Treatment for PTSD aims to reduce symptoms by encouraging the affected person to recall the event, express feelings, and gain some mastery over the experience.

Recovery seems to be quicker when the survivor feels safe or can get a feeling that there is a possibility that they can be safe.

There are different treatments for PTSD, and the most common and most effective of these PTSD treatment options will be explained below.

Medications for PTSD—the most common conventional treatment for PTSD

Medications are one of the treatments for PTSD that help you stop thinking about and reacting to what happened, including having nightmares and flashbacks. They can also help you have a more positive outlook and feel “normal” again.

The one thing to consider with any medication is that side effects are often associated with their use, and dependency can also become an issue. Working closely with your doctor should help you find the proper medications and manage any side effects that you experience. Ideally, medication will help in the short term and provide a route to more sustainable and natural treatments.

When it comes to someone with PTSD, it is essential to validate their experience and show them that the effects of the suffering will be both mental and physical. Support is very important and allows someone to express their feelings.

Remember that a person with post-traumatic stress disorder can feel hopeless and alone. Decision-making and day-to-day functioning can be seriously affected. With guidance and a support system, a person can feel more comfortable again and overcome the trauma.

Therapy for PTSD: a popular natural treatment for PTSD

Psychotherapy is another natural treatment for PTSD that has been proven effective. Psychotherapy is one of the most effective ways to tackle PTSD. Some types of therapy used in PTSD treatment include:

Cognitive therapy. This type of talk therapy helps you identify thought patterns (cognitive patterns) that prevent you from having positive beliefs about yourself and the risk of traumatic events; for example, cognitive therapy is often used with exposure therapy.

Talking about self-destructive thoughts and what causes them can help you develop strategies to change these notions.

Exposure therapy. This behavior therapy will help you confidently deal with situations and memories that you find scary so that you can learn to deal with them effectively.

Exposure therapy can be beneficial for flashbacks and nightmares. This is a behavioral therapy technique to help you face up to the things that you find upsetting so you can learn to deal with them.

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).

This seems like an unusual approach, but combining exposure therapy with a program of guided eye movements can help sufferers deal with traumatic memories. This is because there is a strong connection between eye movement and memory function.

Combining these approaches will likely be the best route, and working with your healthcare professional should allow you to find the best approach. Just remember that there’s no need to deal with the symptoms of PTSD on your own, and effective treatment can make a massive difference in the quality of your life.

PTSD hypnotherapy

People with PTSD are advised to undergo PTSD hypnosis therapy, which has positive results in several ways.

Many of the symptoms that people with PTSD experience are similar to those experienced during hypnotherapy. People suffering from PTSD illness respond to hypnosis within months of treatment and access painful memories under the guidance of the therapist. Hypnosis can reorganize these memories to prevent future symptoms of PTSD.

When you are hypnotized, you are in a trance state. Although this state may seem similar to sleep, you are fully awake and know what is happening around you. You can relax and shut out of the everyday world.

In this trance state, the therapist helps to safely access the patient’s memories to better understand the emotions surrounding the trauma. Under the guidance of a therapist, patients will identify triggers and become familiar with reactions or feelings.

Hypnosis treatment for PTSD helps prevent or reduce dissociation after exposure to a traumatic event, reduces anxiety symptoms, and helps people come into contact with memories and feelings associated with their traumatic experience.

PTSD treatment is complicated and challenging. The traditional school uses a broad spectrum of sedative and anti-depression drugs, while holistic medicine prefers natural approaches, including acupuncture, homeopathy, herbs, essential oils, reiki, yoga, and meditation. Hypnosis for PTSD is topping the list of holistic strategies.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can seriously affect a person’s quality of life. In this article, we’ll discuss how PTSD is treated and what the most effective natural treatment for PTSD is. There are many treatment therapies for PTSD, one of which is hypnosis. Is PTSD hypnosis an effective way to overcome PTSD? What does PTSD hypnosis offer? All of these are answered at the end of this article.

What is PTSD?

According to the official PTSD definition, post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental illness initiated by a terrifying incident, occurrence, or happening—either undergoing it or observing it.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that could develop following a life-threatening, frightening, or scary experience or encounter. The trauma could be related to kidnapping, physical attack, sexual or physical abuse, death, war, accidents, natural disasters, and even medical procedures. It can affect those who personally suffered the horrific ordeal or those who were just witnesses to the unpleasantness.

There is a basic assumption in psychology that people are primarily motivated to reduce tensions and maintain an internal state of equilibrium or balance. Stressful situations are everyday occurrences. They are part of daily life. However, tension and stressful situations are too much for some individuals to handle. Experiencing or witnessing an event that triggers acute fear, horror, or helplessness may be related to PTSD.

Post-traumatic stress disorder, a condition with many faces, can be successfully treated with PTSD hypnotherapy.

PTSD is the onset of specific symptoms in response to a highly traumatic event. The event doesn’t need to be perceived as extremely traumatic for everyone. It means that as we have different tolerances for pain, cold, heat, and hunger, we also have different tolerances for extreme traumatic events. The disease is gender-independent, affecting both men and women of all ages.

The cause of post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as the events leading to it, are varied. PTSD in children and adults can result from trauma during childhood, such as children in abusive homes. Victims of rape, assault, or abuse can develop PTSD due to their traumatic experiences. Social workers, emergency service workers, members of the military, and many other occupations are also exposed to such traumatic events.

Psychology has made great strides in recent years in the treatment of PTSD. Recent powerful psychology techniques such as hypnotherapy, the Neuro-Emotional Technique (NET), TFT, and EMDR have proven to be particularly effective in treating this disorder.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a common term for complex disorders. It is not always easy to identify this disorder because those who have it may do one of all of these actions:

Flashbacks, nightmares, or hallucinations occur without notice as events unfold during sleep.
Avoid people or places that are reminders of the original trauma.
Isolate themselves from other people.
Have trouble sleeping, poor concentration, and irritability.

Understanding post-traumatic stress disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder was named in the 1980 Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association. It is a traumatic experience that has caused the anxiety disorder. Before it was officially entered in the DSM manual, people had other terms for this disease, such as a severe stress response. PTSD is caused by an event or series of events in a person’s life that provoke negative emotions.

War was one of the contexts in which this was discussed, and it is estimated that one in six soldiers returning from Iraq has PTSD. Other events include physical, sexual, or emotional abuse and the death of a loved one. People in adverse conditions may not immediately realize that the circumstances have overwhelmed them, which may not manifest until years later. For example, a person may not have flashbacks of their child abuse until they are in their twenties and trying to build a healthy romantic relationship. Nightmares can arise, and a person can feel very withdrawn socially.

In the context of war, Soldier’s Heart was a term used to describe those who experienced emotional difficulties after the Civil War. The term shell shock was used during the First World War. After World War II, the term was often called battle fatigue. Unfortunately, some people who suffered from this illness were viewed as cowards and were asked to use more willpower to overcome it.

Anxiety and PTSD

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is one of the top six anxiety disorders. The list of those conditions includes:

PTSD has no genes or educational components. You cannot catch it from someone else. This disorder grows over time with constant exposure to a violent event. PTSD first came to the public’s attention when war veterans engaged in active combat duty came home. The signs of PTSD are apparent. The symptoms are somewhat slower to evolve. PTSD individuals have a startling effect that works overtime. Emotional signs of the presence of PTSD include

Loss of interest in favorite things
Difficulty expressing affection
Increase in irritability
Aggression and violence

If the trigger was a single event, the anniversary of that situation might become a dread-filled day. Civilians are at risk of developing PTSD, too. Victims of rape, domestic abuse, torture, kidnapping, auto accidents, plane crashes, train wrecks, bombing, and natural disasters (floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes) are likely to develop signs and symptoms of PTSD.

Children who have serious injuries or experience fighting can develop headaches, night terrors, and even flashbacks of the episode. For example, serious injury might involve falling from a high place, a dog bite, or a car accident.

Causes of PTSD

As with other mental illnesses, various factors contribute to an individual’s propensity for it. Genetics plays a central role in a person’s predisposition to mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression and a person’s temperament. Once a person’s inherited traits are skewed in favor of those traits, PTSD is more likely to develop. The totality of an individual’s good or bad life experiences also explains his susceptibility to it. After all, how a person’s brain regulates hormones and chemicals released by their body in stressful situations affects their predisposition to the condition.

The other factors that cause PTSD are:

War
Natural disasters
A car or airplane accident
Violent attack
Sexual or physical abuse
Medical procedures (especially in children)

Triggers for PTSD

The individual can control the symptoms of PTSD to a certain degree. If a trigger presents itself, you can be sure that a flood of thoughts and symptoms is not far behind. A trigger is any sight, sound, or smell that links back to the original traumatic event. Triggers might include firecrackers, screeching car wheels, cracking wood sounds from the fireplace, or the fire itself. Any triggers have a possibility of causing the symptoms of PTSD to surface. Symptoms will follow when a door slams and the startle effect becomes evident. Mild triggers (door slamming, crackling wood) may bring a lesser intensity to this disorder. However, a flashback could occur if the trigger closely resembles the event.

The flashback makes us believe that the original event is happening again. PTSD does not affect every person who witnesses a horrific incident or becomes the victim of a violent act. Within three months of the event, PTSD symptoms usually appear. However, there are incidents where PTSD erupted years into the future. Medications and specific counseling techniques are very effective in treating the symptoms of PTSD. A flare of PTSD may introduce other problems such as depression, alcohol, or drug abuse. It could also introduce signs and symptoms associated with another or several of the principal anxiety disorders. This illness runs a course that varies widely among those affected.

Symptoms of PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms can include depression, self-isolation, anger at specific triggers, and extreme calm. When children lose a parent, counseling is essential to help them manage their emotions. Other children their age have not experienced this tragedy and can feel alienated in school and their world. There can be physical symptoms, insomnia, and emotional confusion.

Almost everyone experiences some form of post-traumatic stress syndrome after a highly traumatic episode. The symptoms of PTSD occur from three months to even years after the disturbing event. The symptoms of PTSD may be classified as follows:

Intrusive memory: where flashbacks and nightmares occur
Avoidance and emotional numbing—where one avoids talking about the issue and a feeling of hopelessness is evident
Anxiety and intensified emotional arousal—where anger or shame and self-destructive acts are manifested

There are cases where suicidal tendencies are evident, too. The symptoms can come and go depending on the circumstances that triggered them.

Symptoms of PTSD in children

Many people will experience traumatic events in their lives, including children and teens. Some researchers estimate that as many as 40 to 45% of children and adolescents experience at least one traumatic event in their lifetime.

Children with PTSD feel that they cannot escape the trauma’s impact. They try to avoid people or situations that remind them of the event. Sometimes, they will experience memories or “flashbacks” of the event or have nightmares about it that feel very real. Listed below are symptoms of PTSD in children

Avoiding situations that make them recall the traumatic event
Experiencing nightmares or flashbacks about the trauma
Playing in a way that repeats or recalls the trauma
Acting impulsively or aggressively
Feeling nervous or anxious frequently
Experiencing emotional numbness
Having trouble focusing at school

Symptoms of PTSD in women

In recent research, mental health experts agree that women can sometimes experience PTSD in different ways than men. Some of the symptoms of PTSD in women are that they are more likely to feel depressed and anxious and have trouble feeling or dealing with their emotions. They also tend to avoid activities and things that remind them of whatever traumatic event they suffered through. And while men with PTSD are more likely to turn to alcohol or drugs to mask their trauma, women are less likely to do so.

Listed below are symptoms of PTSD in women

Easily startled
Have more trouble feeling emotions or feel numb
Avoid things that remind them of the trauma
Feel depressed and anxious

Symptoms of PTSD in men

Often, men do not realize that they have PTSD. They internalize their symptoms and assume that something is wrong with them. Once men understand their symptoms are from an external experience or trauma, they can get help.

Listed below are symptoms of PTSD in men

Irritability
Impulsivity
Comorbid substance use disorders
Paranoia
Exaggerated startle response

How people cope with post-traumatic stress can also be based on society. Men mostly turn to substances or become irritable and angry at others to cope.

Symptoms of PTSD in Veterans

More than 60,000 U.S. military veterans died by suicide between 2008 and 2017. Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) face a higher risk of thinking about and attempting suicide.

Estimates indicate that 12 to 20% of veterans have PTSD. The rate of PTSD is higher among service members than civilians because, in addition to exposure to life-threatening situations related to combat, there is a high rate of sexual trauma in the military.

Note: PTSD develops differently in each veteran; listed below are symptoms of PTSD in veterans

Avoiding people, places, and activities that are reminders of the trauma
Flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive memories related to the traumatic event
Feelings of sadness, fear, and anger
Hyper-vigilance of surroundings
Difficulty sleeping and concentrating

The History and Causes of PTSD

This disorder was formally recognized in the field of medicine and given the name “post-traumatic stress disorder” in the year 1980. However, this disorder has been recognized throughout history, particularly in the military, and given many different names, which include “soldier’s heart,” “combat fatigue,” “battle fatigue,” “gross stress reaction,” and “post-Vietnam syndrome.”

The highest percentages of individuals who suffer from PTSD are veterans of war who have been involved in active combat and victims of the violent crime of rape. Researchers have not been able to determine the cause of PTSD definitively. Experts believe that the cause of PTSD is most likely a complex combination of factors, including genetics, life experiences, and personality or character.

Genetics plays a pivotal role in predisposition to mental illnesses like anxiety, depression, and a person’s temperament. Once a person’s inherited traits are biased toward these, PTSD is more likely to develop. The totality of an individual’s life experiences, good or bad, is also one of the causes of PTSD. Lastly, how a person’s brain regulates the hormones and chemicals released by his body in stressful situations affects his predisposition to this condition.

Natural treatment for PTSD

Natural treatment for PTSD is another form of treatment for PTSD that experts have proven to be effective without causing any side effects.

Natural treatment for PTSD is holistic and relies heavily on Eastern healing practices. It seeks to reunite the broken pieces of your body and spirit. It includes acupuncture, herbs, and Eastern movement practices such as Yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong, and meditation. Natural remedies for PTSD tend to be gentler and less invasive than traditional ones. It is also slower. A prescription from your MD may show results in a few days. Herbal remedies typically show results in a few weeks or even months.

Natural treatment for PTSD allows the sufferer to repair both their body and mind to help them live happier, healthier lives. Listed below are natural remedies for PTSD

Herbs for PTSD: home-based natural treatment for PTSD

Herbs for PTSD and anxiety are a natural treatment for PTSD that helps to support emotional healing gently and powerfully. They can be used to ease the associated numbness and pain that accompanies PTSD and to restore strength, helping to calm the nerves and lift the spirits. Listed below are herbs for PTSD

Rose

This is a herb for PTSD that is emotionally uplifting, strengthening, and has a mildly sedative action. Infuse 2–6 teaspoons of rose petals in 14 fluid ounces to 1 pint (400–600 ml) of boiling water. Add it to a warm bath with some rosebuds floating on the water.

Oat straw

This herb for PTSD is a nutritious and restorative nerve tonic, ideal for long-term convalescence. Avoid taking with gluten sensitivity. Infuse each oat straw and hawthorn with a few rose petals in 6 fluid ounces (175 ml) of boiling water. Drink three times daily.

Rooibos Tea

Rooibos tea (a red bush) causes a drop in cortisol levels—fantastic news for PTSD sufferers. A tremendous additional benefit is that rooibos is not from a tea bush and does not contain caffeine or tannin.

Valerian Root

Valerian root is considered one of the best teas for calming down. Hippocrates prescribed it as the cure for insomnia in the 4th century, but it’s also used in the 21st century to treat anxiety and stress.

Chamomile

Chamomile tea has long been used for its calming properties (it’s a very mild sedative). As such, a cup of chamomile tea before bed can help you get to sleep.

Lavender Tea

Not only is lavender said to be anti-inflammatory (good for your gut, which is good for your mind), but it’s also supposed to reduce anxiety, especially in women.

Lemon Balm

This is an herb for PTSD and anxiety that is known for its relaxing and calming properties. Lemon balm is suitable for insomnia and reducing anxiety.

Acupuncture for PTSD: traditional oriental natural treatment for PTSD

Acupuncture is a type of complementary medicine in which fine needles are inserted into the skin along what are thought to be energy lines. The treatment is derived from ancient Chinese practice and is still widely used today, including in many NHS general practices.

Many natural remedies are used to treat PTSD disorders in affected individuals. However, out of all these remedies, acupuncture for PTSD is among the most effective treatments.

Acupuncture for PTSD is a natural remedy for PTSD that helps to stimulate sensory nerves under the skin and within muscles, which then causes the body to produce natural substances, including pain-relieving endorphins. This is thought to be responsible for the beneficial results of acupuncture. When used as a course of treatment, it has better results than a single one-off treatment.

Along with helping to relieve PTSD symptoms, acupuncture for PTSD is often used as a treatment for those suffering from migraines and chronic tension-type headaches, anxiety, joint pain, dental pain, chronic pain, infertility, and postoperative pain.

Yoga for PTSD – ancient Indian exercise-based natural treatment for PTSD

Yoga for PTSD is a natural remedy for PTSD that involves exercises designed to promote mind and body control and enhance one’s overall well-being. There are many different yoga styles, and they come in such a variety that you can find yoga options available for individuals of all ages and fitness levels.

In a 2015 study of 80 individuals diagnosed with PTSD, researchers found that Yoga for PTSD may help reduce PTSD symptoms. Researchers in the study mentioned above also noted that yoga may provide an adjunctive or alternative treatment for PTSD.

Benefits of Yoga for PTSD

It helps with social reintegration.
It brings you back to your body
It calms the nervous system
It helps therapists begin treatment.

Guided meditation for PTSD: a popular natural treatment for PTSD

The first type of guided meditation for PTSD is visualization meditation. It walks one through a series of images that can ease and relax someone, especially if they’re currently suffering from one of the many symptoms of PTSD, such as intense anxiety and restlessness.

The other form of guided meditation for PTSD uses mindfulness, which helps one observe their thoughts and emotions non-judgmentally. This can help sufferers distance themselves from their suffering and look at it objectively instead of allowing it to consume their thoughts and actions.

The best treatment for PTSD

The best treatment for PTSD is hypnotherapy, one of the natural remedies that is very effective and can be performed individually or in group sessions.

There are many Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder treatment choices. Practitioners offering post-traumatic stress disorder treatments range from medical doctors to snake oil salesmen. In the last few years, PTSD has gained attention; thus, the number of con artists offering cures for it is increasing. However, conventional medicine ignored PTSD until recently, so medical professionals are still discovering what works and what doesn’t. To make things more complicated, there is no particular cure that fixes everyone’s Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

This leaves you with symptoms you cannot tolerate but little evidence to help you separate the scams from the treatment that might work for you.

There are two approaches to treating your physical symptoms, including traditional and Western medicine, and it is all about fixing what is broken. It treats you for pain and sleep and brings your brain’s chemistry to the normal stage.

Hypnosis for PTSD: the most effective treatment for PTSD comes in two types: individual and group.

By far, the most common and best treatment for PTSD is hypnotherapy. Individual hypnosis for PTSD is all about you. It is one-on-one with a practitioner. Group hypnotherapy comprises trauma survivors, workgroups, and family groups.

Hypnotherapy for PTSD is more than just words. During the PTSD hypnosis session, the hypnotist will place you in a deep trance. While you are open to the suggestion, you will describe to the hypnotherapist the initial event that caused the current medical and emotional conditions.

The complex treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder includes different options like PTSD hypnosis, exposure therapy (to desensitize you), somatic experiencing (to release the trauma stored in your muscles), and EMDR (to reset your traumatized brain).

Also, cognitive behavioral therapy (to change your behavior patterns) and tapping or EFT (to reset your emotions)

Scientific Evidence for the Effectiveness of PTSD Hypnosis Therapy

In 2005, a study was conducted to compare hypnotherapy with other treatments commonly used to improve the symptoms of PTSD. Sixty-seven volunteers with PTSD agreed to participate in the study. Treating these patients included hypnotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and counseling.

The results showed that people treated with cognitive behavioral therapy had fewer symptoms of PTSD six months after the sessions. People who received only one counseling session had higher levels of PTSD-related lifestyle problems.

People who had undergone PTSD hypnotherapy also reported fewer cases of reliving the traumatic event.

According to research carried out under psychotherapy, people with PTSD can achieve up to 93 percent recovery after six hypnotherapy sessions.

In cognitive-behavioral therapy, the figure is 72% after 22 sessions, and in psychotherapy, it is 38% after 600 sessions.

The studies and figures carried out show that hypnosis can be used to improve the quality of life of people who have experienced traumatic events in the past and are unable to recover.

People with PTSD are generally easier to hypnotize than others, further adding to the importance of this treatment option for people with post-traumatic stress disorder.

How do I find a therapist for PTSD treatment?

Hypnotherapy is a complex and controversial technique that may not suit everyone. Your doctor or therapist can help you determine whether hypnotherapy suits your needs. You can ask for their advice if you are currently seeing a therapist who is not trained in hypnosis.

For more information about treatment providers who may offer hypnotherapy, google Hypnosis Near Me or Hypnotists Near Me, or check with professional organizations such as the American Guild of Hypnotists.

Recovery from PTSD after successful completion of treatment for PTSD

Recovery from PTSD can take as little as six months. However, in some cases, the disorder lasts for a lifetime. PTSD can become a chronic illness.

If you suffer from PTSD and need help, contact the Philadelphia Hypnotherapy Clinic. Since our clinic is a department of the Philadelphia Holistic Clinic, you will receive a complex treatment for PTSD that, if necessary, will include acupuncture, homeopathic prescriptions, reiki, yoga, etc. To schedule an appointment for an initial consultation, contact our clinic or book it online.