Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a serious psychiatric condition that can develop after exposure to a traumatic event. It affects millions of people — not only veterans and first responders, but survivors of accidents, assault, childhood abuse, natural disasters, medical trauma, and many other experiences. PTSD is not a sign of weakness. It is a physiological response of the brain and nervous system to overwhelming experiences — and it is highly treatable.
At PsychBright Health, our board-certified psychiatrists specialize in PTSD and trauma-related disorder diagnosis and treatment. We provide evidence-based, compassionate care to help patients process trauma, reduce symptoms, and reclaim their lives.
PTSD develops when the normal process of integrating a traumatic experience is disrupted, leaving the brain in a state of chronic threat response. The traumatic memory is stored differently from ordinary memories — it remains vivid, intrusive, and emotionally charged, as though the threat is still present. This drives the hallmark symptoms of PTSD: re-experiencing, avoidance, negative changes in mood and cognition, and hyperarousal.
PTSD can develop immediately after trauma or emerge weeks, months, or even years later. It can follow a single traumatic event or develop from prolonged, repeated trauma — as in childhood abuse, domestic violence, or combat exposure.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
The full syndrome of re-experiencing, avoidance, negative alterations in cognition and mood, and hyperarousal — lasting more than one month and causing significant functional impairment.
Acute Stress Disorder
A similar cluster of trauma symptoms occurring within three days to one month of a traumatic event. Early treatment of acute stress disorder can prevent the development of full PTSD.
Complex PTSD (C-PTSD)
Developing from prolonged, repeated trauma — particularly in childhood or situations where escape was not possible — C-PTSD involves the core PTSD symptoms plus significant difficulties with emotional regulation, self-perception, and interpersonal relationships.
Adjustment Disorders
Emotional or behavioral symptoms developing in response to an identifiable stressor, causing distress disproportionate to the stressor’s severity or significant functional impairment.
PTSD symptoms fall into four clusters. If you are experiencing symptoms across multiple clusters following a traumatic experience, a psychiatric evaluation is warranted:
Re-experiencing symptoms:
Avoidance symptoms:
Negative changes in mood and cognition:
Hyperarousal and reactivity symptoms:
If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please seek immediate help by calling or texting 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) or going to your nearest emergency room.
PTSD is diagnosed through a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation. A psychiatrist conducts a detailed clinical interview reviewing the traumatic event or events, the onset and duration of symptoms, their impact across all four symptom clusters, and the degree of functional impairment.
Diagnostic criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) require that symptoms persist for more than one month and cause significant distress or impairment. The evaluation also screens carefully for co-occurring conditions — including depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, and sleep disorders — that are extremely common in PTSD and require simultaneous treatment.
PTSD can develop following exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence — either experienced directly, witnessed, or learned about happening to a close person. Not everyone who experiences trauma develops PTSD. Risk factors that increase vulnerability include:
Many trauma survivors minimize their symptoms, attribute them to personal weakness, or manage them with avoidance or substance use for years before seeking help. If trauma has affected your life in any of the following ways, a psychiatric evaluation is an important next step:
At PsychBright Health, we approach PTSD treatment with expertise, sensitivity, and a deep respect for each patient’s experience. We understand that discussing trauma requires trust and safety — and we work at each patient’s pace. Our approach integrates medication management with coordination of evidence-based trauma-focused therapies, addressing PTSD alongside any co-occurring psychiatric conditions.
Every patient begins with a thorough, trauma-informed psychiatric evaluation. We assess PTSD symptoms across all four clusters, evaluate the impact on daily functioning and relationships, screen for co-occurring conditions, and work collaboratively with you to develop a personalized treatment plan that reflects your goals and readiness.
Medication can meaningfully reduce PTSD symptoms — particularly re-experiencing, hyperarousal, sleep disturbances, and co-occurring depression and anxiety:
We monitor your response carefully and adjust medications as needed to optimize effectiveness while minimizing side effects. Learn more about our Psychiatric Medication Management.
Trauma-focused psychotherapies are the most effective treatments for PTSD and are considered first-line interventions. We coordinate care with therapists trained in:
Many patients with PTSD also experience depression or anxiety. Learn more about our Depression Treatment and Anxiety Disorder Treatment.
Evidence-based lifestyle strategies support trauma recovery:
PTSD recovery is a process that unfolds over time. We provide regular follow-up appointments — in-person or via Telepsychiatry — to monitor progress, adjust medications, coordinate with your therapist, and provide consistent support throughout your recovery.
We offer secure, HIPAA-compliant video appointments for patients throughout California. For trauma survivors who find leaving home or attending in-person appointments triggering, telepsychiatry provides a safe and accessible alternative.
Effective PTSD treatment can transform the experience of living with trauma. Intrusive memories and nightmares become less frequent and less distressing. The hypervigilance that makes the world feel constantly dangerous begins to ease. Emotional numbing lifts as the capacity for connection, joy, and safety returns. Avoidance gradually loosens — and the world that trauma had narrowed begins to open back up.
Recovery from PTSD does not mean forgetting what happened. It means that what happened no longer controls your present. With the right treatment, that is genuinely possible.
Yes. PTSD can develop in anyone following a traumatic experience. It is not a sign of weakness. Certain factors — including prior trauma history, lack of social support, and pre-existing mental health conditions — increase vulnerability, but PTSD can develop in anyone regardless of resilience, strength, or prior mental health history.
PTSD is diagnosed through a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation assessing symptoms across four clusters: re-experiencing, avoidance, negative mood and cognition changes, and hyperarousal. DSM-5 criteria require symptoms lasting more than one month with significant functional impairment.
The most evidence-based treatments for PTSD are trauma-focused psychotherapies — particularly Prolonged Exposure (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and EMDR — combined with medication when appropriate. SSRIs (sertraline, paroxetine) are FDA-approved for PTSD. The right combination depends on symptom severity, personal preference, and individual response.
Trauma-focused therapies do involve processing the traumatic event, but this is done carefully and gradually — at your pace and with extensive support. Medication management with a psychiatrist does not require detailed discussion of the trauma itself. We will never push you beyond what you are ready for.
Yes. We offer secure, HIPAA-compliant video appointments for patients across California, including for evaluation and ongoing medication management for PTSD.
Yes. PsychBright Health accepts most major insurance plans. Please call us at (213) 584-2331 to confirm your coverage before your first appointment.
We typically offer same-week appointments. Submit a request online or call (213) 584-2331 and our team will follow up within one business day.
You do not have to keep carrying the weight of trauma alone. Our experienced psychiatric team is here to help you find the right treatment, process what you have been through, and build a path toward genuine recovery.
Schedule an appointment with a board-certified psychiatrist at PsychBright Health today. Telepsychiatry appointments are available across California.
Call (213) 584-2331 or submit an appointment request online.
1180 S Beverly Dr #700, Los Angeles, CA 90035 · Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM
Recovery from trauma is possible. Get the psychiatric support you need to heal and move forward.
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