June has been National PTSD Awareness Month. And June is nearly over. But PTSD awareness shouldn’t end with June. If you have PTSD, it can go on day after day…after day.
Something terrible happened. Over time, it seemed you slowly got past it. You hardly thought about it anymore. Then, in a split second, you’re there again. Something happens that triggers the memory, and you’re fighting all of the sickening feelings that just well up inside. You’re determined to break free and run. Turns out a friend is hugging you…. And you come back to yourself and feel embarrassed about your “over-reaction.” Some wounds appear invisible. But they run deep, and wide. And when they do, PTSD can be crippling, and it can take you captive in a moment.
National PTSD Awareness Month gives us an opportunity to realize that PTSD exists — more often than you imagine, and in people you’d never suspect… that it’s sometimes surprising in the way it’s triggered… and (so importantly!) that those who suffer from it have experienced severe trauma. While it’s true that two people can suffer the same kind of car crash or the same horrible domestic violence, and only one of the two develops PTSD, that doesn’t mean one is weaker than the other. The impact of PTSD has NOTHING to do with how tough someone is. There are a lot of factors that come together to predispose you to PTSD. Genetics can play a big role. And one huge new mind-blowingly transformative treatment — IV ketamine — can be exceedingly effective.
It’s important for you and for the people you know and love to learn the signs and symptoms of PTSD — for your own health and wellbeing, and to help others who suffer from it. Because since some wounds are invisible, so also the symptoms are sometimes only visible to those closest to the person suffering from them.
You may have symptoms of depression, anger, rage, irritability, suddenly becoming startled… or feeling numb and disconnected. There may be flashbacks or nightmares, or you may just find yourself reliving the terrible experience over and over. You also may have increasingly aroused emotions and mental thoughts, which can make it tough to sleep.
Ok, but there’s more to think about and watch for. Like the types of PTSD. Because all PTSD cases aren’t alike.
PTSD doesn’t accumulate traumas like depression can accumulate “reasons to be depressed.”
Comorbid PTSD – symptoms of trauma combined with symptoms of other disorders.
It’s not at all uncommon for people with comorbid PTSD to also have substance use issues. Because most people who suffer from PTSD typically suffer with more than one disorder, comorbid PTSD is probably the most common form of PTSD. Some disorders that often occur with PTSD are panic disorder and depression.
Normal Stress Response – This occurs during and following an experience that’s traumatic and stressful but before PTSD begins.
Not all people who experience a normal stress response advance to PTSD.
Acute Stress Response – Typically, someone experiences an acute stress response after a huge stress, like being frightened by a perceived predator, a near miss auto accident
…or even a frightening accident where all parties survived. But if acute stress symptoms keep coming back for a month or more, they may be transitioning to PTSD. Symptoms of acute stress response may include headache, sweating, chest pains, palpitations, nausea, and stomach pain. Acute Stress Disorder can be treated using support groups or therapy …and medication. IV ketamine treatment has shown great promise in treatment.
Complex PTSD – This describes a condition associated with more than one traumatic event.
A cluster of events, each driving its own response. And the responses can interfere with each other, drive each other, and complicate each other. Because some wounds are invisible… but still present and exhibiting deep trauma, which causes more of its own.
So… how can you know if you have PTSD? Maybe you feel anxious in the moment, or sudden sounds cause you to jump. Is that PTSD?
When most people go through a shocking or traumatic experience, they feel shaken, and off balance for awhile, but in time and with the kind of self care that helps them feeling their own pain and loss, they usually move on. Certainly they keep a memory that never leaves, but they don’t experience the torment and flashbacks of PTSD.
However, some people are deeply injured by a terrible experience, and may not improve without intensive treatment. As we’ve said before, while we don’t understand all the intricacies to explain why one person suffers so much more extensively than another, we do know there is a genetic link to this process.
If it happened to someone you love, or even to you, would you recognize the symptoms and know what to say in support? If you’re not informed and prepared in advance, you may be tempted to be irritable, dismissive, or annoyed.
First, of course, there has to have been a traumatic event. Something has happened that terrified you, you felt threatened to the point of death, and what you saw in the process was shattering.
Symptoms may emerge within a month…or they may not erupt for years. But once they emerge, they can cause severe problems socially, at work, and in relationships. Because PTSD symptoms show. Whether it’s a sudden panic attack in front of others, and you’re far too disrupted to explain, or in some other way, they make it close to impossible to go about your daily routine. Basic tasks can be impossible.
These symptoms fall into roughly 4 groups:
Intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in thinking …or mood, and changes in your physical and/or emotional reactions.
The symptoms you suffer may vary in intensity. With time, they may seem to disappear, then out of the blue you may be confronted with a moment that mimics that first trauma, and suddenly you’re in it. You’re terrified. You’re fighting for your life. Except that nothing dangerous or life threatening is happening. It just “feels” like it’s the same.
You can see how these moments could be upsetting to friends or co-workers. And eventually embarrassing for you.
You may wonder if you need to see a doctor. If these disturbing moments have been happening for more than a month since the original incident, then it is wise to see a psychiatrist. He or she can be very useful in directing your treatment, or referring you to additional treatment. Your psychiatrist is a specialist. Some wounds are invisible but he or she knows how to find them and treat them, to help you find your way back to a rewarding life.
If you should have suicidal thoughts, call a friend, family member, or a neighbor to spend time with you. Call your doctor to reveal the severity of your symptoms. In a crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800) 237-TALK or text CONNECT to 741741, or call 911. Remember this has nothing to do with your mental strength or courage. The fact that you reach out for help is a great step of bravery for you to protect your well-being.
And if the thoughts are persistent, know that IV ketamine treatment can be dramatically fast working and can stop those thoughts in an afternoon. That reprieve will give you time to seek out more treatments.
At Innovative Psychiatry, we have seen IV ketamine treatment provide a wonderful lifting of symptoms and relief from PTSD to many patients. It’s nothing short of remarkable to see what this treatment can do for someone caught in the throes of trauma. Many patients find talk therapy and other forms distinctly more liberating after ketamine infusions. We like to work with your healthcare team to learn how we can help the process of restoration in your life.
IV ketamine treatment ferrets out the painful memories and thoughts and can dramatically relieve them. Just because some wounds are invisible doesn’t mean they can’t be healed.
Since we know that new strains of COVID are still emerging (and because frankly, we’re a health care office!) we wear masks, and have installed of the top plasma cell air disinfection at a level designed by NASA to remove viruses, bacteria, molds, and pollen from the air in our offices. So you can feel safe when you’re here, and you can focus on receiving treatment and getting better.
You’ll have a zero-gravity, soft leather recliner to make your experience feel well supported and secure, and heat at the touch of a button. We want you to get better, and want to help that happen any way we can.
To the restoration of your best self,
Lori Calabrese, M.D.
