PTSD is a mental health condition that can follow a frightening or life-threatening event. Not everyone who lives through trauma develops it. Symptoms may include unwanted memories, avoidance, sleep trouble, and feeling on edge. They often last more than a month and begin to affect daily life. A shorter reaction in the first weeks is not the same condition. Dr. Ijeoma Mbionwu, DNP, PMHNP-BC, listens before any plan is discussed.
A memory can return without warning. Your body may react as if the moment is happening again.
Upsetting dreams can break the night. Falling asleep may also feel unsafe or out of reach.
You may stay away from places, talks, or reminders that bring the event too close.
You may feel on guard, startle easily, or scan a room even when it seems calm.
Guilt, anger, numbness, or distance from people you care about can settle in over time.
Focus can slip when your mind is busy watching for danger or pushing a memory away.
Tasks and meetings may feel harder when concentration is thin and reminders show up at work.
You may pull back from people you trust, or feel irritable when they ask what is wrong.
Errands, driving, or crowded places may get skipped to avoid a reminder of what happened.
Broken nights and constant alertness can leave you tired before the day has even started.
Not every trauma leads to PTSD. The event itself, earlier hardship, and the support you had afterward can all play a part. Family history and other health conditions may also matter. Symptoms can start within months or show up later. Grief can overlap with trauma, though the two are not the same. Poor sleep can keep the days harder and make memories feel louder. A careful history helps your provider sort what fits, without asking you to share more than you are ready to share.
PTSD care looks at the whole person: sleep, stress, relationships, physical health, other conditions, and goals. Your plan is personalized and evidence-based, from a board-certified PMHNP, in Orlando or by telehealth across Florida.
A careful visit covers symptoms, history, health, sleep, and what daily life feels like now.
Medicine may be discussed when it fits. Side effects and how you feel are reviewed over time.
Talking through stress and safety may support care alongside other parts of your plan.
Later visits leave room for questions, sleep changes, and what feels manageable that week.
The visit starts with your story, at a pace you can tolerate, including sleep, health, and goals.
From there, you and your provider discuss options that fit your needs and daily responsibilities.
Follow-up visits leave room for questions, side effects, and changes in how the week is going.
You do not have to carry this alone. Schedule Your Appointment or Call 407-616-1691. Visits are available in Orlando or by telehealth across Florida. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 or call 911.
Getting started with StarMaris is simple. Please complete the forms below before your first appointment to help us provide timely, personalized psychiatric care. Referring providers can submit patient referrals securely online. For questions, call us at 407-616-1691.