Of the millions of adults diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), symptoms are mild for 30%, moderate for 33%, and severe for 37%.
Why is symptom severity important? Because it’s often easier to recognize you need help when extreme symptoms affect your life.
You might think it’s easier to put off treatment when you have mild-to-moderate PTSD symptoms or your PTSD episodes are infrequent. The problem is that you can’t live your best life while PTSD uncertainty exists, and without treatment, you’re giving symptoms time to worsen.
The sooner you find treatment that works, the sooner you can return to a vibrant life. Our Palo Alto Mind Body team is here to help with innovative treatments, therapeutic support, and functional medicine that heals the mind and body.
These are the top three signs you will benefit from PTSD treatment:
Most people experience anxiety and distress after a traumatic event. You may feel like you’re numb, in shock, anxious, angry, or sad. Many people have flashbacks and find it difficult to sleep.
After experiencing (or witnessing) trauma, these symptoms may improve within a few weeks. If your symptoms last a month or longer, it’s a sign you may have PTSD.
PTSD symptoms can last for months or years, and they can stay the same or worsen. In some cases, they may seem to improve, only to reappear down the road. There’s no way to know how significantly PTSD will impact your life, but there’s no reason to wait to find out.
If your symptoms don’t improve in a month, we can develop a customized treatment plan to help you cope with and overcome PTSD before it gets worse.
Whether it happens every day or occasionally, if PTSD interferes with your quality of life, it’s a red flag that you should seek help.
How PTSD affects your life can vary. Depending on the symptoms you experience, you may:
Getting personalized treatment can help you overcome these challenges.
You may enjoy days when you feel fine and believe the trauma is behind you. Then, a PTSD flashback can appear out of the blue. These sudden attacks happen because your brain can’t fully process the trauma, so it tucks memories into your subconscious.
These memories are attached to details surrounding the trauma, such as sights, sounds, and smells. As you go about your daily life, you may encounter one of those details, triggering a flashback.
Suddenly remembering the traumatic event can lead to intense and unwanted feelings and behaviors.. You may experience extreme anxiety, anger, or panic. Some people may become uncharacteristically aggressive.
You could have physical symptoms like shortness of breath, dizziness, or feeling like your heart is racing.. Experiencing sudden flashbacks is a sure sign it’s time to seek PTSD treatment.
You aren’t alone if you haven’t improved with therapy, medication, or a combination of both. Though research is ongoing, some estimates suggest that one-third of people with PTSD don’t respond to traditional treatment.
That’s why we offer cutting-edge options that go beyond typical treatment. Our approach is comprehensive, holistic, and innovative.
Our expertise is grounded in integrative psychiatry, embracing therapy, functional medicine, and includes options like ketamine infusions. A growing number of studies show that ketamine infusions can rapidly and significantly improve PTSD symptoms for many people. For those with co-occurring, FDA-approved Spravato may also be an option and is often covered by insurance.
Additionally, Palo Alto Mind Body is an approved Community Care provider for the Veterans Health Administration, so veterans with PTSD, anxiety, or depression can receive treatment with us at no cost. If you are a veteran struggling with any of these symptoms, ask your VA provider for a Community Care referral to Palo Alto Mind Body (NPI 1639729932).
Request an appointment online or call Palo Alto Mind Body today to get compassionate care for PTSD and learn more about your treatment options.
