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PTSD & Trauma-Related Disorders

Trauma can affect mood, sleep, anxiety, relationships, and daily functioning. With individualized treatment, many people can reduce symptoms and regain a greater sense of safety and stability.

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Common PTSD & Trauma Symptoms

Intrusive Memories & Flashbacks

Avoidance

Hypervigilance & Reactivity

Mood & Emotional Changes

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Compassionate, evidence-based care focused on reducing trauma symptoms and improving day-to-day functioning.

How We Help

Medication Options

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Medication can help reduce certain PTSD symptoms, particularly anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, nightmares, and hyperarousal.

Depending on symptoms and medical history, treatment may include:

SSRIs such as sertraline or paroxetine
SNRIs such as venlafaxine
Medications targeting sleep or nightmares when appropriate
Treatment of co-occurring depression or anxiety
Individualized medication selection based on symptoms and side effects

Medication decisions are tailored to the individual and may be used alongside trauma-focused psychotherapy.

Personalized & Long-Term Treatment

PTSD often affects more than one area of life, so treatment may involve more than addressing a single symptom.

A long-term treatment plan may include:

Improving sleep
Reducing anxiety and hyperarousal
Treating depression
Managing panic or dissociation
Supporting healthy routines
Addressing substance use when relevant
Coordinating with therapy and medical providers

The goal is not simply symptom reduction, but helping patients regain stability, confidence, and functioning.

Trauma-Focused Therapy Collaboration

Psychotherapy is an important part of PTSD treatment.

Evidence-based trauma therapies may include:

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Prolonged Exposure (PE)
EMDR
Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral approaches

LB Psychiatry focuses primarily on psychiatric evaluation and medication management while collaborating with therapists when appropriate.

Understanding PTSD

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PTSD Can Look Different From Person to Person

Not everyone with PTSD experiences symptoms in the same way.

Some people primarily struggle with nightmares and intrusive memories, while others experience emotional numbness, avoidance, irritability, panic, or a persistent sense of danger.

Symptoms may begin shortly after trauma or may become more noticeable months or even years later.

PTSD Is More Than Anxiety

PTSD can include anxiety, but it also involves changes in how the brain and nervous system respond to reminders of trauma.

People may experience:

Intrusive memories or flashbacks
Avoidance of reminders
Changes in mood and beliefs
Hypervigilance and increased startle response
Sleep disturbance
Irritability
Emotional detachment

Trauma Does Not Always Mean PTSD

Experiencing trauma does not automatically mean someone has PTSD.

Some people develop short-term stress reactions, while others may develop conditions such as:

Acute Stress Disorder
Adjustment Disorder
Depression
Anxiety disorders
Panic symptoms
Dissociative symptoms
Substance-related problems

A psychiatric evaluation can help determine whether symptoms fit PTSD or another trauma-related condition.

PTSD vs. Other Conditions

PTSD symptoms can overlap with several other psychiatric conditions

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PTSD vs. Anxiety

Both can involve worry, tension, and hyperarousal, but PTSD is linked to trauma-related symptoms such as intrusive memories, avoidance, and trauma reminders.

PTSD vs. Depression

Both can cause low mood, withdrawal, sleep problems, and difficulty concentrating. PTSD also involves trauma-specific symptoms.

PTSD vs. ADHD

Both can involve concentration problems, restlessness, and emotional dysregulation, but ADHD is typically chronic and developmental, while PTSD symptoms emerge in relation to trauma.