VA launched a new online tool this week that will help Veterans compare various treatment options for post-traumatic stress disorder.

The PTSD Treatment Decision Aid is a free, interactive online tool that helps educate patients about effective treatment options for PTSD and encourages them to participate actively in decisions about their care.

“The health and well-being of the courageous men and women who have served their country in uniform is the VA’s highest priority,” said VA secretary, Dr. David J. Shulkin. “The PTSD Treatment Decision Aid is an important step in putting Veterans in control of their health care. By helping to bridge understanding and communication between Veterans and providers about the most effective treatment options available, we are ensuring Veterans receive the treatments that best promote their healing and recovery.”

The tool includes information about evidence-based PTSD treatments, such as talk therapy and prescription medication options. It also includes useful information designed for people who have served in the military. Users can watch videos of providers explaining different treatment options and what to expect with those treatments and hear from Veterans who have benefited from them.

Watch a video on the PTSD Treatment Decision Aid

Veterans can also build a chart to compare the treatments they prefer and print a personalized summary to share with their providers. All personal information is erased once the tool is closed to protect users’ privacy.

According to VA findings, approximately eight of every 100 people will experience PTSD at some point in their lifetimes, and almost 620,000 of the Veterans treated by VA have a diagnosis of PTSD.

“We know from research and our own clinical experience that Veterans can recover and improve their quality of life with the right PTSD treatment plan,” said Dr. Poonam Alaigh, VA’s acting under secretary for health. “We want our Veterans and those who care for them to have access to effective treatment options. Knowing about the latest research can help them get the best care possible.”

To learn more about PTSD visit the National Center for PTSD website at www.ptsd.va.gov. Health-care providers who have questions about the PTSD Treatment Decision Aid or other free resources can email the PTSD Consultation Program at PTSDconsult@va.gov or call 866-948-7880.

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3 Comments

  1. Jacques ehlenfeldt June 9, 2017 at 11:20

    Thank you very much for for the info……

  2. Bobby Stevens June 9, 2017 at 10:40

    I take 2,700mg a day for neuropathy that doesn’t help. Never heard of it used for PTSD. For me I have been diagnosed with PTSD , Neuropathy and it doesn’t help me .

  3. THOMAS GOMEZ June 3, 2017 at 23:25

    DR carpenter gave me gabapentin its working for me. she said its good for ptsd. i think this is a good treatment for ptsd. its an old drug i was drinking every night for years! cried every day!i still think about viet nam every single day after all these years! i still think about nam but the gabapentin kind of helps you not go deep in to that ole every day. and yes i still get emotional allot. still hear the sounds of gun fire and artillery in my head and memories of that place! but not to the extent that it drove me to drink every day, gabapentin stops you from drinking. i haven’t had a drink not even a beer in months .. i know this med now. try it vets the va carries it… prozac the rest of that type is not for me.. this med helps ! it calms you. slows the thoughts and memories of combat down! you will still have them but the difference is . before when you went to the door of war memories you walked through it, this med brings you to the same door but you don’t open it all the way and walk in. i don’t know how to explain it any other way.try the gabapentin 300 mg it works! i couldn’t imagine my life with out it now.im sleeping now instead of pulling guard in my own home at night. haven’t had a nightmare since i have bin on them. try this my brothers. ptsd is a cross to bare in life . i know that now.doctor carpenter left the va last month she was at the sav ga va. wish i could let her know how she made my life better! thomas gomez…

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