Five Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Online, June 20, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition triggered by a terrifying event or series of events. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event. If you have disturbing thoughts and feelings for more than a month, if they are severe, or if you feel you are having trouble getting your life back under control, talk to your healthcare professional. Getting treatment as soon as possible after symptoms develop may prevent long-term PTSD.

Here are five questions to ask your doctor:

1. What do you believe is causing my symptoms? Your doctor will initially probe your inherited mental health risks, such as increased risk of anxiety and depression; and your life experiences, including the amount and severity of trauma you have gone through since childhood.

2. Should I see a mental health specialist? If your doctor deems your symptoms severe enough, he or she will refer you to a qualified mental health practitioner for more rigorous evaluation that may include psychotherapy or medication.

3. How soon do you expect my symptoms to improve? It may be a challenge even for a mental health professional to determine whether your condition is temporary or chronic. Variables will include the nature and severity of the triggering event(s) and the amount you have been experiencing them prior to seeking treatment.

4. Do you recommend psychotherapy? Various types of psychotherapy may be used to treat PTSD. You may be urged to try more than one before finding the right fit. Types include cognitive therapy, a type of talk therapy that helps you recognize thinking patterns that are keeping you stuck; exposure therapy, which helps you safely face your fears; and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, which help you process traumatic memories.

5. What types of medications can help? Antipsychotics, antidepressants, and anti-anxiety medications can address various symptoms of PTSD. You and your doctor will need to work together to figure out the best treatment with the fewest side effects. New York-based Tonix Pharmaceuticals is reformulating an existing muscle relaxant called cyclobenzaprine into a low-dose sleep aid to be taken in under-the-tongue tablet form at bedtime, and is betting that it will offer the key to better treatment for PTSD. Tonix will be testing its drug through 2013.

For more information, please visit www.tonixpharma.com.