After being diagnosed with PTSD what is generally the next step?

Get hep? Join a group, talk with other fellow vets that have conquered this. I know some who day it’s an on going problem but it got better. I would seek out help from friends or professionally. My bf’s car club raises money for PTSD awareness since the president is a vet.

PTSD can extend well beyond combat. Just saying.

Usually psychotherapy and/or medication is the next step. PTSD can go hand in hand with other disorders (such as depression and anxiety). It really depends on the individual. I have PTSD and have been on medication for social anxiety and depression for two decades. Often, medication is used to help one focus better which, in turn, helps psychotherapy to be successful. I do not attend regular counselling at this time; however, I do still take medication daily.
If I remember correctly, the main medications (in North America) for PTSD are Paxil and Zoloft. Not a whole lot of choices for that particular disorder, medication wise.
Psychotherapy can occur one on one or within a group (depending on your needs).

PTSD is one situation which is rarely helped by stoically trying to go it alone or “toughing it out”. That just leaves you stuck in misery.

Seek out all of the sources of help which are available to you. Some people respond well to group therapy and sharing while others find individual counseling more helpful. Some people make significant progress utilizing both.

Some people have also been greatly helped by a service dog.

Whatever you do, don’t try to go it alone. Just keep working at it and don’t hesitate to ask for help and keep asking until you find something which enables you to make progress no matter how gradual. Don’t give up.

Yes – get help.

The antiquated therapeutic notion of laying on a couch and retelling every bad event in your life is probably more harmful than helpful for PTSD.

Find someone who has had therapeutic success working with clients with PTSD. Cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness and dialectical behavior therapy have been known to be beneficial.

For me, yoga was helpful as well. I found some positions to be triggering… but was able to work through the feelings that were evoked and felt much stronger (physically and emotionally) as a result. The mind-quieting aspect of yoga was tremendously beneficial as well.

The treatment doled out by the VA was completely ineffective. Effexor and occasional therapy coupled with mindfulness(?) exercises were helpful. Still have the occasional nightmare and trouble with hypervigilance.

Darling pleiades, yes. You don’t have to be alone, because a LOT of people (see above) have
looked for and gotten help. There are wonderful, compassionate, experienced people out there who have worked through this stuff. They will help you. Can you find them on your own? Let us know.