Dr. Grace Graham has served as a psychologist and consultant at Charis Counseling and Psychological Services since she founded the practice in 1992. In the following decades, Dr. Grace Graham has treated a number of individuals affected by PTSD.

1. Dr Grace Graham

2.  Dr. Grace Graham has served as a psychologist and
consultant at Charis Counseling and Psychological
Services since she founded the practice in 1992. In the
following decades, Dr. Grace Graham has treated a
number of individuals affected by PTSD.
Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, may occur
when an individual experiences an extremely
frightening and typically life-threatening event. The
symptoms of this condition often include hyperarousal,
a symptom cluster that includes increased anxiety,
extreme guardedness, and a heightened startle
response. Individuals with this symptom set may also
experience difficulty concentrating, irritability, or sleep
disturbances.

3.  Hyperarousal can be difficult to treat, as it manifests in so
many different ways. Many clinicians find that prolonged
exposure therapy makes an effective base treatment, as
contact with a dreaded stimulus can over time help to
reduce the fear response. As this response diminishes, the
patient's alert mechanism becomes less intense as well.
Meanwhile, cognitive therapies can help a client to address
and change the emotional responses that occur when the
individual thinks about the trauma. By consciously re-
forming responses, clients can redirect themselves away
from hyperarousal responses. In many cases, these therapies
work in conjunction with a medication regimen that
addresses the neural processes affected by trauma.