How to Heal From PTSD When Having Other Mental Health Conditions

Healing isn’t always a straight path. When you experience a mental health condition such as depression or anxiety, it can be a battle to deal with your symptoms. This battle can be exhausting if you are also experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) along with other mental health conditions.

How can you cope with your symptoms if you are experiencing more than one mental health condition? Fortunately, there are many ways in which people cope and manage their symptoms – especially for those who are experiencing more than one mental health condition. Talk to your doctor or licensed mental health counselor. This is key to starting a treatment program that can work for you.

Outpatient treatment programs, such as the ones offered by Alter Wellness Care, can help you carve a path to not just dealing with your symptoms but coping and managing them in a healthy way.

What Is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?

PTSD is a serious mental health disorder that can be developed after someone experiences a traumatic event. It is important to note, however, that not everyone who experiences a traumatic event will get PTSD. Those who experience PTSD usually feel scared or stressed in situations where they are not in danger. 

However, PTSD can also be developed without having something traumatic happen to you. In fact, PTSD has been known to develop in individuals who have experienced the loss of a loved one. It can also show up when an event that is not dangerous is perceived as traumatic by the person perceiving it. 

Symptoms of PTSD

Symptoms of PTSD can show up months or even years after the event. For many, symptoms of trauma will resolve in six months. However, individuals with PTSD experience chronic, long-lasting symptoms as a result of trauma. If symptoms last for a month or more and begin to affect daily life, like work or family life, a doctor can diagnose you with PTSD.

According to the National Insitute of Mental Health (NIMH), to be diagnosed with PTSD, you must experience the following symptoms for at least one month:

• One or more re-experiencing symptoms
• One or more avoidance symptoms
• Two or more arousal and reactivity symptoms
• Two or more cognition and mood symptoms

Re-Experiencing Symptoms

Re-experiencing symptoms include:

• Flashbacks: Thinking back to a traumatic event or situation and reliving the trauma over and over again, including physical symptoms like your heart racing, palms sweating, etc.
• Sleep disturbances: Bad dreams or nightmares that may cause insomnia
• Irrational fears: Scary thoughts as though someone may hurt you again even when there is no present danger

Avoidance Symptoms

Avoidance symptoms include:

• Avoiding thoughts or feelings about the traumatic event
• Staying away from places or things that remind you of the traumatic event

Arousal and Reactivity Symptoms

Arousal and activity symptoms include:

• Being easily startled or frightened
• Feeling on edge or restless
• Having angry outbursts
• Difficulty sleeping, like falling asleep or staying asleep

Cognition and Mood Symptoms

Cognition and mood symptoms include:

• Having negative thoughts about yourself or the world
• Feeling guilty or taking the blame
• Trouble remembering key moments or features of the traumatic event
• Loss of interest in fun activities that you once enjoyed

PTSD can be scary and confusing. If you feel as though you are having symptoms or showing signs of PTSD, it is important to reach out to your doctor. 

PTSD With Another Mental Health Condition

If you have been diagnosed with PTSD after you already were experiencing another mental health disorder, such as depression and or anxiety, it can be confusing to know how to cope. The symptoms of each condition tend to blend together when you experience them at the same time.

For example, it is normal for a person with an anxiety disorder to have irritability or panic disorder. Those who experience PTSD may also have angry outbursts and feel as though they are in danger. It is also quite common for those with PTSD to experience depression.

The first step in coping and managing is getting help. Talking to a licensed mental health counselor about your symptoms can help you learn more about your situation. Outpatient programs like the ones offered by Alter Wellness Care allow you to try different therapies to help you manage your symptoms better.

Healing With Chronic PTSD and Other Mental Health Conditions

If you are dealing with chronic PTSD and another mental health condition, the desire may be to heal as quickly as you can. However, healing from these conditions takes time and patience. It also takes the help of therapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or one-on-one talk therapy.

Fortunately, a skilled therapist can treat trauma and depression at the same time. If you are looking for a therapist that could treat your mental health as a whole, look for someone who specializes in what you have or have been diagnosed with.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for PTSD

According to the National Library of Science, “CBT is a safe and effective intervention for both acute and chronic PTSD following a range of traumatic experiences in adults.” This means that the skills learned in CBT can help you toward managing not only your depression and or anxiety symptoms better but also your PTSD symptoms.

If you are looking for help with your PTSD, know that you are not alone. For those dealing with this mental health condition, it can be scary and make you feel isolated. However, there is help and hope. Alter Wellness Care doesn’t only offer CBT programs. If you feel another form of therapy is right for you, talk to the clinic, and they can get you started toward a life without the fear of trauma and stress.

Experiencing PTSD isn’t easy, but you don’t have to do it alone. If you or someone you love needs help with PTSD or another underlying mental health condition, Alter Wellness Care is here to help you and your family. We offer effective outpatient programs and therapies like CBT and group therapy that will help guide you toward a better way of managing your symptoms. The medical experts at Alter Wellness Care aim to provide treatment that works for those experiencing addiction and mental health conditions. We encourage you to call us at (866) 311-3510 to learn more about our programs and how we can assist you in the fight against PTSD. We look forward to helping you live better.