PTSD treatment online

Diagnosing and Treating PTSD Online

PTSD can affect anyone and often affects people in different ways. It’s very normal for people who have experienced a traumatic life-threatening event to have a difficult time going through their typical, everyday activities. You can also indirectly be affected by PTSD by hearing of a relative or close friend who has experienced a traumatic event. Effects of PTSD can last anywhere from a few weeks to the rest of one’s life.

There are many factors that can increase the chance that someone will have PTSD, many of which are not under one’s control. Personal factors, like previous traumatic exposure, age, and gender can affect whether or not a person will develop PTSD. What happens after the event is important – stress will only make things worse and social support can make the effects of trauma less severe.

Dealing with the past can be tough for people struggling with PTSD. It’s easy to keep things bottled up and to yourself when dealing with this type of trauma. Talking with a psychiatrist or therapist can help you get better.

You and your online psychiatrist or therapist can help determine what type of treatment is needed, or if a referral to a specialist is required. During a video consult on Amwell, one of our board-certified psychiatrists or therapists will ask you a series of targeted questions to determine the severity of your PTSD. Your diagnosis will be based on the physical exam, duration, severity of symptoms and your medical history.

Once a diagnosis has been made, your psychiatrist or therapist will go over the risks and benefits of the various treatment plans. Treatment for PTSD is different depending on the severity.

Options for treatment of PTSD may include:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Research shows this is the most effective type of counseling for PTSD
• Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
• Prolonged Exposure (PE)
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)