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Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder or PTSD
I
have been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Can
Alpha-Stim® treatment help me and my symptoms? 
Yes it can. Alpha-Stim® is indicated for
and effectively treats depression,
anxiety, insomnia, and pain. All of these are
common symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). If you
would like more information please call us at 1-888-END-ANXIETY
(363-2694) . You can also read an account of one man's use of the
Alpha-Stim® in the
Military Veterans PTSD Reference Manual or visit
our
patient testimonials.
For more
information on PTSD, read below.
"I
was raped when I was 25 yrs old. For a long while, I spoke about the rape
as though it was an event that happened to someone else. I was definitely aware
that it had happened to me, but there was just no feeling."
"Then I started having flashbacks. They kind of came over me like a splash
of water. I would be terrified. Suddenly I was reliving the rape. Every
instant was startling. I wasn't aware of anything around me, I was in a
bubble, just kind of floating. And it was scary. Having a flashback can
wring you out."
"The rape happened the week before Thanksgiving dinner, and I can't believe the
anxiety and fear I feel every year around the anniversary date. It's as
though I've seen a werewolf. I can't relax, can't sleep, don't want to be
with anyone. I wonder whether I'll ever be free of this terrible problem."
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops after a terrifying ordeal
that involved physical harm or the threat of physical harm. The person who
develops PTSD may have been the one who was harmed, the harm may have
happened to a loved one, or the person may have witnessed a harmful event
that happened to loved ones or strangers.
Post-traumatic stress disorder was first brought to public attention in relation to war veterans,
but it can result from a variety of traumatic incidents, such as mugging,
rape, torture, being kidnapped or held captive, child abuse, car
accidents, train wrecks, plane crashes, bombings, or natural disasters
such as floods, hurricanes, or earthquakes.
Patients with post-traumatic stress disorder can startle easily (hyper vigilant), become emotionally numb (especially
in relation those with whom they used to be close), lose interest in most
things they used to enjoy, have trouble feeling affectionate, be
irritable, become more aggressive, or even become violent towards others. They avoid
situations that remind them of the original incident, and anniversaries of
the incident are often very difficult. PTSD symptoms seem to be worse if
the event that triggered them was deliberately initiated by another
person, as in a mugging or a kidnapping. Most people with PTSD repeatedly
relive the trauma in their thoughts during the day and in nightmares when
they sleep. These thoughts or nightmares are called flashbacks. Flashbacks may consist of images,
sounds, smells, or feelings, and are often triggered by ordinary
occurrences, such as a door slamming or a car backfiring on the street. A
person having a flashback may lose touch with reality and believe that the
traumatic incident is happening all over again.
Not every traumatized person develops fully formed or even minor PTSD.
Symptoms usually begin within 3 months of the incident but can
emerge many years afterward. They must last more than a month to be considered PTSD. The course of the illness varies. Some people recover within 6
months, while others have symptoms that last much longer. In some people,
the condition becomes chronic.
PTSD affects about 7.7 million American adults,1but it can occur at any
age, including childhood.1 Women are more likely to
develop PTSD than men,2 and there is some evidence that
susceptibility to the disorder may run in families.3 PTSD
is often accompanied by depression, substance abuse, or one or more of the
other anxiety disorders.4
While certain kinds of medication and certain kinds of psychotherapy can
sometimes treat the symptoms of PTSD effectively, Alpha-Stim® is also a
good treatment option. While not specifically indicated for PTSD, it
is indicated for anxiety, depression, insomnia, and pain, All of
which are common symptoms of PTSD. For more information about
Alpha-Stim® call us at 1-888-END-ANXIETY (363-2694).
Also, feel free to read about Alpha-Stim® use in the
Military Veterans PTSD Reference Manual.
References
1. Davidson JR. Trauma: the impact of post-traumatic stress
disorder. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2000; 14(2 Suppl 1): S5-S12.
2. Margolin G, Gordis EB. The effects of family and community
violence on children. Annual Review of Psychology, 2000; 51: 445-79.
3. Yehuda R. Biological factors associated with susceptibility to
posttraumatic stress disorder. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 1999;
44(1): 34-9.
4. Regier DA, Rae DS, Narrow WE, et al. Prevalence of anxiety
disorders and their comorbidity with mood and addictive disorders. British
Journal of Psychiatry Supplement, 1998; (34): 24-8.
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