PTSD Treatment Through Telemedicine: What You Need to Know
🧠 What Is PTSD?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. These events may include:
- Abuse (physical, sexual, emotional)
- Natural disasters
- Serious accidents
- War or combat exposure
- Intimate partner violence
- Life-threatening medical illness
While many people experience stress after trauma, PTSD is diagnosed when symptoms persist for more than a month and interfere with daily life. It affects people of all ages, backgrounds, and cultures—and it’s treatable.
🚨 Recognizing PTSD Symptoms
PTSD symptoms fall into four main categories:
- Intrusion: Flashbacks, nightmares, or distressing memories that feel vivid and uncontrollable.
- Avoidance: Steering clear of people, places, or thoughts that remind you of the trauma.
- Cognition and Mood Changes: Feelings of guilt, shame, sadness, or numbness; distorted beliefs about oneself or others; memory problems.
- Arousal and Reactivity: Irritability, angry outbursts, hypervigilance, sleep issues, or reckless behavior.
Some individuals also experience dissociation, such as:
- Depersonalization: Feeling detached from your body.
- Derealization: Feeling like the world isn’t real.
📊 Who Is at Risk?
PTSD can affect anyone, but certain factors increase risk:
- History of trauma or childhood adversity
- Lack of support after trauma
- Female gender
- Marginalized identity (e.g., LGBTQ+, non-white, disabled)
- Immigrant status
In the U.S., about 4% of adults and 8% of adolescents experience PTSD annually.
💡 How Is PTSD Treated?
The good news: PTSD is treatable, and telemedicine makes access easier than ever. Mental health professionals offer evidence-based therapies through secure online platforms, including:
🗣️ Psychotherapy (Talk Therapy)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Helps reframe negative thoughts and emotions.
- Prolonged Exposure Therapy: Safely confronts trauma-related memories.
- Trauma-Focused CBT: Designed for children and teens.
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Uses guided eye movements to reprocess traumatic memories.
- Group and Family Therapy: Builds support and understanding.
💊 Medication
- SSRIs/SNRIs: Antidepressants that reduce core PTSD symptoms.
- Prazosin: Helps with trauma-related nightmares.
- Antipsychotics: May be used for severe distress or hallucinations.
🌱 Complementary Therapies
- Yoga, acupuncture, and animal-assisted therapy can support healing, especially when combined with professional care.
💻 Why Choose Telemedicine for PTSD?
At National Mental Health Physician Assistant Corporation (NMHPAC), led by Yeon Kim, PA-C, CAQ-Psy, we offer flexible, confidential PTSD treatment that meets you where you are – physically and emotionally. Whether you’re at home, traveling, or in a remote area, our virtual services provide expert tailored to your needs.
- 🧑⚕️ Initial evaluations via secure video
- 💊 Medication management and regular monitoring
- 🤝 Ongoing check-ins for long-term support and stability
💬 You’re Not Alone
PTSD is not your fault, and recovery is possible. Whether you’re seeking help for yourself or supporting someone else, telemedicine makes it easier to take the first step.
📞 Need Help Now?
If you or someone you know is in crisis:
- Call or text 988 – The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (available 24/7)
- Visit 988lifeline.org or go to your nearest emergency room
- You can also speak with your doctor or mental health provider immediately. Schedule an appointment or call (628)-215-1120 today.
References
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – What is PTSD? Published April 24, 2023. Accessed July 23, 2025. https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/what-is-mental-health/conditions/ptsd
American Psychiatric Association. What is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)? Reviewed March 2025. Accessed July 23, 2025. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/ptsd/what-is-ptsd