Complementary and alternative therapies for treating PTSD include acupuncture, moxibustion, Chinese herbal medicines, meditation, yoga, deep breathing exercises, mind-body therapy, and tai chi. These interventions can be used alone or in combination. Antidepressants such as paroxetine, mirtazapine, amitriptyline, or phenelzine are sometimes used to treat PTSD in adults. Of these medications, paroxetine is the only one specifically authorized for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder.
However, mirtazapine, amitriptyline, and phenelzine have also been shown to be effective and are often recommended as well. If medication for PTSD is effective, it will usually be continued for a minimum of 12 months before gradually phasing it out over the course of four weeks or more. Before prescribing a medication, your doctor should tell you about possible side effects you may have from taking it, along with any possible withdrawal symptoms when the medication is withdrawn. All too often, however, medications such as Abilify, Zyprexa and Seroquel are prescribed instead of teaching people the skills needed to cope with such distressing physical reactions.
Of course, medications only attenuate sensations and do nothing to resolve them or transform them from toxic agents into allies. Herbal remedies, such as kava and St. John's Wort. St.
John's Wort may be useful in treating symptoms that often accompany PTSD, such as depressive and anxiety symptoms. In some cases, life-threatening drug interactions have been reported with the use of St. John's Wort, 27 Patients should therefore be advised not to use herbal treatments in combination with alcohol or other medications. Research indicates that PTSD affects people of all ages in the United States; in fact, up to 8% of the U.S.
UU. People experience PTSD at some point in their lives, according to the U.S. Approximately 10% of women develop PTSD during their lifetime and 4% of men suffer from PTSD. Adults face PTSD in any given year.
Massage therapy involves manually manipulating the body's soft tissues to reduce stress and promote overall health and well-being. In a study on integrative therapies used to promote reintegration among veterans, researchers found that participants who received massage therapy significantly reduced physical pain, tension, anxiety, and depression. Other research shows that massage therapy can help people deal with dissociation (when a person feels “disconnected from themselves”), which is one of the symptoms related to PTSD. Acupuncture involves the insertion of fine, tiny needles at different points on the body.
Acupuncture needles help balance the flow of energy in the body to stimulate nerves, muscles, and connective tissue. In a study involving 60 veterans, researchers found that acupuncture helped participants improve their sleep, even among participants previously diagnosed with PTSD. Reiki, sometimes referred to as “energy healing”, is an alternative therapy designed to stimulate energy fields throughout the body. During a Reiki treatment session, the practitioner places their hands on the patient's body with different hand shapes to help reduce stress and improve well-being.
In one study, researchers used a checklist to assess the symptoms of patients with PTSD after reiki treatments. They found that patients with PTSD who received Reiki treatments reported a decrease in their PTSD symptoms. The results of these studies were clinically and statistically significant, highlighting the overall effectiveness of Reiki in treating PTSD. Meditation is a series of techniques that promote mindfulness, the ability to focus on the here and now.
It involves deep breathing and other techniques designed to increase focus, clarity, and positivity. A study of patients with PTSD indicated that participants who practiced meditation experienced a reduction in PTSD symptoms and improved their symptoms of depression. Many patients with post-traumatic stress disorder find that talking therapies, such as counseling, can help them understand their PTSD and the symptoms they're experiencing. The study measured whether music therapy had an effect on symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The National Center for PTSD explains that the most effective treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder include medications or different types of therapy. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) refers to a mental health condition that affects people after an accident, physical abuse, sexual assault, or any other traumatic event. .
