Trauma can play a huge role in the development of mental health disorders. When individuals are exposed to situations which result in severe trauma, there is the possibility for the development of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. This debilitating mental health disorder is one which can be dangerous to live with, so treatment is necessary. But, far too often, PTSD patients find that affording the cost of their prescription treatments is too challenging. So, to help PTSD patients with prescriptions for a commonly used treatment, Prozac, patient assistance programs through Advocate My Meds have been made available.

What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?

It’s normal to feel stress or anxiety after experiencing a traumatic situation or events. But, for many, the side effects of experiencing trauma can be chronically debilitating for many months or even years, resulting in a mental health diagnosis of PTSD. There are three main categories of symptoms experienced by PTSD patients including avoidance, mental and physical changes (commonly deemed arousal), and re-experience.

Avoidance Symptoms Seen in PTSD Patients

• Avoiding places and people which may remind the individual of the traumatic experience
• Purposefully not thinking or talking about the traumatic experience
• Denial that the traumatic experience took place
• Detaching from friends and family

Mental and Physical Changes Seen in PTSD Patients

• Being easily frightened at loud sounds or other triggering scenarios
• Engaging in self-medication of trauma by drugs or alcohol
• Inability to stay or fall asleep
• Constant feeling of doom
• Feelings of anxiety, depression, guilt, and shame
• Negative perception of life, people, and the world
• Trouble focusing
• Irritability and frequent mood swings

Re-experience Symptoms Experienced by PTSD Patients

• Vivid nightmares about the traumatic event
• Audio and video hallucinations of the event
• Flashbacks of the event triggered by people, places, sound, or other

The Daily Life of a PTSD Patient

Experiencing normal life is quite challenging for the PTSD patient. Regularly dealing with debilitating chronic symptoms of trauma can make it even more challenging to keep jobs and maintain relationships. In fact, it’s more likely that PTSD patients experience unemployment and divorce than someone who has not been diagnosed with the condition. Along with symptoms of PTSD making everyday life more challenging, there can even be physical reactions to these symptoms including health issues. Heart conditions, increased blood pressure, and other health problems often arise when individuals suffering from PTSD don’t get help through treatment.

Treatment for PTSD Patients

Everyone is different so everyone experiences trauma differently. And, for PTSD patients, traumatic experiences and experienced symptoms vary. So, there is no one cure that helps all PTSD patients. But, there are a number of different therapies and treatments that patients can choose from, according to how they work for their own lives. Different PTSD treatments include:

Exposure Therapy: Just as the name suggests, this type of therapy includes having the patient exposed to memories of the traumatic experience. It’s believed in the field of psychology that actively confronting underlying problems which lead to developed mental health disorders helps with acceptance and healing.

Cognitive Processing Therapy: This type of therapy utilizes methods of cognitive behavioral therapy to address thoughts and behaviors which may play a part in experiencing PTSD symptoms. The goal is to change the way the individual perceives thoughts so that further healing can commence.

Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EDMR): This type of therapy involves both audio and visual cues to guide the PTSD patient’s mind. The goal is to train the brain when it is triggered by both sights and sounds which may result in PTSD symptoms.

Prescription Medications: Often, PTSD patients will benefit from combining psychotherapy with prescription medications also utilized in helping patients with anxiety or depression disorders. These medications are known as SSRIs and SNRIs. Medications should be managed for correct dosage and efficiency throughout scheduled use.

Paying for Prescriptions for PTSD

If you are a PTSD patient who has been prescribed medications as a part of treatment, you may find that it’s challenging to pay for the cost of these medications. Fortunately, there have been a number of patient assistance programs offered to assist individuals who can’t afford their prescription medications. At Advocate My Meds, we utilize over 700 of these programs to match patients with their needed medications at little or no cost. See if you qualify to get your Prozac medication or another PTSD medication you may need by visiting our website today!