PTSD Treatment

Are you looking for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment in Fairfax, Virginia? At The Care Clinic, our providers have experience treating pain conditions, psychiatric disorders, and addiction with innovative treatments like ketamine infusion therapy. Contact us today to learn how we can help you find relief.

What Are the Symptoms of PTSD?

The effects of PTSD involve a wide range of symptoms. One of the most common symptoms people experience is disruptive flashbacks. These may involve visual hallucinations of the situation that traumatized you. Daydreaming about the event is also common, and nightmares wake you up at night. People who suffer from flashbacks describe them as so vivid that they feel like they are back in the moment that caused their trauma.

Another key symptom is avoidance. This means you may try to avoid going near a place that triggers your PTSD symptoms. If someone reminds you of the trauma, you may go out of your way to avoid them. You may also refuse to talk to other people about your painful experiences, although this can block your pathway toward healing.

Other symptoms of PTSD include the following:

• Feelings of guilt and shame
• Nausea or a lack of appetite
• A sense of constantly being on edge
• Irritability or angry outbursts

Ketamine Infusions for PTSD Treatment

Ketamine infusions have quickly become one of the most popular treatment options for various mood or pain disorders.

Unlike many traditional medications like SSRIs which can take months to start working, ketamine therapy offers patients relief quickly, with some individuals reporting relief within a few hours of their first infusion session.

How Does Ketamine Help Treat PTSD?

Scientists believe that ketamine helps with PTSD by rapidly boosting the activity of glutamate, a neurotransmitter inside the frontal cortex of the human brain, while also allowing new pathways to form in the same area.

The promptness of ketamine in yielding a therapeutic effect occurs because this drug bypasses the conventional serotonin path and goes straight to switching on glutamate.

This is remarkably different from conventional antidepressants, which initially boost serotonin activity levels in several other areas of the brain to ultimately affect glutamate. This process usually takes weeks, sometimes months, while ketamine produces an almost instant result and relief from PTSD symptoms.

Where Will I Receive My Ketamine Infusions?

We strive to ensure all of our patients feel as comfortable as possible in their private rooms during treatment.

A number of our patients refer to a “dissociation” effect. This disconnection effect aids your treatment and delivers a positive response to your ketamine therapy for many patients.

This is all an ordinary component of the treatment. You will always remain in a safe atmosphere with our team to monitor you and be readily available to you during your infusion.