PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects people of all ages and is more common than you may realize, as it develops in 7 out of 10 adults. At Just Breathe Wellness and Healing Center in Kennesaw, Georgia, Sabelle Mbye, PMHNP, and Diana Manjarres, PMHNP, have helped children, teens, and adults overcome the intense effects of a traumatic event. They offer comprehensive care personalized to meet each person’s mental, emotional, and behavioral needs. Call Just Breathe Wellness and Healing Center today or use online booking to connect with the caring team and recover from PTSD.

What causes PTSD?

PTSD begins after experiencing or witnessing a frightening or life-threatening event. The intense emotions overwhelm your brain, making it hard to understand and deal with what happened.

Instead of resolving the experience and overcoming the emotions, you stay on high alert, which leads to PTSD.

The traumatic events that often cause PTSD include:

• Combat duty
• Physical assault or abuse
• Emotional abuse
• Sexual violence
• Gun violence
• Robberies or home invasions
• Accidents (car, plane, boat, etc.)
• Death of a loved one
• Natural disasters (hurricanes, tornados, etc.)

A single traumatic event often causes PTSD. However, you can also develop the condition after enduring months or years of emotional or physical abuse.

What symptoms does PTSD cause?

Everyone feels upset and anxious after experiencing trauma, but their symptoms often improve in a few weeks. Your provider may diagnose PTSD if your symptoms last longer than a month after the event.

PTSD causes the following symptoms:

• Anxiety
• Depression (sadness, hopelessness, negative thoughts)
• Flashbacks or nightmares
• Isolation from family and friends
• Irritability and anger
• Easily startled or frightened
• Uncharacteristic aggression
• Difficulty sleeping
• Memory loss
• Guilt or shame
• Avoidance

You have avoidance if you go out of your way to avoid any person, place, or event that reminds you of the trauma. 

Why does PTSD cause sudden emotional flare-ups?

Since your brain tucks your traumatic experience into your subconscious, you don’t remember all the details surrounding the event, like sights, sounds, and smells.

As you go about your daily life, you suddenly encounter one of the details, which triggers your memory. Then, you’re flooded with intense emotions. In addition to feeling fear, anxiety, and anger, you may become aggressive or behave in ways that are not characteristic of you.

How is PTSD treated?

Your Just Breathe Wellness and Healing Center provider treats PTSD with medication management, therapy, or a combination of both.

Your provider may prescribe medicines that relieve symptoms like depression and anger. They’re also skilled in several therapies that effectively relieve PTSD, helping you overcome anxiety and deal with negative thoughts, emotions, and memories.

The Just Breathe Wellness and Healing Center team also supports your holistic well-being with exercise and nutrition recommendations, tips for improving sleep, and stress management. 

You can overcome trauma even if you feel overwhelmed or stuck in time. Call Just Breathe Wellness and Healing Center or book online today.