Therapists cannot prescribe medication. You'll need a doctor to do that. Most therapists recognize when medication will be of assistance to a client, and, after discussing this with the client, will refer their client to a specific psychiatrist they work with on a regular basis. The psychiatrist usually will only be involved in your medications, not your therapy. Your therapist should be coordinating with the psychiatrist about your medications and the affects.

Some therapists do not believe in the use of medications for PTSD or any of the related symptoms. They will usually let you know this up front in the first few visits.

The decision to take or not take medications is up to you. Like many people, I resisted them for over a year. I was afraid of the long and short term effects, along with the knowledge I would have to notify my employer I was taking medication that could impact on my ability to drive or operate machinery/equipment. My PTSD digressed and I eventually gave in to the meds, after getting a 2nd opinion. Within 3-4 weeks the cloud of depression lifted, and I was able to start functioning in ways I hadn't been able too for several years. This also allowed my therapy to progress in better and healthier ways than when I was dealing with the depression. Looking back, I now realize I impeded my progress in therapy by not starting the meds sooner. In my case, I believe the meds helped me greatly. I've had no side affects or drowsiness. No one knows I'm on medication, unless I elect to tell them.

Be aware that different psychiatrists have different opinions about which of these drugs work best. If you temporarily (or permanently) change psychiatrists, such as a short hospital stay, you need to make it very clear you do not want your meds changed, if they are working for you. Some psychiatrists don't hear this message well, so you need to say it loud and clear. If you don't, you may find yourself going through drug related emotional problems until the new medicines start working, then you'll get to do it again when you go back to your regular psychiatrist.

The two most common medicine types prescribed for PTSD are the anti-depressants and anti-anxiety drugs. Beta blockers (i.e. Atenolol) may also help to control adrenaline rushes, especially during anxiety and panic attacks.

Anti-Depressants

The anti-depressants usually take several weeks (up to a month depending on which one) to start working. Psychiatrists normally start off with a low dose, and gradually increase the dosage over the first couple months until they obtain the desired effect. Sometimes one type of anti-depressant will not work, and they may have to try several different types over several months. This is, unfortunately, not unusual. Don't give up if the first two anti-depressants don't work for you. Keep trying until your doctor finds the right one for you. The relief you will gain is worth the patience.

For some people, some of these drugs can have undesitable affects. If that happens, it is imperative to contact the prescribing doctor asap. Before starting any med, I gave my wife and kids permission to tell me or my doctor should I start acting more aggressive, compulsive, mood swings, etc.

When the time comes that you decide to stop taking the anti-depressants, discuss this with your therapist and psychiatrist first. If you decide to quit on your own, don't stop taking the anti-depressants overnight. I did that once and will never do it again, it almost made me take my life. The dosage needs to be tapered down over several weeks or even a month.

Also be sure to talk to your psychiatrist about drug interactions. Certain anti-depressants, most notably the MAO inhibitors, will cause adverse reactions when mixed with certain other meds, and even some foods. There are other anti-depressants that are much safer that your doctor will probably try first.

Anti-Anxiety Tranquilizers

There are numerous anti-anxiety type drugs that a doctor can prescribe to help anxiety. The most affective and most common for PTSD are the benzodiazapines Lorazapam (trade name Ativan), Alprazolam (trade name Xanax), and Clonazapam (trade name Klonipin). Unlike the anti-depressants, you will feel a benzodiazapine working within the first hour after you take it (usually even sooner).

Most of the anti-anxiety drugs have a potential for abuse, addiction, and chemical dependency. Your doctor will discuss this with you before they are prescribed. If you have a potential for addiction, especially to alcohol, you will want to advise your doctor. In a controlled dose these drugs can be very helpful. In an uncontrolled dose they can do much more damage than good. Abusing benzodiazapines will not help your PTSD.

People with PTSD are prone to want to medicate the feelings away. Having tranquilizers easily accessible, for some people, is not necessarily a good thing. Ditto analgesics.

Herbal Alternatives

Some people and therapists believe in alternatives to medications, using natural herbs instead. Be careful in using herbs instead of prescribed medications. The FDA in the United States does not monitor herbs, therefore the quality control tends to be poor and the actual dose of the herb you are seeking can vary greatly, and often there will be other herbs mixed in with it that could cause an undesirable affect. Marketing has done more for these substances than any legit medical research. There are all natural herbs that can hurt you, even kill you. Remember Ewell Gibbons?

MDMA (aka Ecstasy)

If there is a legit use for MDMA to help people with severe PTSD, that would be absolutely wonderful. But if there is any chance it would harm people with PTSD, it needs to be discovered BEFORE it's used for that purpose. All indications are that it would harm some people more than it would help them. Some people who have a history of depression and mental disorders should not take MDMA. PTSD IS a mental disorder. PTSD alters several functions of your brain and central nervous system. Short non-lasting fixes could have a major negative impact on someone with PTSD.

Using MDMA on PTSD patients without the medical studies to clear its safety is unethical and immoral. Therapists who use any drug on anyone, especially someone with PTSD, based on the experience of past use versus legit unbiased medical studies, is not safe to work with.

10.	Not getting evaluated to see if meds might help
9.	Not double checking the doc to learn the side effects and interactions with other substances
8.	Not taking the meds once they've been prescribed
7.	Not taking the meds on time, missing too many dose times
6.	Taking the meds for awhile, then stopping cold turkey, for various reasons
5.	Taking "Herbal" supplements.....herbal remedies are one of the biggest scams going. Marketing.
4.	Taking one or more meds more frequent than prescribed
3.	Taking one or more meds in higher doses than prescribed
2.	Drinking ANY alcohol while on the meds, even Nyquil
1.	Taking any stimulant, hallucinogen, opiate, cannabis, depressant, inhalant, or dissociative anesthetic with the meds, or worse.....replacing the meds with one of these. You make this choice, and you will likely start a path to unbelievable pain and self destruction from which you may not ever recover.