Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a well-known problem that affects 30% of veterans, but many people don’t realize it also occurs in 4-10% of all adults. Sandhya Prashad, MD, at Houston Deep TMS Therapy, is a specialist in anxiety, stress, and depression, and has helped many PTSD patients find relief from their troubling symptoms using conventional treatments and innovative therapies, such as ketamine infusion and transcranial magnetic stimulation. To schedule an appointment, call the office in Bellaire, Texas, or book an appointment online.
PTSD occurs after a traumatic or life-threatening event. You don’t have to directly experience the event. You can develop PTSD when you witness the trauma or learn that a friend or a family member suffered the event.
Many types of trauma can give rise to PTSD. Some of the most common include:
You may start to experience symptoms shortly after the event, but in some cases, symptoms won’t appear for months or years later.
PTSD causes symptoms that are severe enough to affect your daily life. They might stop you from going to social activities or prevent you from going to work, doing your shopping, or fulfilling other responsibilities.
The symptoms caused by PTSD include:
You may have nightmares, flashbacks, or persistent memories that make you re-experience the event. This may trigger strong emotions, distress, and physical symptoms, such as shortness of breath.
Your emotions or behaviors are different from the way you were before developing PTSD. For example, you may be more irritable or aggressive, have insomnia, or have problems concentrating.
This means you avoid the person or place that reminds you of the traumatic event. You may also try to find ways to avoid thoughts and feelings about the event.
These symptoms appear in the form of negative beliefs and expectations, or a tendency to blame yourself for causing the trauma. You may also have persistent, negative emotions such as fear, horror, guilt, and anger, or become isolated and lose interest in your favorite activities.
Conventional treatment for PTSD includes medication combined with talk therapy. Dr. Prashad may prescribe antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, or other medications that target specific symptoms, such as insomnia.
As a leader in her field, Dr. Prashad also specializes in two innovative therapies proven to treat PTSD:
During dTMS, a specially designed helmet sends magnetic impulses into regions of the brain that regulate mental health disorders such as PTSD. The impulses safely stimulate electrical activity, which restores normal brain activity and improves your symptoms.
Ketamine is an anesthetic with a long and safe history of use during surgery. However, it has another mechanism of action. When it’s administered in low doses through an intravenous infusion, ketamine balances brain chemicals, which alleviates PTSD symptoms.
If you suffer from PTSD, call Houston Deep TMS Therapy or book an appointment online.
