The SGB Injection for PTSD After Robbery

Robbery is a problem not just at the time that it occurs, but often for many years afterward. You will potentially feel unsafe in your own home, and you’ll worry about every noise and movement. Sleep might be difficult. You’ll be anxious when you leave the house. Lets face it, being robbed is not just something that affects you in the short term due to a loss of material goods; it is something that causes psychological issues and could even lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

If this is the case, life can become extremely difficult. For example, working might not be possible, or if you can work you might not be able to give it your best. Being around people is hard. Enjoying life, in general, is difficult due to the problems that PTSD leaves you suffering. Your life is forever changed.

PTSD occurs when the brain tries to process a traumatic event or situation. When it can’t handle it accurately, it goes into overdrive, alerting the body at every opportunity, keeping it in fight or flight mode, effectively adding stress to every waking moment. Armed robbery is a massively traumatic event, so of course PTSD is a very real result of being involved in such a crime.

Since everyone processes trauma and information differently, PTSD can present differently from person to person. However, there are some common symptoms of PTSD that include severe anxiety, nightmares, insomnia, flashbacks, constant fear, and also over-reaction and hyper-vigilance. All of these will have severe detrimental effects on everyday life.

As mentioned above, when suffering from PTSD after armed robbery, the ‘fight or flight’ response is activated throughout the body. In normal circumstances this is a good thing; it keeps the body and brain alert to danger and will enable someone to remove themselves from a potentially dangerous situation. When suffering from PTSD, however, this feeling is constant, causing stress and anxiety at all times, which can lead to many other medical complaints including depression, heart problems, ulcers, and more. 

Not only is this a psychological disorder, but studies have proved that people living with PTSD can grow new nerves which are negatively affected, amplifying the feelings that this condition brings. In addition, the body produces high levels of norepinephrine – a similar substance to adrenalin – keeping the amygdala (the fear center of the brain) over-stimulated.

It’s clear to see just how problematic PTSD is and how much it can affect everyday life.

If you are an armed robbery victim with PTSD, you may be pleased to read that there may be a solution. Using a stellate ganglion block (SGB), the amygdala can be controlled, effectively producing less norepinephrine. The SGB is a PTSD injection in the neck, as a mixture of local anesthetic is administered to the stellate ganglion (a group of nerves within the neck that controls the amygdala). 

Once the SGB for PTSD after robbery is in place, the fight or flight mode is de-activated, bringing all levels back down to normal. Your sympathetic nervous system is effectively re-booted. This PTSD breakthrough injection is fast-acting and can work in as little as 30 minutes and can stay working for many years. There is a case of a soldier who developed PTSD from serving in Iraq. After receiving the PTSD injection treatment, he was free of his symptoms for over 10 years.

Another positive for administering the SGB to treat PTSD after robbery is that it is a low risk, low pain procedure. It is done under x-ray guidance and requires very little recovery time.

Clearly, many studies have been carried out on this procedure. PTSD is such a debilitating condition that anything that can alleviate the symptoms needs to be considered seriously. Studies concluded that after nine years, 70 to 75 percent of those who had tried the SGB was still free of PTSD symptoms. With new research and work being done, that figure is currently closer to 85 to 90 percent. 

It is, of course, essential to note that the SGB is not a cure for PTSD – at least not entirely. The PTSD injection works to reduce the symptoms dramatically, often to such a point that they are no longer noticeable. It may be, however, that the patient requires another SGB at a later date if they find the symptoms returning. They will also be able to have another ‘dose’ should they be the victim of another traumatic event at another point in their lives.

Apart from the treatment itself, the most important part of ensuring the patient is able to live a happy, healthy life is the follow-up care undertaken by a psychiatric profession. Without this, the symptoms can more easily return. Depending on the way the patient deals with trauma and what happened in the first place, these additional treatments could come in the form of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), meditation, therapy, or medication among other avenues that might be explored. 

If you are curious to know if the stellate ganglion block injection is a good treatment option for you or someone you love, give our experienced team a call today! We will be happy to answer any questions you may have and help you live your life with greater quality.