How Can I Help A Friend Or Relative Who Has Ptsd
If you know someone who may be experiencing PTSD, the most important thing you can do is to help that person get the right diagnosis and treatment. Some people may need help making an appointment with their health care provider others may benefit from having someone accompany them to their health care visits.
If a close friend or relative is diagnosed with PTSD, you can encourage them to follow their treatment plan. If their symptoms do not get better after 6 to 8 weeks, you can encourage them to talk to their health care provider. You also can:
- Offer emotional support, understanding, patience, and encouragement.
- Learn about PTSD so you can understand what your friend is experiencing.
- Listen carefully. Pay attention to the persons feelings and the situations that may trigger PTSD symptoms.
What Is Complex Ptsd
The main symptoms of PTSD and complex PTSD are the same. Complex PTSD is sometimes known as c-PTSD, or CPTSD. If you have complex PTSD, you may have extra symptoms such as:
- issues with keeping a relationship,
- finding it difficult to feel connected to other people,
- a belief that you are worthless with deep feelings of shame, guilt or failure that can be related to the trauma, and
- difficulty controlling your emotions.
Youre more likely to develop complex PTSD if your trauma has been an ongoing event. Or series of different traumatic events. The trauma might be very threatening or frightening. Most commonly from a trauma which you werent able to escape from such as:
- a long period of domestic abuse, or
- a long period of sexual or physical abuse as a child or adult.
Communication Pitfalls To Avoid
- Give easy answers or blithely tell your loved one everything is going to be okay.
- Stop your loved one from talking about their feelings or fears.
- Offer unsolicited advice or tell your loved one what they should do.
- Blame all of your relationship or family problems on your loved ones PTSD.
- Invalidate, minimize, or deny your loved ones traumatic experience
- Give ultimatums or make threats or demands.
- Make your loved one feel weak because they arent coping as well as others.
- Tell your loved one they were lucky it wasnt worse.
- Take over with your own personal experiences or feelings.
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Can Ptsd Be Cured Without Medication
Though medications can help manage PTSD symptoms, there are other treatments that can make a difference. Some popular treatment options include talk therapy, cognitive processing therapy, prolonged exposure therapy, virtual reality therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, and stress inoculation training.
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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Veterans Affairs And Defense Department Guidelines Updated
The VA/DoD clinical practice guidelines originally recommended off-label risperidone, olanzapine, or quetiapine for the adjunctive treatment of patients with PTSD.1 However, in view of the disappointing results from the recent VA-sanctioned study of risperidone in PTSD,44 the guidelines have been revised to recommend against the use of risperidone as adjunctive therapy.52 The revised guidelines further state that there is insufficient evidence to recommend for or against the use of any other atypical antipsychotic as an adjunctive therapy for the treatment of PTSD.
Table 2 depicts the VA/DoDs current assessment of the drugs used to treat PTSD .52
Is There A Cure For Ptsd
As with most mental illnesses, no cure exists for PTSD, but the symptoms can be effectively managed to restore the affected individual to normal functioning. The best hope for treating PTSD is a combination of medication and therapy. By working with a healthcare professional, individuals with PTSD can resolve their triggering factors and learn new and effective ways of coping with the stress of the past trauma.
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About Your Mental Health
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.
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What Are The 5 Signs Of Ptsd
PTSD: Top 5 signs of PTSD you need to know
- A life threatening event. This includes a perceived-to-be life threatening event.
- Internal reminders of a traumatic event. These signs of trauma typically present as nightmares or flashbacks.
- Avoidance of external reminders.
- Changes in mood or thinking.
Cognition And Mood Symptoms
- Trouble remembering key features of the traumatic event
- Negative thoughts about oneself or the world
- Distorted thoughts about the event that cause feelings of blame
- Ongoing negative emotions, such as fear, anger, guilt, or shame
- Loss of interest in previous activities
- Feelings of social isolation
- Difficulty feeling positive emotions, such as happiness or satisfaction
Cognition and mood symptoms can begin or worsen after the traumatic event and can lead a person to feel detached from friends or family members.
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Residential Inpatient Ptsd Treatment Centers
If you or a loved one is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and wants to seek treatment, residential or inpatient PTSD treatment centers are a solid option. These centers are staffed by trained specialists who can assess your condition and formulate the best treatment plan for you in an atmosphere that is as stress-free as possible.
Talking Treatments For Ptsd
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence the organisation that produces guidelines on best practice in health care currently recommends two types of talking treatment for PTSD:
- Trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy . This is a form of cognitive behavioural therapy specifically adapted for PTSD. NICE recommends that you are offered 812 regular sessions of around 6090 minutes, seeing the same therapist at least once a week. See our pages on for more information about this therapy.
- Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing . This is a fairly new treatment that can reduce PTSD symptoms such as being easily startled. It involves making rhythmic eye movements while recalling the traumatic event. The rapid eye movements are intended to create a similar effect to the way your brain processes memories and experiences while you’re sleeping. EMDR Association UK – a professional association of EMDR clinicians and researchers – provides lots more information about EMDR on its website. They also have a search function to find EMDR-accredited therapists in your area.
NICE may recommend other talking treatments in future if they are found to help with PTSD, but more research is needed.
One of the most disturbing things has been the feelings of aggression and anger towards anyone who looks like the person who attacked me… EMDR therapy has been massively helpful.
What if I don’t feel better?
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When To Seek A Ptsd Diagnosis
Before a PTSD diagnosis can be considered, an individual must have these cluster symptoms for over one month: recreating the traumatic event over and over avoiding triggering people, places, or activities and hyper-vigilance for danger. These symptoms should cause significant problems in everyday life.
An individual should seek a PTSD diagnosis if these conditions are present in their life, even if it has been several months or even years since a significant trauma, as PTSD symptoms can sometimes take that long to appear.
Understand that every person reacts to trauma differently. While some individuals bounce back after trauma, others need extra support and treatment to be able to heal mentally and emotionally from trauma.
How To Get Help For Ptsd
Sadly, PTSD is becoming more and more common. Living with PTSD can negatively impact your life, making it hard to hold down a job, look after your family or even care for yourself.
If you have PTSD, it is crucial to seek professional help and treatment as soon as possible. Dont put off getting advice from a medical professional. If you or a loved one lives with co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorder, centers like The Recovery Village can be a great place to get help. Reach out to a representative today for more information.
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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 Are The Symptoms Of Ptsd
Symptoms of PTSD usually begin within 3 months of the traumatic incident, but they sometimes emerge later. To meet the criteria for PTSD, symptoms must last longer than 1 month, and they must be severe enough to interfere with aspects of daily life, such as relationships or work. The symptoms also must be unrelated to medication, substance use, or other illness.
The course of the illness varies: Although some people recover within 6 months, others have symptoms that last for a year or longer. People with PTSD often have co-occurring conditions, such as depression, substance use, or one or more anxiety disorders.
After a dangerous event, it is natural to have some symptoms or even to feel detached from the experience, as though you are observing things rather than experiencing them. A health care providersuch as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or clinical social workerwho has experience helping people with mental illnesses can determine whether symptoms meet the criteria for PTSD.
To be diagnosed with PTSD, an adult must have all of the following for at least 1 month:
- At least one re-experiencing symptom
- At least one avoidance symptom
- At least two arousal and reactivity symptoms
- At least two cognition and mood symptoms
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How Our Helpline Works
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If you wish to explore additional treatment options or connect with a specific rehab center, you can browse top-rated listings or visit SAMHSA.
How Is Ptsd Treated
It is important for anyone with PTSD symptoms to work with a mental health professional who has experience treating PTSD. The main treatments are psychotherapy, medications, or both. An experienced mental health professional can help people find the treatment plan that meets their symptoms and needs.
Some people with PTSD may be living through an ongoing trauma, such as being in an abusive relationship. In these cases, treatment is usually most effective when it addresses both the traumatic situation and the symptoms. People who have PTSD or who are exposed to trauma also may experience panic disorder, depression, substance use, or suicidal thoughts. Treatment for these conditions can help with recovery after trauma. Research shows that support from family and friends also can be an important part of recovery.
For tips to help prepare and guide you on how to talk to your health care provider about your mental health and get the most out of your visit, read NIMHs fact sheet, Taking Control of Your Mental Health: Tips for Talking With Your Health Care Provider.
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Can Psilocybin Help Treat Ptsd
While therapy, antidepressants, and antipsychotics help many patients, these methods often fall short. Studies have suggested that antidepressants do not work well for people who have had multiple traumas over the course of years or chronic PTSD. A new study found that the antipsychotic risperidone worked no better than a placebo in alleviating typical PTSD symptoms in patients who had the disorder long-term or who continued to experience symptoms after being treated with antidepressants.
Because these drugs can also cause intolerable side effects, many patients are left to experience PTSD with no sign of relief. Many of these patients turn to substance abuse, develop anger management issues, or commit suicide. A study analyzing data from the National Comorbidity Survey showed that out of six anxiety diagnoses, PTSD was significantly associated with suicide attempts.
Stephen Ross, MD, a psychiatrist at NYU Langone, conducted a study on terminally ill cancer patients , and found that one-time treatment with psilocybin very quickly brought relief from distress that had lasted more than 6 months in 80 percent of study subjects.
Depression Ptsd & Other Mental Health Conditions In The Workplace: Your Legal Rights
This technical assistance document was issued upon approval of the Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The contents of this document do not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to bind the public in any way. This document is intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies.
If you have depression, post-traumatic stress disorder , or another mental health condition, you are protected against discrimination and harassment at work because of your condition, you have workplace privacy rights, and you may have a legal right to get reasonable accommodations that can help you perform and keep your job. The following questions and answers briefly explain these rights, which are provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act . You may also have additional rights under other laws not discussed here, such as the Family and Medical Leave Act and various medical insurance laws.
1. Is my employer allowed to fire me because I have a mental health condition?
No. It is illegal for an employer to discriminate against you simply because you have a mental health condition. This includes firing you, rejecting you for a job or promotion, or forcing you to take leave.
2. Am I allowed to keep my condition private?
In most situations, you can keep your condition private. An employer is only allowed to ask medical questions in four situations:
4. How can I get a reasonable accommodation?
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What Should I Know About Participating In Clinical Research
Clinical trials are research studies that look at new ways to prevent, detect, or treat diseases and conditions. Although individuals may benefit from being part of a clinical trial, participants should be aware that the primary purpose of a clinical trial is to gain new scientific knowledge so that others may be better helped in the future.
Researchers at NIMH and around the country conduct many studies with patients and healthy volunteers. Talk to your health care provider about clinical trials, their benefits and risks, and whether one is right for you. For more information, visit NIMH’s clinical trials webpage.