PTSD

MindSet Our Services PTSD
MindSet - - Psychiatrist

MindSet

Psychiatrists & Neuroscientists located in San Diego, CA

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects about 8% of adults, many of whom don’t respond well to medications. If you struggle with PTSD, the team at MindSet offer an effective option: personalized repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (PrTMS®), a customized treatment that improves brain function in areas affected by PTSD. To learn more about the brain arrhythmias associated with PTSD and how they can be overcome to improve symptoms, call the office in San Diego, California, or schedule an appointment online.

PTSD Q & A

What causes PTSD?

PTSD develops after a traumatic or life-threatening event. Many patients are directly involved in the event. However, someone can have PTSD even if they only witness the event or learn about serious trauma that affected a family member or friend.

Events that often cause PTSD include:

  • Military duty
  • Gun violence
  • Physical assault
  • Sexual assault
  • Severe accident
  • Natural disaster

Death of a close friend or family member can also trigger PTSD.

What symptoms develop due to PTSD?

PTSD causes symptoms such as:

  • Having flashbacks, sudden memories, or dreams of the event
  • Feeling stressed, easily startled, or hypersensitive
  • Needing to avoid the places or people that remind you of the event
  • Feeling guilty or depressed

Many patients feel like they’re to blame because they should have been able to prevent the trauma.

What is TMS and how does it treat PTSD?

After suffering trauma that causes PTSD, brainwave patterns are altered, reflecting changes in neuron activity. These electrical changes are directly related to PTSD symptoms.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has the proven ability to change brainwaves, restoring them to normal, and balancing neuron activity and improving PTSD symptoms. TMS uses a device that sends safe magnetic pulses into the brain. The pulses stimulate electrical activity, often producing long-term results.

What is PrTMS®?

PrTMS® improves on TMS, personalizing treatment to fit the brain’s unique brainwave patterns. The team at MindSet determines the intensity of the magnetic pulses and the precise area of the brain to target using:

PeakLogic ComfortScan™ EEG

The doctors at MindSet record brainwaves with an electroencephalogram (EEG), a process that only takes five minutes with their PeakLogic ComfortScan. Then EEG data is used to create a map of the brain’s electrical activity. The map shows the areas where there are brainwave arrhythmias.

Patient questionnaire

Patients complete a questionnaire that provides information about their symptoms.

Data evaluation using PeakLogic Software

The questionnaire data and brainwave map are analyzed with their leading-edge software, PeakLogic Software. This is where treatment is fully personalized, allowing the team at MindSet to target the brain areas associated with disrupted brainwaves and determine the intensity of magnetic pulses that are needed to normalize electrical activity.

What should I expect during treatment?

Throughout PrTMS® treatment, patients have additional EEGs so the team at MindSet can monitor their progress and adjust treatment intensity if needed. The initial treatment consists of 5 sessions every week for 6-8 weeks. During that time, most patients notice a difference in their symptoms in the first few weeks. 

If you need relief from PTSD, call MindSet or schedule an appointment online.

 

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