Dr. Tracy Latz, M.D., M.S. is a respected, board-certified, practicing integrative psychiatrist who has worked in the past “in the trenches” in a regional state psychiatric hospital and in local county mental health center systems in North Carolina as well as in community hospital settings. She has done both inpatient and outpatient work with the seriously mentally ill. Dr. Latz received her bachelor degree in Biology from Wake Forest University, a masters degree in Immunobiology from Georgetown University, and her medical degree from Wake Forest University Medical School/Bowman Gray School of Medicine. She is now in solo private integrative psychiatric practice in a suburb of Charlotte, NC in Mooresville, NC. She has written a landmark article on PTSD/Dissociative Disorders in a peer-reviewed journal, co-authored 2 books on personal transformation, recorded 2 meditation CDs to assist others with creating inner peace, filmed self-help integrative medicine videos, and has contributed to or been interviewed by many mainstream media outlets including CNN, Good Housekeeping, SELF, Glamour, AOL Health, Woman’s Day, Fitness, Whole Living, and Health – to name a few. You can find out more about Dr. Latz at www.shiftyourlife.com

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can affect anyone who has experienced a trauma that is outside of a person’s usual life experience. In order to develop PTSD, a traumatic event must be experienced by you first-hand or the traumatic event may have involved another person that is witnessed by you. During this type of traumatic event, you think that your life or others’ lives are in danger. You may feel intensely afraid or feel that you have no control over what is happening around you or to you.

Events that may induce PTSD in some people include: combat or military exposure, child sexual or physical abuse, terrorist attacks, physical or sexual assault, serious industrial or motor vehicle accidents, or natural disasters, such as a fire, tornado, tsunami, volcanic eruption, hurricane, flood, mudslide or earthquake. After the event, you may feel frightened, confused, or angry. If these feelings don’t go away or worsen over time, you may have PTSD. These symptoms may begin to disrupt your Read More→