Approximately 7% to 8% of people will experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at some time in their lives, but it often remains hidden beneath a facade of normalcy. Many individuals with PTSD appear to function well on the surface — maintaining relationships, holding jobs, and navigating daily activities — while internally battling emotional numbness, hypervigilance, and persistent trauma responses. Understanding PTSD treatment requires recognizing that healing involves more than managing visible symptoms; it means addressing the deep-seated neurological changes that trauma can create in the brain.
Denis Grigorov, PMHNP, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner at Neuro Wellness Spa in Long Beach, offers a unique perspective to PTSD treatment through both his clinical expertise and personal understanding of trauma as a military veteran.
“On the outside, they look fine. They’re able to socialize, they’re able to do things, get throughout the day, able to have relationships, but on the inside they’re hurting,” explains Denis, who currently serves as a United States Air Force captain while providing specialized care to veterans and patients alike.
One of the most interesting insights Denis shares is how PTSD triggers can be deceptively simple yet devastatingly impactful. A situation as commonplace as being yelled at during a relationship conflict can force someone struggling with PTSD to shut down or dissociate, especially when they aren’t equipped with adequate coping mechanisms to handle the trigger.
In this informative video, you’ll learn:
- What Is PTSD?
- Understanding PTSD Therapy: Options and Strategies
- PTSD Treatments: Which Is the Best and Which Is Right for You?
- Everything You Need To Know About TMS for PTSD
Denis distinguishes between acute PTSD and chronic PTSD, explaining that chronic cases involve additional layers of guilt, shame, and emotional disconnection that persist for years. Additionally, he describes PTSD anxiety as fundamentally different from general, situational worry — it’s a constant sense of dread or fear without an identifiable source of danger.
Perhaps most importantly, Denis emphasizes that while living with PTSD feels “exhausting” and leaves people feeling “emotionally raw,” there are effective treatment options available that can provide genuine relief without the side effects of traditional medications.
If you or a loved one is struggling with PTSD, Neuro Wellness Spa offers comprehensive trauma treatment services administered by expert clinicians who understand the complexities of post-traumatic stress. Our specialized care team provides therapy, TMS therapy, medication management when appropriate, and ongoing support for lasting recovery. Call (877) 558-9207 today to begin your journey toward healing and reclaiming your life from trauma.
Denis Grigorov, PMHNP, on PTSD Treatment
“On the outside, they look fine. They’re able to socialize, they’re able to do things, get throughout the day, able to have relationships, but on the inside they’re hurting. There’s emotional numbness, there’s hypervigilance, there’s detachment, there’s essential dissociate happening. They’re really, really struggling and they need help.”
“Hi, my name is Denis Grigorov, I’m a psychiatric nurse practitioner here at Neuro Wellness Spa. My background is military veteran myself. I’m currently serving as a United States Air Force captain, and I enjoy providing care to our veterans and our patients.”
What are the common symptoms of PTSD?
“They include flashbacks, nightmares, emotional numbness, and insomnia. Avoiding triggers that can cause PTSD include potentially, in some patients, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, but overall it’s that kind of a trauma sensation that you carry within you.”
What are some common triggers of PTSD?
“It could be as simple as being yelled at. If you’re in a relationship and having difficulties and someone is yelling at you, potentially that trigger can essentially force that patient to close off and, in some cases, disassociate even from that instance because they feel threatened by it — they feel in danger.
“And so, they don’t have the coping skills to handle that situation. And it could result in them reacting in a way where they could potentially show anger, frustration, and [are] simply unable to deal with the situation at that time.”
What are the differences between PTSD and chronic PTSD?
“So chronic PTSD is a type of PTSD that sticks with you for a long period of time, typically years. And even though on the surface, patients show the ability to, maybe, adapt to that one situation, inside they are unable to. They’re living in fear, they’re living, in a sense, of heightened sense of hyperarousal where different triggers and different sensations can potentially make you feel very uncomfortable with what’s going on.
“In chronic PTSD, now you have additional symptoms of guilt, feelings of shame, feelings of emotional lack of response to certain situations. And overall, it’s really the inability to manage how you’re feeling in the long term.”
What does PTSD anxiety feel like?
“It’s not just worrying about things — it’s that constant sense of dread that something bad is about to happen, and just really the inability to shake that feeling off. Essentially, you’re living in fear, without a source of fear.
Patients describe it to me as having racing thoughts, their hands are sweating, their heart is racing, essentially it’s mimicking almost a panic attack. Essentially the way they describe it overall is, you know, it is almost like living in fear without having an actual source of fear present in their life.”
Why is living with PTSD difficult?
“Honestly, it feels exhausting. The patients report to me that they feel emotionally raw, they’re always second guessing themselves, they’re really unable to process the trauma they may be experiencing. Essentially carrying the trauma within them every single day, and it just feels exhausting.”
How do you calm a PTSD episode?
“Well, there are grounding techniques we can practice — essentially, staying grounded to the present is key. It could be as simple as recalling something that’s happening around you, touching a cold surface, or recalling a familiar name — something to kind of ground you and bring you back to reality.
“Here at Neuro Wellness Spa, of course, we provide a comprehensive, holistic way to treat it. Primary [treatment] is TMS, which stands for transcranial magnetic stimulation, which is a preferred method for treating PTSD, mainly because it’s effective, but also it has no side effects unlike medication.”