Who it is for
Adults who, months or years after an accident, an assault, a frightening medical event, a bereavement in violent circumstances, military or emergency-service work, or abuse in childhood or in a relationship, still relive it: flashbacks, nightmares, being on edge, avoiding anything that brings it back, feeling numb or cut off from people. Many have been treated for anxiety, depression or insomnia without the trauma ever being named. PTSD is a recognised condition with recognised treatments, and it is treatable long after the event.
How the assessment works
Dr Szigeti
You decide how much of what happened you want to tell me, and when: a diagnosis does not require you to go through the details, and nothing is forced. We look at how the symptoms show up in your days and nights, at sleep, alcohol and medication, at your mood and your safety, and at what has already been tried. I check for depression, anxiety, substance use and dissociation, which often travel with PTSD, and for the more complex form that can follow prolonged or repeated trauma. The findings are explained clearly, whether or not a diagnosis is made.
Validated scales such as the PCL-5 give a baseline and track how you are doing; the diagnosis is made against DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 criteria, which also describe complex PTSD. Before you meet, you complete the Pre-Assessment Form at home: it saves time during the appointment and helps Dr Szigeti tailor your care from the first meeting. Return it by hand when you meet or through the encrypted upload link we send you, never by email or WhatsApp. The appointment can be in person or by secure video.
Treatment options
- Medication. Chosen with you, where it helps: for the symptoms of PTSD themselves, and for the depression or severe anxiety that often sit alongside. Started and stopped gradually, and reviewed in thirty-minute follow-ups.
- Sleep and nightmares. Taken seriously in their own right, because they wear everything else down: a plan for sleep, and medication for nightmares where it is warranted.
- The rest of life. Work, driving, relationships, alcohol: practical steps and, where it helps, a letter supporting adjustments at work.
- Trauma-focused psychological therapy, alongside. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy or EMDR, over a planned number of sessions, can complement the treatment Dr Szigeti provides. He does not deliver it himself; where he thinks it would help, he refers you to therapists with this training, including at the Dún Laoghaire Therapy Centre, and works alongside them.
All treatment options are discussed with you before anything is prescribed or started, including their risks and benefits.
If you are in crisis
Seaward Clinic is not an emergency service. If you have thoughts of ending your life, or you cannot keep yourself safe, call 999 or 112, go to your nearest emergency department, or call the Samaritans on 116 123, free, day or night. If you are in danger from someone now, the Garda emergency number is also 999.
Fees
| Appointment | Fee |
|---|---|
| Psychiatric assessment, one hour | €500 |
| Follow-up appointment, thirty minutes | €180 |
Trauma-focused therapy is provided and charged by the therapist you are referred to. Laya Healthcare, Vhi, Irish Life and other insurers may cover part of the cost. Fees and insurance