PTSD

About half of people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) don’t improve with traditional treatment. At Rise TMS, board-certified psychiatrist Priya Parmar, MD, and her team specialize in helping people who struggle with poor treatment outcomes. Dr. Parmar and the team provide therapeutic ketamine and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), treatments that retrain thought processes so you can put your past behind you. Call the Westlake Village, California, office today or book your appointment through online scheduling. 

What is PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a trauma- and stressor-related disorder that starts after a traumatic event. Doctors diagnosed the first cases of PTSD in military veterans during the World Wars. Trench warfare in World War I left lasting effects on many men, leading to symptoms that disrupted their lives for years afterward.

But military combat is just one of many events that can lead to PTSD. Natural disasters, kidnapping, physical violence, sexual assault, terrorist attacks, and even car accidents are among the events that can lead to PTSD. The affliction can strike those involved in the incident and those who simply witnessed them.

What are the symptoms of PTSD?

PTSD symptoms typically start within three months of the traumatic event but can appear years later. The four categories of symptoms are:

Intrusive thoughts

Intrusive thoughts include distressing memories, photo-realistic flashbacks, and nightmares. These intrusive thoughts often feel like living through the event (re-experiencing) all over again.

Avoidance

Avoidance means taking extreme steps to avoid intrusive thoughts. For example, you might avoid people, places, objects, or anything else that could trigger intrusive thoughts. Avoidance is an attempt to manage PTSD yourself. But unfortunately, avoidance takes a significant toll and can be just as disruptive as intrusive thoughts.

Negative feelings and thoughts

Anger, guilt, shame, suspicion of others, and detachment are all common thoughts and feelings experienced by people with PTSD. You could find it hard to be around others or maintain relationships due to these thoughts and feelings.

Heightened arousal

Heightened arousal symptoms include being easily startled and continually fearing disasters. Other symptoms include having angry outbursts, poor concentration, difficulty sleeping, and other problems that affect your ability to live normally.

People with PTSD have one or more intrusive thought and avoidance symptoms, two or more arousal symptoms, and at least two negative thoughts and feelings symptoms.

How is PTSD treated?

The Rise TMS team understands how challenging it can be to find PTSD treatment that works. If you’ve tried conventional treatments without success, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) or ketamine could be right for you.

TMS uses painless magnetic pulses to stimulate and essentially reset negative thought patterns and behaviors.

Ketamine, administered using intravenous (IV) infusions, causes a rapid cognitive shift by repairing broken thought pathways. It’s helpful for people with PTSD who struggle with depression or suicidal ideation.

Call Rise TMS today or book your appointment online to schedule treatment in a comfortable therapeutic setting.

*Ketamine and TMS are not yet FDA-approved for the treatment of PTSD. Results may vary.