Where do I go to get help for Post Tramatic Stress Disorder?

Question

I had a heart attack 8 months ago while driving. Now it seems every time I get in a car with or without someone I can't leave my home. Even though I know it could happen again at home as easily as on the road. My brain is keeping me stuck in my home. Don't say suck it up and just walk out the door. Easier said than done. Someone mentioned PTSD.

Answer 1

Here are a couple of good places to start looking ...I do wish you all the best ..PTSD is not a nice thing to have


1. The person has been exposed to a traumatic event in which both of the following were present:
1. the person experienced, witnessed, or was confronted with an event or events that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others
2. the person's response involved intense fear, helplessness, or horror. Note: In children, this may be expressed instead by disorganized or agitated behavior
2. The traumatic event is persistently reexperienced in one (or more) of the following ways:
1. recurrent and intrusive distressing recollections of the event, including images, thoughts, or perceptions. Note: In young children, repetitive play may occur in which themes or aspects of the trauma are expressed.
2. recurrent distressing dreams of the event. Note: In children, there may be frightening dreams without recognizable content.
3. acting or feeling as if the traumatic event were recurring (includes a sense of reliving the experience, illusions, hallucinations, and dissociative flashback episodes, including those that occur on awakening or when intoxicated). Note: In young children, trauma-specific reenactment may occur.
4. intense psychological distress at exposure to internal or external cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the traumatic event
5. physiological reactivity on exposure to internal or external cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the traumatic event
3. Persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma and numbing of general responsiveness (not present before the trauma), as indicated by three (or more) of the following:
1. efforts to avoid thoughts, feelings, or conversations associated with the trauma
2. efforts to avoid activities, places, or people that arouse recollections of the trauma
3. inability to recall an important aspect of the trauma
4. markedly diminished interest or participation in significant activities
5. feeling of detachment or estrangement from others
6. restricted range of affect (e.g., unable to have loving feelings)
7. sense of a foreshortened future (e.g., does not expect to have a career, marriage, children, or a normal life span)
4. Persistent symptoms of increased arousal (not present before the trauma), as indicated by two (or more) of the following:
1. difficulty falling or staying asleep
2. irritability or outbursts of anger
3. difficulty concentrating
4. hypervigilance
5. exaggerated startle response
5. Duration of the disturbance (symptoms in Criteria B, C, and D) is more than 1 month.
6. The disturbance causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
http://www.mentalhealth.com/dis/p20-an06.html

Answer 2

Please seek help from a psychologist. There are some amazing techniques currently being used specifically for PTSD and other similar disorders, using rapid, side to side eye movements. This technique has performed well on the first of clinical trials. No expensive and potentially abused drugs, and actually gives some relief. They will probably want to combine this with some cognitive therapy, to give you insight and behavior modifications.

Depends on how heavily populated the area is you live in. Some of the larger cities actually have psychologists who specialize in PTSD. You might want to get a referral from the local school system, as their psychologists/counsellors have training on trauma and its sequelae, and could quite possibly make an excellent referral for you. Your cardiologist should be willing to make referral for you also. Believe me, you are not the first cardiac patient to have this issue. If you don't get help, you could find yourself a voluntary "cardiac cripple", due solely to the psychological impact of this most important event in your life.

Having people tell you "just get back on that horse" is easier said than done. Best wishes in this endeavor. You know it will be wonderful to get your independence back.

Answer 3

it sounds more of an anxiety attack than ptsd. you need to start by talking to your doctor. they may prescribe something for the anxiety attacks.

i found out, in the evening, that my father had died. after his funeral, i started having anxiety attacks in the early evening. it didn't take me but a couple times of doing this to be able to figure out what was happening. i made an appointment, talked it out - took a pill and chilled out. life is much better and no anxiety attacks.

it isn't likely that it's ptsd. ptsd is usually brought on by a particularly traumatic event. a heart attack seems pretty unlikely to be categorized there.

Answer 4

Talk to your doctor about it. Maybe they can refer you to a psychiatrist and/or get you on medication and counseling. That's what it sounds like, PTSD, and it can be very serious if not treated properly. Good luck!

Answer 5

Go see a psychiatrist, get professional help. Between therapy and maybe medicine you will overcome your problem. Don't expect to solve your problems from a bunch of Yahoo's...

Answer 6

I would talk to my PCP (primary care physician) and have them refer you to a psychologist.