Treatment of C-PTSD Antidepressants are often used to treat complex PTSD, including Prozac (fluoxetine), Paxil (paroxetine), and Zoloft (sertraline).
There are four medications currently recommended as first-choice options to treat PTSD. Zoloft (sertraline) and Paxil (paroxetine) are FDA approved to treat PTSD. But Prozac (fluoxetine) and Effexor XR (venlafaxine) are also good first-choice options, even though they're not officially approved for PTSD.
The medications conditionally recommended for the treatment of PTSD are sertraline, paroxetine, fluoxetine and venlafaxine.
Research shows that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) can be effective for treating symptoms of CPTSD and traditional PTSD.
You may find standard treatments for PTSD helpful, but many people with complex PTSD need more long-term, intensive support to recover. As part of your treatment you should also be offered support for other problems you experience, such as depression, drug and alcohol use or dissociation.
As people age, their PTSD symptoms may suddenly appear or become worse, causing them to act differently. It may be unsettling to see these changes in a loved one, but it's nothing to fear. Changes are common and treatment can help.
The most common medications used for treating the depression and anxiety associated with PTSD belong to a class of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. These medications work by raising levels of the brain chemical serotonin, which regulates mood, appetite, and sleep.
Treating complex PTSD
If you have complex PTSD, you may be offered therapies used to treat PTSD, such as trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR). You'll also be offered treatment for other problems you may have, such as depression or alcohol addiction.
When your brain is wired for fear and distrust, it's difficult to be comfortable with anyone. Living with complex PTSD can trigger intense emotional flashbacks, making it difficult to control emotions, leading to severe depression, suicidal thoughts, or difficulty managing anger.
Complex post-traumatic stress disorder is entirely treatable with the right combination of compassion, patience, and trust. Someone can work to disempower the trauma that cripples them and practice positive coping skills in the context of well-rounded support and guidance.
It is generally related to a single traumatic event. Complex PTSD, on the other hand, is related to a series of traumatic events over time or one prolonged event. The symptoms of complex PTSD can be similar but more enduring and extreme than those of PTSD.
Living with PTSD brings intense emotional pain. Complex PTSD comes from many incidences of interpersonal trauma. This results in often unbearable hurt as you consider all of the people in your life who have let you down or abused you. Sometimes, it can feel as if it's a gaping wound in your soul that will never heal.
The main treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are talking therapies and medicine. Traumatic events can be very difficult to come to terms with, but confronting your feelings and getting professional help is often the only way of effectively treating PTSD.
Many of the symptoms unique to C-PTSD as compared to PTSD are similar to those of bipolar disorder. As one example, during manic episodes you may feel edgy, tense, keyed up, and even angry or irritable. C-PTSD causes similar feelings and reactions.
According to recent studies, Emotional Trauma and PTSD do cause both brain and physical damage. Neuropathologists have seen overlapping effects of physical and emotional trauma upon the brain.
With support, the use of self-care techniques, and treatment such as psychotherapy if needed, an individual with CPTSD can maintain healthy relationships.
Complex PTSD can make it difficult to trust others. Some people stay in unhealthy relationships because the situation is familiar. If their trauma involved abuse, their feelings about their abuser may be complicated. Or they may obsess about their abuser or focus on revenge.
A large genome-wide association study (GWAS) has identified a collection of genes associated with PTSD, and these genes overlap with those identified as increasing the risk of developing schizophrenia.
Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (or C-PTSD) is a serious medical condition, which can be categorised as a lifelong illness. In some cases, employees diagnosed with C-PTSD silently suffer during their daily work-life.