PTSD tends to become chronic if untreated, but with evidence-based treatment a substantial proportion of people achieve meaningful improvement. Prolonged Exposure (PE) and EMDR are the treatments with the strongest evidence to date, and symptoms often decrease significantly within an average of 12–16 sessions. Treatment is effective even in chronic cases that have lasted for years, so there is no need to give up.

Our Korean Medicine Clinic's Perspective

At Dongjedang, we adjust the treatment period according to the depth of the disharmony between heart and kidney and the degree of heart-and-gallbladder deficiency. When sleep and hyperarousal symptoms predominate, noticeable change often appears within three months, while for long-standing chronic PTSD we plan for six months or more. Because recovery is faster when combined with psychotherapy, we recommend continuing psychiatric treatment as well.