Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) causes sudden, unexpected flashbacks leading to anger and other intense emotions. Adara Abdalah, PMHNP-BC, FNP-BC, at Davie Psychiatry, LLC, often treats PTSD, providing psychiatric care for people of all ages whose symptoms don’t improve or worsen after experiencing a traumatic event. Call the office in Davie, Florida, today or book online to receive personalized PTSD care that helps restore your life.
As you experience a frightening or traumatic event, your brain releases chemicals (neurotransmitters and hormones) that put your body on high alert and energize your body to deal with the situation.
This happens when your face trauma, such as:
After the trauma is over, you should gradually calm down and return to normal. But in some people, the biochemical changes have a long-lasting impact on their brains.
Instead of returning to normal, your brain stays in a hyperactive, survival mode. As a result, you lose the ability to think calmly and instead have an immediate fear response to a wide range of situations.
If your anxiety and fear last longer than a month following the traumatic event, you may have PTSD.
PTSD causes the following symptoms:
Avoidance occurs when severe anxiety motivates you to stay away from the people, places, and activities that remind you of the traumatic event.
PTSD symptoms may appear a little differently in children and teens. Children may have general and seemingly normal fears like separation anxiety. Teens often become impulsive or aggressive and may get preoccupied with reliving the trauma or getting revenge.
Your brain records all the sensory information (sights, sounds, smells, etc.) happening during the traumatic event. However, you don’t remember them because they’re stored in your subconscious.
Encountering any of these sensory details in your daily life triggers the memory. As a result, you have a sudden flashback. Then you experience sudden, intense emotions like anger, fear, and panic.
At Davie Psychiatry, LLC, Adara may begin your treatment with medication management, psychotherapy, or both. Several medications target PTSD symptoms like anxiety and anger. Therapy can help you face your memories, understand the effect of trauma on your emotional health, and teach ways to cope with symptoms.
Call Davie Psychiatry, LLC, or request an appointment online if you have ongoing anxiety or fear after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event.