Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital issued the following announcement on June 26.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) doesn’t necessarily look how it does on TV, and it affects a lot more than just military personnel and veterans. But if a person is struggling with the symptoms of PTSD, what can they do about it?
An AMITA Health behavioral health expert can help you learn to process your difficult emotions surrounding a traumatic experience, and can give you the skills and tools you need to deal with challenges that trigger that experience in the future. For these reasons and more, therapy may be the first and most important step you take to healing from psychological trauma.
Technology
Technological advancements have made some PTSD treatments more effective than ever before. AMITA Health’s Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy (ERP) can help a patient confront their symptoms head-on. In fact, a state-of-the-art Virtual Reality simulator at AMITA Health Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital Hoffman Estates is specifically designed to help combat veterans process their trauma and move on to the next chapter in their lives.
Medication
The brain of a person with PTSD processes threats differently than a person without such a disorder. As a result, prescription medication can help rewire the brain to regulate those mental processes in a healthier, more manageable way. Patients should work with a psychiatrist to discover what medications are available and may best help.
Learning to Cope on Your Own
If you suffer from PTSD, you aren’t alone. But there will probably be moments when it feels that way. Try some of these techniques to reach out for help or to regulate your own symptoms:
Research the effects of trauma and PTSD. Understanding your disorder can help to put it in perspective.
Find a PTSD support group, especially one for people who have experienced a similar trauma. You can connect with people who know what you’re dealing with, and share skills and tips.
Practice relaxation techniques such as meditation or conscious breathing — and remember to practice them even when you’re not having a difficult reaction.
Stay active and outdoors; regular exercise can help release endorphins and regulate your body, and studies have shown that getting in touch with a natural setting can boost these effects even more.
Whether PTSD was caused by military service, a violent crime or another traumatic event, you deserve better than to carry it with you for the rest of your life. Doctors and therapists at the AMITA Health Behavioral Medicine Institute can offer a wide variety of treatments to help you move on to a life free of the burden of PTSD.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital
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