Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disorder that develops in the aftermath of a traumatic event. This condition can produce several unsettling symptoms that disrupt your sense of self and your security.
At Klarity Clinic, our experienced providers help you manage PTSD effectively with infusions of ketamine, which can boost the amount of glutamate, an important neurotransmitter in your brain, to restore healthy brain function.
What to know about PTSD
PTSD can develop after any type of traumatic event, including physical trauma, violence, or a natural disaster. These kinds of events can keep your body in fight-or-flight mode and ultimately lead to PTSD and its symptoms.
Common symptoms of PTSD include:
- Fear
- Depression
- Feeling tense
- Excessive anxiety
- Isolation and avoidance
- Anger management issues
- Sleep interruptions or insomnia
- Repetitive thoughts and rumination
Many people with PTSD also experience flashbacks, which can feel both overwhelming and frightening.
Experiencing a PTSD flashback
Flashbacks that result from PTSD can make you feel like the trauma you experienced is happening all over again. These experiences are more than a memory of the event. Instead, they can make you feel like you're in the time and place again, and you can vividly see and feel what's going on.
For instance, if your PTSD results from war trauma, you may have flashbacks that make you feel like you're still in the war zone fighting. If you experienced sexual abuse, you may feel like the person who abused you is in the room with you during a flashback.
Other experiences that can come up during a flashback include:
- Sweating
- Confusion
- Increased heart rate
- Seeing images of the traumatic event happening
- Feeling pain and other physical sensations
- Hearing words or sounds related to the event
You may also feel disconnected from your body, your emotions, and your memory during a flashback. In some cases, you may come out of the event not understanding where you are or how you got there.
Flashbacks can develop at any time, especially when you're triggered by events that remind you of your past trauma. During the event, you may relive the whole experience of your trauma again or go through just certain parts of it.
Potential triggers of a PTSD flashback
There are many possible triggers of a PTSD flashback depending on the type of trauma you endured and your biological makeup. Some common flashback triggers can include:
- Walking or driving near the location the event occurred
- Seeing someone who reminds you of your abuser
- Watching a show or a movie that brings up memories of the traumatic event
- Listening to certain types of music
- Reading certain types of books
You may also be prone to having flashbacks around the anniversary date of the traumatic event.
How ketamine can stop PTSD flashbacks
Ketamine is a surgical anesthetic that can also treat mental health disorders like PTSD. Low-dose infusions of ketamine work on your brain by increasing the amount of the neurotransmitter glutamate.
More glutamate helps restore normal function of your brain and can repair or grow new neural connections. This gives your brain a chance to heal properly from past trauma.
One of the biggest benefits of ketamine infusions is how fast they can work on your PTSD symptoms. Many people have a noticeable reduction in their symptoms within 24 hours of their treatment. As you continue through the course of your therapy, you should notice a significant difference in the frequency and severity of your PTSD symptoms.