Ketamine for PTSD Treatment
Research into Ketamine infusions for treating PTSD is still ongoing, but it is generally believed that Ketamine helps foster connections between synapses and helps to restore damaged connections between nerves, essentially rewiring the brain. Because of this, Ketamine infusions are helpful for not only depression and PTSD, but also Neuropathic disorders.
One of the major benefits of Ketamine Infusions for PTSD treatment is its ability to sometimes bring relief to PTSD symptoms within minutes or hours, rather than the weeks or months a typical medication may take.
What Causes PTSD?
PTSD is triggered by a terrifying or life-threatening event, although some people may experience a life-threatening event and not develop PTSD. You have intrusive and recurrent memories of the event, or avoid thinking about or visiting places that remind you of the event. You may feel hopelessness about the future and find difficulty maintaining relationships with loved ones. You also experience a lack of interest in hobbies or activities you used to enjoy.
How To Know if You Have PTSD
If you find yourself unable to live the life you want to live, you should know there is no shame in seeking medical help. Somewhere around 7% of American adults have suffered through PTSD before, and up to 8 million American adults have it each year.
When seeking treatment from a doctor or healthcare professional, they will likely put you through a few diagnosis tests to confirm that PTSD is what is affecting you. These tests may include.
- Physical Exam: This will check to see if there are any underlying medical problems causing your PTSD symptoms
- Psychological Evaluation: Your healthcare professional will usually discuss your symptoms and any traumatic events you went through.
- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: (DSM-5) Published by the American Psychiatric Association, this includes a set of criteria generally seen in PTSD patients.
To be diagnosed with PTSD, you must have experienced or witnessed an event that threatened serious injury or death. You could have seen the event firsthand, you could have been the one in danger, or you could even develop PTSD from hearing about details of a traumatic event.
If you continue to experience significant problems in your ability to function in normal life for more than a month after the initial event, you may have PTSD and should consider treatment.