Integrative Treatments for Masked Anxiety and PTSD in Highly Sensitive Patients

Abstract

Although anxiety is not always the most obvious symptom in complex cases, it must be recognized and addressed. The following four cases represent unrecognized atypical presentations of anxiety disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in patients who did not respond well to conventional psychotropic medications. In these cases, affective, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms significantly improved with integrative treatments combining medicinal herbs, nootropics, other complementary approaches, and in some cases prescription psychotropic medications. When stress-related physical symptoms, such as dystonias, become the focus of treatment, the anxiety underlying the physical condition may escape notice. Patients who do not respond well to conventional medications or who have drug sensitivities are often mislabeled as “treatment-resistant.” The urgent need for behavioral control of patients with developmental disorders, learning disabilities, and communication impairments often leads to the overuse of sedating major tranquilizers that miss the real target symptoms and exacerbate underlying cognitive and coordination dysfunctions. The treatment of anxiety, depression, and mild cognitive impairment in elderly patients with mild herbal formulas can significantly improve quality of life. Patients who do not respond adequately to prescription psychotropics and those who are sensitive to medication side effects are a large subgroup of people who benefit most from integrative and complementary approaches.