Condition · Texas
PTSD Treatment in Texas
PTSD is diagnosed when intrusion, avoidance, negative changes in mood or thinking, and heightened arousal persist for more than a month after a traumatic event and impair daily life. It responds to specific, well-studied treatments. Lyte Psychiatry treats PTSD across Texas.
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Akinwande Akintola, MD · Last reviewed July 2026 · Next review January 2027
Understanding PTSD
The four symptom clusters matter because treatment targets them differently. Intrusion covers flashbacks and nightmares; avoidance covers people, places, and thoughts; negative alterations cover shame, blame, and numbing; arousal covers hypervigilance, irritability, and startle.
The one-month boundary is not arbitrary. Below it, an acute stress reaction may still resolve on its own, and over-treating early can interfere with natural recovery. Beyond it, spontaneous remission becomes less likely and structured treatment earns its place.
Sleep is often the pressure point. Nightmares and fragmented sleep amplify every other symptom, so addressing them early frequently makes the rest of the work possible.
Symptoms and when to seek an evaluation
- Flashbacks or intrusive memories of the event
- Nightmares and disrupted sleep
- Avoiding reminders, including people, places, and conversations
- Persistent guilt, shame, or blame directed at yourself
- Emotional numbing and detachment from people close to you
- Hypervigilance, exaggerated startle, and difficulty concentrating
Seek an evaluation when these symptoms have lasted for weeks, are getting worse, or are affecting your work, sleep, or relationships. If you are thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 now.
What your first visit involves
- Confirming the four symptom clusters and the more-than-one-month duration
- Nightmare and sleep review, since it usually determines the first treatment target
- Screening for depression, alcohol use, and traumatic brain injury
- Direct safety review, including suicidal thoughts, which are elevated in PTSD
First appointments run longer than follow-ups so there is time to take a full history. You leave with a working diagnosis, a plan, and a follow-up date rather than a prescription and no explanation.
Therapy, psychiatry, and combined care
- Trauma-focused psychotherapy such as cognitive processing therapy or prolonged exposure
- SSRI or SNRI medication, the best-supported pharmacological option for PTSD
- Targeted treatment of trauma-related nightmares where clinically appropriate
- Sleep and arousal stabilisation before processing work begins
- Coordinated care with VA or community programmes when a patient is already enrolled
Therapy and psychiatry are delivered in-house by clinicians licensed in Texas and share one chart, so a prescriber and a therapist working with you are looking at the same notes. Many people do best with both.
What we do not treat here
- Lyte does not provide EMDR or intensive outpatient PTSD programmes in-house
- We do not complete VA disability evaluations or forensic reports
- Benzodiazepines are not recommended as PTSD treatment and are not part of our standard approach
Care options at Lyte
Clinicians who provide this care
Insurance and cost
Lyte is in network with several Texas plans, and coverage depends on your specific plan and benefits. We verify your benefits before the first visit so you know your expected cost in advance. See which plans we accept.
Frequently asked questions
How soon after a traumatic event can PTSD be diagnosed?
Not before one month has passed. Within the first four weeks the relevant diagnosis is acute stress disorder, and many people recover in that window without formal treatment.
Which therapies have the best evidence for PTSD?
Trauma-focused psychotherapies, principally cognitive processing therapy, prolonged exposure, and EMDR. Lyte delivers trauma-focused CBT approaches in-house and refers for EMDR when that is the better fit.
Can medication treat PTSD on its own?
SSRIs and SNRIs help, particularly with mood, arousal, and sleep, but trauma-focused therapy generally produces larger and more durable change. Most plans use medication to make therapy possible rather than to replace it.
Do you work with veterans?
Yes. Lyte treats veterans, service members, and first responders across Texas by telehealth. We coordinate with existing VA care where it is in place, but we do not complete disability evaluations.
Sources
Related conditions
- Complex PTSD: trauma that repeated over yearsProlonged interpersonal trauma adds self-concept and relational difficulties that need extra treatment phases.
- Acute Stress Disorder: the first four weeks after an eventSame symptom family, different window, and different decisions about whether to intervene.
- Trauma: trauma responses that never met criteriaSub-threshold trauma responses are common and are treated without a PTSD label.
- Insomnia: sleep that never recoveredTrauma-related nightmares and insomnia often persist after other symptoms improve.
- Substance Use Disorder: alcohol used to blunt the symptomsCo-occurring substance use changes the order in which PTSD treatment is delivered.
PTSD care in your city
This page is for general education and is not medical advice or a substitute for care from your own clinician. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 (the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), and for a medical emergency call 911.
Book a PTSD evaluation
Lyte Psychiatry sees patients by secure telehealth across Texas and in person at our Pantego clinic in the Dallas–Fort Worth area.
Book an appointment