Pharmacotherapy of posttraumatic stress disorder
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the medications of first choice for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as other serotonergic antidepressants. However, in everyday clinical practice, various other groups of psychotherapeutic drugs are also useful. For example, antiadrenergic agents may be effective if given early after psychological trauma and useful as a secondary prevention for chronic PTSD. Mood stabilizers are frequently useful in the treatment of patients with chronic PTSD, impulsive, aggressive behaviour and affect-regulation problems who do not respond to first-line treatment with SSRIs. Atypical antipsychotics may be of great value in the therapy of severe, treatment-refractory cases of PTSD with disorganized behaviour and/or (comorbid) psychotic symptoms.
Key words:
drug therapy; serotonin uptake inhibitors; stress disorders, post-traumatic
