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PTSD
What is PTSD?
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, or a disturbing set of circumstances. An individual may experience this as emotionally or physically harmful and may affect mental, physical, social, and spiritual well-being. Examples include natural disasters, serious accidents, terrorist acts, war/combat, assault, historical trauma and bullying,
PTSD has been known by many names in the past, such as “shell shock” during the years of World War I and “combat fatigue” after World War II, however PTSD does not just apply to combat veterans. PTSD can occur in people of all ages, nationality or culture. PTSD affects approximately 3.5 percent of U.S. adults every year. An estimate of one in 11 people will be diagnosed with PTSD in their lifetime.
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People with PTSD have intense, disturbing thoughts and feelings related to their experience that last long after the traumatic event has ended. They may relive the event through flashbacks or nightmares; they may feel sadness, fear or anger; and they may feel detached or estranged from other people. People with PTSD may avoid situations or people that remind them of the traumatic event, and they may have strong negative reactions to something as ordinary as a loud noise or an accidental touch.
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For a person to be diagnosed with PTSD, however, symptoms must last for more than a month and cause significant distress or problems in the individual's daily functioning. Many individuals develop symptoms within three months of the trauma, but symptoms may appear later and often persist for months and sometimes years. PTSD often occurs with other related conditions, such as depression, substance use, memory problems and other physical and mental health problems.
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How can HBOT help improve PTSD?
Research studies suggest that HBOT could be an effective treatment for PTSD, especially where other conventional treatments such as psychotherapy or medication have not helped treat the PTSD. The research suggests that experiencing a traumatic event can cause physical changes in the brain. HBOT is thought to help increase neuroplasticity (the ability to form new connections) in the brain and help heal this physical damage.
One study of military personnel with PTSD found that consecutive HBOT treatment over a 4-week period led to a significant reduction in symptoms: after HBOT, 52% no longer met the threshold criteria for a PTSD diagnosis. Anxiety and depression improved, while many were able to reduce psychoactive medications. These improvements seemed to continue for months after the treatment.
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Links for HBOT and PTSD
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https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1259473/full?
fbclid=IwAR1dbQIQHtBezPvdm_nOlLrt_k0PNbMm2_9WtGe8oyXL3jXHC4R9LWZLj4A
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https://academic.oup.com/milmed/article-abstract/188/7-8/e2227/6847541?redirectedFrom=fulltext