Is Medication Enough?

[Mistyeyed2013]

My boyfriend has complex PTSD and finally started going to a doctor (after I suggested it over and over again). He has issues from the past, an abusive father, that he needs to deal with. He's very quick to temper, has anxiety issues, and also has zero patience. He was diagnosed with ADD years ago and takes Adderall for it (which I think just exacerbates his anxiety). His doctor recently prescribed Zoloft to him which I think is a good start. It's been over a month now and he's a lot better overall. Our relationship has gotten a lot better BUT I feel like meds are not enough .I don't think it's "fixing" the problem just dealing with the symptoms. He still has a lot of anger issues and issues from the past that I feel he needs to deal with and needs to come to the surface. I think he needs some type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and/or some type of anger management therapy. He "feels" like everything is fixed although he continues to have weekly appts with his psychologist and in my opinion discusses very surface level things....like how has your week been?

Has meds been enough for those with PTSD or complex PTSD?? I know everyone is different but just wanted some input. I'm no expert but I've been doing a lot of reading and I "feel" that he still has the potential for losing his temper and that his anxiety is still there its just subdued some. He feels that he's totally fine now and I beg to differ. When I bring it up, he asks me "why am I being negative?" I'm not--I think I'm just being a realist. Any thoughts, comments, suggestions? Thank.s

 

[nomedic1]

He needs to stick with the therapy. Meds alone won't work.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Meds alone are never enough. They can help, but they won't fix anything. What if the meds stop working? (chances are they will at some point, that's just how it is with meds).

 

[ashdawn8287]

If you look at the research, good research, you will see that the combination of medication and therapy is very successful. Therapy is a hard thing to realize you need so I wouldn't overly pressure him. Maybe collect some research and talk with him about your findings.

Make sure your research is up to date, a lot of things are changing with PTSD as more people, especially military have developed it in recent years.

Look for research through universities, government sites, and APA site. Mayoclinic is usually the first to be updated. They collect all there findings from all over.

Medications are usually prescribed to help with the intense emotionally effects of trauma. I really don't think you can overcome this with out both.

 

[franciemarnie]

Meds alone aren't good. I loved Provigil and Concerta, which I think are related to the effects Adderal has but it didn't do me any good as far as PTSD and did exacerbate any tendency I had to snap. I found them addictive because they gave me a kick up in energy but in the long run they weren't helpful in tending to what ailed me. I just wanted more and more and they also kept me up at night and I already had problems sleeping.

 

[Mistyeyed2013]

Thanks everyone for your responses. Yes I do believe a combination of both meds and therapy will work. Its been a month and I am NO doctor but so far it seems like his therapist is going over the "how has your week been" type of questions. I really think they need to get to the bottom and unfortunately the root of the problem, the painful part...his childhood. I guess the therapist has an agenda and who am I to question it but I just feel that the therapist is just seeing how the meds work and just chatting with him about how his week has been. I believe he needs CBT. He needs to learn how to manage his anxiety and anger. And yes I agree, without therapy how can one overcome the issues. Has anyone tried CBT? And if so, how has it worked for you? Thanks.

 

[twopenny]

I've been put on sertraline (zoloft) as a stop gap while I'm on a waiting list for a therapist. It's not going to fix anything (I don't believe that drugs alone ever really fix anything head related, (other than things that are actually caused by chemical imbalance)). It's a useful symptom reliever - that's all.

Hub had CBT, and it worked for him - but different things work for different people. That's something to be decided between patient and therapist (though as supporters we can report back on changes in mood and behaviour).

It does sometimes take some time to find the right therapist, though - hub went through about four before he found one who helped him. It's something you have to be really careful with when raising, but if you have concerns then you should air them, IF you think he will cope with it ok.

 

[Mistyeyed2013]

Yes I will wait another month and see how his therapy goes. He does tell me generally about his sessions. But no mention of CBT. His doctor recently dropped his dosage from 100mg to 50mg due to sexual side affects. That has me a little apprehensive but I am not going to say anything just yet. I personally think he needs to learn how to manage his anger and his anxiety. I feel he also needs to learn how to handle his "fight or flight" mechanism. I agree with Twopenny, different things work for different people. I am just waiting patiently to see what happens. If someone else has tried something other can CBT, I would be curious to hear about it and how it has worked.

 

[Bark at the Moon]

I tried anger management therapy years ago and it didn't work so well for me. Since I found a good CBT therapist I saw results almost immediately. In the first month things got much better for me. Drugs + therapy has the best prognosis for recovery. Because remembering all the trauma is well - traumatizing so things get worse before they get better.

 

[Mistyeyed2013]

Thanks Bark At The Moon. I appreciate your input. May I ask, did the CBT therapy go alongside going over all the trauma or after all that was dealt with? Please excuse my ignorance to this.

 

[Bark at the Moon]

Thanks Bark At The Moon. I appreciate your input. May I ask, did the CBT therapy go alongside going over all the trauma or after all that was dealt with? Please excuse my ignorance to this.

Yes during the first month's worth of visits we discussed my extensive history of trauma and I was told to stop avoiding things that I indentified as my triggers. This made things get really hard for me at first but I noticed improvements almost right away. I was having really bad physical pain from all the stress and the pain was the first thing that went away. The nightmares/flashbacks also got worse before they got better, I still have nightmares and flashbacks but they aren't so bad that they wake me up in the middle of the night anymore. I also learned how to cope with panic attacks, I read books recommended by the therapist and educated myself as much as I could about Complex PTSD. Knowledge is strength and the lord knows we need a lot of strength to fight this uphill battle against PTSD.

 

[TeaLeaf]

Its been a month and I am NO doctor but so far it seems like his therapist is going over the "how has your week been" type of questions. I really think they need to get to the bottom and unfortunately the root of the problem, the painful part...his childhood. I guess the therapist has an agenda and who am I to question it but I just feel that the therapist is just seeing how the meds work and just chatting with him about how his week has been. I believe he needs CBT.

It is very typical for the early stages of therapy to go over "superficial" problems like how the week is going, it takes time to build trust and the big issues don't get dealt with immediately for many people with complex PTSD. Additionally, perhaps the therapist is waiting until the right dose of meds is found and they are stable in his system before starting more intense therapy?