in the United States have experienced a traumatic event. Among this group, 10% of men and 20% of women develop PTSD. Women experience neglect or abuse during childhood more often than men. They also experience sexual assault and domestic violence more often. Women tend to experience trauma differently than men, too.
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