PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can affect people of all ages and backgrounds who have experienced something traumatic in life, like abuse or major injuries. Licensed and highly trained mental health professionals at Great Care Health Services provide individualized treatment for PTSD in Nashville and across Tennessee with in-person or telehealth appointments. Treatment can include individual therapy, group therapy, medications, or more intensive care. Request an appointment over the phone or online to explore PTSD treatment options. 

What causes post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?

PTSD is a mental health diagnosis that affects people who have witnessed or experienced a traumatic event or traumatizing life circumstances. Even just one traumatic event can impact the way you think and feel for years or decades.

Many people develop PTSD symptoms within three months of the initial trauma, but others don’t develop symptoms until months or years later. Examples of events or circumstances that might lead someone to develop PTSD include:

• Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse
• Natural disasters
• Car accidents
• Witnessing a death
• War or combat
• Medical illnesses

PTSD can make you feel like these events have just happened or are still happening, even long after they’ve ended. 

What are the signs of PTSD? 

PTSD symptoms can interfere with your ability to complete everyday tasks, and they often coincide with other mental health disorders like depression and anxiety. 

You should schedule an in-person or virtual psychiatric evaluation with Great Care Health Services if you experience common PTSD symptoms like:

• Flashbacks (vivid, intrusive memories of the traumatic event)
• Nightmares
• Severe emotional distress when encountering reminders of your trauma
• Trying not to think about your trauma
• Feelings of guilt or shame
• A loss of interest in activities you normally enjoy
• Detachment from loved ones
• Insomnia
• Trouble focusing
• Reckless or dangerous behaviors, like substance use
• Anger or irritability

PTSD doesn’t look the same for everyone. It’s important to get a diagnosis from a licensed mental health professional. 

How is PTSD treated? 

Great Care Health Services treats PTSD with individualized treatment plans that can meet your needs and align with your preferences. 

Some people with PTSD benefit from psychiatric medications like antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications. The team at Great Care Health Services closely monitors you while you take medications to adjust dosages and minimize side effects. 

Many people with PTSD benefit from some form of counseling or behavioral therapy. Great Care Health Services specializes in individual counseling, group therapy, and family therapy. 

If you experience substance use disorders alongside PTSD, you may also benefit from substance abuse disorder treatment. If your symptoms are particularly severe, you may be interested in an intensive outpatient program (IOP) with multiple weekly therapy sessions. 

For more information on treatment for PTSD, call or reach out online.