PTSD

If you’ve experienced or witnessed trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a real risk. At Open Door Wellness Center in Great Falls, Montana, the team of providers have the skills and experience needed to assist you with PTSD, helping you find enhanced stability and peace. Book your visit today online or over the phone to get started. 

What is PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that develops after a person witnesses or is involved in a traumatic event. Many people associate PTSD with combat veterans who return home and struggle with the aftermath of their experiences during war. 

While this is certainly an example of how PTSD can develop, you might experience or witness trauma in many other ways. Some of the circumstances that can bring about PTSD include:

• Domestic violence
• Natural disasters like hurricanes or tornadoes
• Acts of terrorism
• Rape
• Robbery
• Assault
• Car accidents

Sometimes, even the threat of an act of violence is enough to cause PTSD. 

What are some signs I might be experiencing PTSD?

Knowing what to look for can help you determine when it’s time to seek help with PTSD. Some of the indications you might be suffering from this condition include:

• Reckless or self-destructive behavior
• Attempts to avoid thinking about a traumatic event
• Flashbacks
• Upsetting dreams about a traumatic event
• Difficulty remembering certain aspects of a traumatic event
• Discomfort talking about the traumatic event
• Avoiding circumstances that remind you of a traumatic event

It’s common for people to go through many of these symptoms in the timeframe immediately following a traumatic event. You need time to process what happened and come to terms with the experience. But when these symptoms persist for months or begin to interfere with your daily routines, it’s time to seek help. 

Are there treatments that can help with PTSD?

Psychotherapy offers numerous paths to finding relief from the symptoms of PTSD. Working with a skilled therapist is a great way to better understand how a traumatic experience affects you and how you can take control of your reactions to that experience. 

There are a number of approaches that can help, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This option helps you learn to identify harmful thoughts like guilt, shame, and fear, and then confront those negative thought patterns. Over time, CBT helps you shift to more beneficial and healthy thoughts surrounding a traumatic event. 

Prolonged exposure therapy is also a common treatment approach for PTSD. This option relies on highly detailed imagining of the traumatic event or exposure to triggers to help you learn how to cope with the fear and distress those triggers bring on. Moving through this process in a safe, controlled environment with your therapist can be very beneficial.

When you’re ready to learn more, call or schedule a visit online at Open Door Wellness Center.