PTSD Specialist
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Ketamine Treatment Center of East Tennessee
Richard Jackson, MD
Integrative Medicine & Ketamine Therapy Clinic located in Johnson City, TN
About 5% of adolescents and nearly 7% of adults experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a mental health condition that causes a variety of potentially debilitating symptoms. Board-certified psychiatrist Richard Jackson, MD, provides innovative PTSD treatment with ketamine therapy at the Ketamine Treatment Center in Johnson City, Tennessee. If you or a loved one has PTSD that continues despite attempts at treatment, call the office or book an appointment online today.
PTSD Q & A
What is PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) sometimes develops in people who have experienced or witnessed a dangerous, scary, or shocking event. People with PTSD continue to feel stress and terror for weeks or months after the actual threat has passed.
What are the symptoms of PTSD?
People with PTSD have a wide range of symptoms that persist for at least one month.
Re-experiencing symptoms
Re-experiencing symptoms of PTSD can include flashbacks, nightmares, and scary thoughts. Certain events, objects, or words may trigger these symptoms.
Avoidance symptoms
Avoidance symptoms include staying away from places, objects, or events that remind you of the traumatic experience. Avoiding thoughts or feelings are also symptoms of PTSD.
Arousal and reactivity symptoms
Arousal and reactivity symptoms are usually constant and can make a person feel stressed and angry. Symptoms include feeling anxious or on edge, being easily startled, having trouble sleeping, and having outbursts of anger.
Cognition and mood symptoms
Cognition and mood symptoms can make a person feel isolated and detached. They include trouble remembering important facts about the traumatic event, negative thoughts, feelings of guilt or blame, and a loss of pleasure in enjoyable activities.
What PTSD treatments are available?
Conventional treatments for PTSD include medications, psychotherapy, or a combination of both. However, about 30-40% of people with PTSD don’t experience adequate relief from traditional treatments, even after trying multiple medications. In other cases, people can’t tolerate the side effects of medications.
At the Ketamine Treatment Center of East Tennessee, Dr. Jackson specializes in treating complex conditions like treatment-resistant PTSD with ketamine. He uses breakthrough techniques like ketamine infusion therapy and Spravato® nasal spray.
How does ketamine treat PTSD?
Ketamine acts on the glutamate receptors in your brain. Glutamate is a neurotransmitter that plays a role in the stress response, formation of traumatic memories, and the development of PTSD.
Unlike conventional medications, ketamine takes effect immediately and doesn’t cause lasting side effects. Some people feel better after the first treatment, but most experience optimal relief from a series of four to six sessions.
To find out if ketamine therapy for PTSD is right for you, call the Ketamine Treatment Center of East Tennessee, or book an appointment online today.