A Psychiatrist Answers PTSD Treatment FAQs

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who treats mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, PTSD affects more than 8 million adults in the United States. People who witness or experience a traumatic event, such as a car accident, shooting, or military combat, are at risk of developing PTSD.

How does a psychiatrist diagnose PTSD?

PTSD causes a specific set of symptoms:

• Strong, overwhelming memories of the traumatic event, e.g., flashbacks and nightmares
• Avoidance of situations that serve as reminders of the traumatic event
• A constant state of hyperarousal, e.g., startling more easily than average
• Negative changes in feelings and beliefs

If you see a psychiatrist for symptoms such as these, you may undergo further psychological assessments to determine whether these manifestations are in line with the standards that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, describe for PTSD.

If your symptoms do meet the DSM-5 criteria, you may receive a diagnosis of PTSD. However, the medical professional also has to perform a physical examination to rule out illnesses that may cause similar indications, such as hypothyroidism. Because other psychological conditions can also cause symptoms similar to PTSD, your psychiatrist will probably perform a more in-depth psychological evaluation to rule out other mental health conditions.

What treatment options are available for PTSD?

PTSD is a condition that can severely impair your ability to function in the world. While it is not curable per se, a number of treatments may be effective at helping you manage the symptoms so they no longer control you.

Medications

A psychiatrist may recommend antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications to help you manage the symptoms of PTSD. Antidepressants help to elevate your mood while anti-anxiety medications help to keep you calm even in stressful situations.

Trauma-focused psychotherapy

Trauma-focused psychotherapy involves talking with a psychiatrist in a safe environment about the traumatic event and its meaning to you. Trauma-focused therapy is a broad term that includes several specific techniques. For example, prolonged exposure therapy involves talking about the trauma at length until the memories no longer upset you. Cognitive processing therapy involves examining how the trauma changed your feelings and thought patterns, and it also teaches you skills to change these feelings and adjust the thought patterns.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

Research suggests that guided eye movements can help people reprocess traumatic memories in a way that helps them to modify their response to them. These guided eye movements are combined with exposure to stimuli that mimic the traumatic experience in the hopes of desensitizing you so that the stimuli no longer trigger such a strong reaction from you.