June is PTSD Awareness Month. Various people and organizations have been trying to increase awareness and understanding of the condition for years. In 1989, the US Department of Veterans’ Affairs established the National Center for PTSD to treat veterans. In 2010, the Senate established June 27 as PTSD Awareness Day. Three years later, the Senate made June PTSD Awareness Month.
What is PTSD?
PTSD, also known as post-traumatic stress disorder, is a mental health disorder that develops after somebody has experienced a traumatic or life-threatening event such as sexual assault, a natural disaster or military combat. The last is a particularly common cause, as the disorder is more prevalent in soldiers than in the general population. The US Department of Veterans’ Affairs estimates that depending on the war, about 11 to 30 percent of soldiers who have seen combat developed the condition. By contrast, PTSD occurs in about five and ten percent of civilian men and women respectively.
What are the Symptoms?
While most people develop PTSD within the first three months after a trauma, some people don’t develop the condition until years later. Symptoms of the condition can include the following:
• Intrusive and repeated memories of the event
• Flashbacks
• Nightmares
• Insomnia
• Hypervigilance or paranoia
• Feeling detached from other people
• Attempts to avoid thoughts or feelings that provoke memories or emotions associated with the trauma
• Depression
• Headache
• Feelings of guilt caused by the belief that the trauma was somehow the victim’s fault
• Hypersensitivity, including at least two of the following: anger, trouble sleeping, irritability, trouble concentrating, physical reactions like increased blood pressure or hyperventilating
Myths About PTSD
One thing that the organizers of PTSD Awareness Month hope to accomplish is lessening the stigma surrounding the condition and dispelling the myths.
Those myths include the belief that only soldiers and other military personnel develop PTSD. While the condition is more common in soldiers and was first described in them, civilians can develop it as well. For example, children who have suffered abuse or experienced a terrifying event can develop the disorder.
Conversely, not everybody who suffers a traumatic event will develop PTSD. Some people may feel distressed for a short time and then recover. Some people even develop post-traumatic growth; they live up to the saying, “What does not destroy me makes me stronger.” Such people find a new purpose in life after the tragedy.
PTSD is not a sign of weakness. Many of the risk factors that increase the chances of developing the condition are beyond a person’s control. A history of depression, for example, increases a person’s susceptibility. A traumatic situation accompanied by extreme helplessness increases the likelihood of the victim developing the condition as well. A person held hostage at gunpoint is more likely to develop the condition than somebody who successfully got themselves out of a burning building.
Some people believe that post-traumatic stress disorder is a minor problem and that patients are playing up their symptoms to get sympathy or duck responsibility. Neither of these beliefs is true. It is a real and serious disorder that can severely affect a person’s life. A patient with this condition is at greater risk of unemployment, divorce, depression and even suicide.
Another myth holds that there are no treatments. In reality, there are many treatments that can help the symptoms, including the tried and true techniques used at the Montana Psychiatry & Brain Health Center. With proper treatment, a patient can eventually learn to understand their condition and manage their symptoms. If you are suffering from PTSD, you are not alone. Contact our office in Billings today to schedule your first appointment and learn more about the treatments we offer.
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by Deb (age 64)
Category: generalThe hoops I jumped through in order to be evaluated were straightforward and efficient. I met with PA Kaitlin for about an hour to discuss my history and previous medications. Then Dr. Amato joined us to further discuss my history, the TMS treatment, and answer any questions. Myrna gathered all of the information and submitted it to my health insurance company to request coverage for TMS. Fortunately, insurance approved the treatment and I was able to begin the next week. I’m sure most people have anxiety about starting a treatment like TMS. No matter how many times it’s described to you, there are many unknowns. How will I feel during treatment? Is it painful? What if this doesn’t work? What if it works for a while but then stops? In all honesty, I was very uncomfortable during the first couple of weeks of treatment. The alternating two seconds of tapping sensation caused some pain during treatment, and at the end of the first week I thought about quitting. But I had sworn to myself that TMS was a last resort and I HAD TO complete the treatment and give it a chance to work. My technician, Heather, told me that some people don’t feel the tapping at all, they only hear it. Guess I wasn’t one of those people! But as the days went by, it became easier to tolerate the treatments. During this time I also saw Lauren weekly for CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy). This is highly recommended for people undergoing TMS treatment, and it was a positive complement to my total of 100 minutes each week “under the helmet”. The weekend between weeks three and four, I started to notice subtle improvements in my mood, increased belief in my self-worth, and enthusiasm for simple things like going for walks, meeting friends for lunch, and taking on volunteer work in the community. I hesitated at first to believe that TMS was helping me. I was afraid that I was convincing myself it was working because I so desperately wanted it to! But now that I am past the treatment I can say with cert
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by Barbie (age 68)
Category: generalI feel so blessed to participate in the TMS protocol at MT Psychiatry. After struggling so many years with depression and not getting significant results from medication, particularly of late, I noticed positive results in the first two weeks of treatment. TMS can literally give you back the beauty & joy in living as well as the courage to make positive life changes and improvements in your daily living situation. I heartily encourage anyone to put yourself into the hands of the amazing TMS team who so gently and graciously make this journey with you out of the black hole that is depression. It is my honor and privilege to give the TMS treatment the highest recommendation.
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by Shayne (age 66)
Category: generalI am grateful for the support and caring I have received from Dr. Amato (and Heidi, Heather and Myrna) in my quest for mental health and a fuller more productive life. While the TMS results have been subtle, I feel more positive about my future and I would recommend this team absolutely. Thank you!
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by Carrie (age 65)
Category: generalNot realizing how fuzzy my head was, I thought I was only going through severe anxiety and depression. Through the insight of Pat, I was able to go through TMS treatments which brought down the anxiety and depression immensely and has cleared up the fuzzy, far off substantially. All the personnel treated me with kindness and I’m sure their attitudes helped in my recovery.
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by Bridget (age 47)
Category: generalThe first outcome of TMS I noted happened early in my treatment, at about the beginning of week two. I felt as though my “brain fog” had been chipped away. I wish I could report that I feel my mental health issues are in “remission”, but I can’t do so yet. My hope is that I will see improvement in the weeks to come, now that my TMS cycle has ended. I can say that my brain feels – in some way – different; I can’t explain exactly how. I continue to struggle at this point in time but sill have hope for more improvement.
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