PTSD and Veterans
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can occur after you have been through a traumatic event. A traumatic event is something horrible and scary that you see or that happens to you. During this type of event, you think that your life or others’ lives are in danger. You may feel afraid or feel that you have no control over what is happening.
Combat or military exposure is one of the leading causes of PTSD. For example after a tour of a war zone many of our veterans experience the feeling of being scared, confused, and angry. If these feelings don’t go away or they get worse, you may have PTSD. These symptoms may disrupt your life, making it hard to continue with your daily activities.
What treatments are available for PTSD?
For PTSD there are many types of treatments. Talking with your doctor is the best first step you can take to determine if you are suffering from PTSD. You and your doctor will discuss the best treatment for you. You may have to try a number of treatments before you find one that works for you.
1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, chat online at http://www.VeteransCrisisLine.net/chat, or text to 838255 to speak with qualified VA professionals 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
A form of Counseling called Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and medicines known as SSRIs in the past seemed to really be the only forms of help. Now there is a new device that has been proven to be helpful along with CBT to treat the discomforts that come along with PTSD.
Using the Alpha-Stim SCS Device for PTSD
Veterans that have experienced trauma from the exposure of war, that have used the device, have chosen it to be helpful 3 out of 4 times. In a study at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston, Texas, Alpha-Stim was chosen 73% of the time by veterans who suffer from chronic pain, mood and sleep disorders after using the device.
The technology of the Alpha-Stim Device uses a method called cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES). The current is applied by easy-to-use clips that attach on the ear lobes. Used just 20-60 minutes every day, every other day, or on and as needed basis. Alpha-Stim helps to induce a pleasant, relaxed feeling of well being.
The Alpha-Stim Device activates particular groups of nerve cells (serotonin, acetylcholine), that are located at the brainstem. By changing the electrical and chemical activity of certain nerve cells in the brainstem, it amplifies activity in some neurological systems and diminishes activity in others, therefore reducing Anxiety and symptoms of PTSD. This Neurological fine tuning occurs either as a result of, or together with the production of a certain type of electrical activity pattern in the brain known as Alpha State. Such Alpha rhythms are accompanied by feelings of calmness, relaxation and increased mental focus. This technology has a 26-year history and is supported by successful outcomes documented by more than 55 scientific studies (see www.alpha-stim.com for annotated abstracts). These effects can be produced after a single treatment, and repeated treatments have been shown to increase the relative strength and duration of these effects. In some cases, effects have been stable and permanent.
This device is FDA approved and is safe to use on clients of all ages for the treatment of Anxiety, PTSD and Depression.