REFRESH DALLAS · PTSD
Trauma changes the nervous system.
The startle that is bigger than it should be. The sleep that breaks at 3 a.m. and will not come back. The sense of being unsafe in places that are objectively safe. PTSD is a genuine condition with effective treatment, and we see patients across Texas who have been living with it for years.
In-network with most major insurance · Same-week availability · Psychiatric specialists
THE CONDITION
It does not only come from combat.
PTSD develops in response to traumatic experiences, and 'traumatic' is broader than many patients realize before they receive the diagnosis. Combat. Assault. Accidents. Childhood abuse. Medical trauma. Sudden loss. Emotionally damaging relationships. Witnessing violence. The body responds to threat by changing its wiring, and that wiring can stay changed.
The symptoms cluster into four areas. Intrusion, which is flashbacks and intrusive memories. Avoidance, which is steering clear of the reminders. Negative shifts in mood and cognition. Hyperarousal, which is the startle, the sleep disruption, the irritability, the trouble concentrating.
Many patients with PTSD have been treated for years as if they had depression or generalized anxiety. The treatments overlap in some places and diverge in others. The diagnosis matters.
OUR APPROACH
Treatment that targets the actual mechanism.
Certain antidepressants are first-line for PTSD and effective for many patients. Specific medications target specific pieces. The prazosin family of medications, for example, can help substantially with trauma-related nightmares. These are not blanket prescriptions. They are matched to what is actually happening for you.
Medication addresses the physiological dysregulation. It helps with the hyperarousal, the sleep, the constant background activation. It does not process the trauma itself. That work happens in trauma-focused therapy with a provider trained for it. We coordinate with those providers.
SCOPE OF CARE
Where another setting is the right call.
The trauma-focused psychotherapy piece happens with providers who have trained specifically in trauma work. EMDR. Cognitive Processing Therapy. Prolonged Exposure. Because medication alone doesn't process trauma and therapy alone often can't manage the physiology, we stay closely coordinated with the trauma providers doing that work.
Forensic evaluations, including VA disability claims and legal-context PTSD evaluations, are a different kind of clinical engagement and aren't something we provide.
FAQ
Questions.
Yes. PTSD can emerge or persist for years, sometimes decades, after the precipitating event. Delayed-onset PTSD is well-documented. The nervous system holds what it holds.
No. We need enough clinical understanding to treat you well, but the deep work of processing the trauma happens in therapy, and only at the pace you can sustain. Psychiatric appointments are not the place where the details have to come out.
Worth a real conversation. Cannabis can help in the short term and complicate things over time, particularly with PTSD-related dissociation. We talk through this honestly, not in lectures.
You can be helped substantially with medication alone. The best outcomes for most patients come from medication and trauma-focused therapy together.
If this is an emergency, or if you are worried about your safety right now, please reach out for support that can meet the moment. You can call or text 988 anytime to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If you are a veteran, dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255. You can also go to your nearest emergency department. When you are ready for outpatient care, we will be here.
PTSD is treatable. The work takes time and the work is worth it.