PTSD Treatment

PTSD treatment is the combined medical and therapeutic care used after a traumatic event when symptoms persist for more than a month and start interfering with daily life. Those symptoms typically fall into four groups: intrusive memories or flashbacks, avoidance of reminders, negative changes in mood and thinking, and increased reactivity (being on edge, easily startled, sleeping poorly).

At Good Health NC, we treat PTSD inside primary care. That means:

1. Medication management — evaluating and prescribing the medications with the best evidence for trauma-related symptoms.
2. Trauma-focused therapy referrals — connecting you with local clinicians trained in cognitive processing therapy (CPT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and prolonged exposure (PE).
3. Whole-person care — managing the physical symptoms (sleep, pain, blood pressure) that almost always travel with PTSD.

If you're in immediate distress or having thoughts of self-harm, call or text 988 — the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Then come see us as soon as possible.

Trauma affects different people differently. We care for:

• PTSD following a single traumatic event (assault, accident, combat, medical emergency, loss)
• Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) following prolonged or repeated trauma, often from childhood
• PTSD with co-occurring depression — present in roughly half of patients
• PTSD with co-occurring anxiety or panic
• PTSD with sleep disorders — nightmares and insomnia are nearly universal early on
• PTSD with substance use — we coordinate referrals when this is part of the picture

We also screen for trauma history during regular visits. Many patients don't realize their migraines, GI symptoms, or chronic pain are connected to untreated PTSD until someone asks the right questions.

We know walking through the door is hard. Your first visit is structured to feel manageable:

1. You set the pace. We won't ask you to relive trauma in detail at the first visit. We need enough information to make a treatment plan, not the whole story.
2. Symptom assessment. We use brief validated tools (PCL-5 and similar) to measure where things stand today, so we can track whether treatment is working.
3. Medical workup. Sleep, blood pressure, thyroid, alcohol use, and a full medication history. Trauma physiology affects the whole body.
4. Treatment plan. Typically an SSRI or SNRI, attention to sleep, and a referral to a trauma-trained therapist if you don't have one. We'll talk through what each piece does and why.
5. Follow-up. Every 2 to 4 weeks early on, then every 3 months once you're stable.

For a clear, patient-facing overview of what PTSD is and how it's treated, the National Institute of Mental Health's PTSD page is a good resource to read before or after your visit.

Medication management (what we do in-house)

• SSRIs — sertraline and paroxetine are FDA-approved for PTSD; fluoxetine and escitalopram are also commonly used.
• SNRIs — venlafaxine has strong evidence.
• Prazosin — for trauma-related nightmares and sleep disruption.
• Targeted symptom management — sleep, hypertension, and pain that often co-occur with PTSD.
• What we generally avoid — benzodiazepines, which can worsen PTSD long-term despite short-term relief.

Trauma-focused therapy (what we refer for)

The three therapies with the strongest evidence are:

• Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) — typically 12 sessions, focused on changing how you think about the trauma.
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) — uses guided eye movements while processing memories.
• Prolonged exposure (PE) — gradual, structured re-engagement with trauma-related memories and situations.

We maintain a working network of clinicians trained in these methods so the referral is real, not a phone list. The American Psychiatric Association's PTSD overview explains the evidence behind each approach.

Come in when:

• It's been more than a month since the event and symptoms haven't faded
• You're having flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive memories that disrupt your day
• You're avoiding people, places, or situations that remind you of what happened
• You're not sleeping, or you're drinking or using substances to cope
• Your relationships, work, or school are suffering
• You experienced trauma years ago but symptoms are flaring up now

You don't have to be in crisis to come in. You also don't have to know exactly what's wrong. Many patients book a visit for sleep or anxiety and find out PTSD is the underlying issue.

If you are in immediate crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) or go to your nearest emergency department. Veterans can press 1 after calling 988 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line.

Three things make our PTSD program different:

1. Access without the wait. Same-week appointments are typically available. You don't sit on a months-long waiting list before someone starts helping.
2. Integrated care. PTSD affects sleep, blood pressure, GI function, pain, and substance use. Treating those alongside the mental health piece is what primary care does well.
3. Real therapy coordination. We refer to trauma-trained clinicians we know, and we communicate with them through your treatment.

Most major commercial insurance, Medicare, and Medicare Advantage plans are expected to be accepted at opening. We're located at 330 Sugar Magnolia Ln, Knightdale, NC 27545, serving patients across Wendell, Zebulon, Wake Forest, Rolesville, Garner, and East Raleigh.