PTSD

PTSD services offered in Chandler, AZ and Boise, ID

Untreated traumatic life events can leave long-lasting effects. At Essential Mental Healthcare, PLLC, in Chandler, Arizona, and Boise, Idaho, board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner Frances Spink, DNP, MSN, MBA, PMHNP-BC, diagnoses and treats post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in people 9 and older. Schedule an in-person or telepsychiatry evaluation by phone or request one online today.

What is PTSD?

PTSD develops in some people who live through traumatic events. Nightmares and flashbacks are common in PTSD patients. These symptoms often become debilitating.

Treating PTSD can lessen distressing memories and help you heal and even flourish. See the Essential Mental Healthcare, PLLC, experts if you suspect that you or a loved one has PTSD.

Which symptoms does PTSD cause?

PTSD symptoms include:

Severe anxiety
Uncontrolled distressing thoughts
Flashbacks
Nightmares
Always being on guard
Being startled easily
Depression
Extreme emotional distress
Avoiding things that trigger symptoms
Hopelessness
Detachment from family and friends
Substance misuse
Mood swings
Irritability
Feeling emotionally numb
Trouble sleeping
Difficulty concentrating
Guilt
Shame

You might also experience thoughts of suicide, loss of interest in once-favorite things, memory problems, or difficulty maintaining close interpersonal relationships.

What can cause PTSD?

PTSD can appear after any trauma, including but not limited to:

Loss of a loved one
Sexual abuse
Emotional or physical abuse
Traumatic injuries
Car accidents
Natural disasters
Being a first responder
Military combat
Being threatened with violence

Receiving a life-threatening medical diagnosis can also cause extreme distress and other PTSD-like symptoms. Seek help at the first sign of PTSD to reduce the risk of complications.

How is PTSD diagnosed?

Dr. Spink completes an in-person or virtual comprehensive psychiatric evaluation to determine if you have PTSD or another mental health disorder. She discusses your medical history, past trauma, symptoms, emotions, thoughts, behaviors, and lifestyle.

Essential Mental Healthcare, PLLC, uses GeneSight® genetic testing to pinpoint the medicines that are likely most effective based on your genes.

How is PTSD treated?

Treating PTSD involves in-person or virtual psychotherapy, medication management, and lifestyle changes. Essential Mental Healthcare, PLLC, offers exposure therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and other therapies that minimize symptoms and improve your quality of life.

Follow up with Dr. Spink for regular therapy sessions to ensure that your medications work effectively and to learn healthy lifestyle habits that help combat crippling PTSD symptoms.

Schedule an in-person or telepsychiatry evaluation at Essential Mental Healthcare, PLLC, by phone or request one online today.