What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a mental disorder characterized by a fight-or-flight response triggered in non-threatening circumstances due to a previous traumatic event. PTSD used to be known as “battle fatigue” by military personnel is not only experienced by soldiers. This disorder can affect anyone who has experienced a traumatic event.
What are the five types of PTSD?
The five most common types of PTSD include Normal Stress Response, Acute Stress Disorder, Uncomplicated PTSD, Comorbid PTSD, and Complex PTSD.
What is Complex PTSD?
Complex PTSD occurs when someone has endured traumatic experiences over long periods of time — such as during childhood. People with complex PTSD are often diagnosed with other mood and personality disorders, making treatment a much slower process. Treatment programs for Complex PTSD need to be well structured, extremely sensitive, and highly personalized.
Does PTSD go away?
Even without professional treatment, PTSD may go away after a few months. Most people with PTSD get better with time, but they may still have lingering problems. Specialized therapy, potentially with medication, can address the entire array of triggers and causes, aiding the recovery process. With a complete approach, the chances of PTSD going away are much higher.
How do I help someone with PTSD?
By patiently listening and providing support, allowing them to talk through their experiences and symptoms, you can better understand how PTSD affects that person. With that understanding, you can better build up their trust and safety of their surroundings. Support them through a predictable schedule and sticking to any promises made. Try to stay calm through their triggers and consider getting professional help if their situation does not get better.
PTSD Treatment in San Diego
Solara Mental Health seeks to free veterans from PTSD by offering the best post-traumatic stress disorder treatment in San Diego. Our goal is to help those with PTSD return to full psychological health and live full, healthy lives. To achieve this goal, our inpatient psychiatric counseling program combines the strengths of individual therapy, group therapy and holistic therapies for comprehensive and effective treatment.
Additionally, our trauma therapists integrate innovative, trauma-specific therapies such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to address each veteran’s individual experiences, symptoms and needs. This combination of modalities offers veterans the most specific, effective and compassionate treatment available, helping veterans be freed from the pain of trauma and led to a full, secure and healthy life.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment
Psychological trauma can be caused by any number of distressing events, including emotional or physical abuse, sexual or physical assault, combat and natural disasters. The trauma caused by these events can be long-lasting and deeply painful, particularly for people with post-traumatic stress disorder. For those with PTSD, the healing process that would normally gradually lessen the effects of trauma does not work properly.
Instead, people with PTSD find themselves unable to heal from their traumatic event; it becomes an almost all-encompassing characteristic of their thought processes, habits and feelings. The result is a wide variety of both physical and psychological symptoms that are emotionally and physically painful and debilitating. If not treated by a trauma therapist, these symptoms can lead to social and professional withdrawal, interpersonal conflict, isolation, self-destructive habits, and deep inner turmoil and pain.
PTSD Symptoms
The symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are classified into four subgroups:
Intrusive Memories
- Unwanted, persistent thoughts about the traumatic event
- Strong physical and emotional reactions to reminders of the event
- Flashbacks to the event itself, which can feel very real
- Nightmares about the event
Avoidance
- Avoiding thinking about the event at all, or pretending the event did not happen
- Avoiding any situation that may bring up memories of the event
Negative changes in thinking and mood
- Negative or destructive feelings about yourself, your life, others, the world or the future
- Inability to feel happiness or excitement, and/or prolonged feelings of sadness or hopelessness
- Interpersonal conflicts at work, with friends or with family
- Memory loss or other cognitive impairments
- Lack of interest in previously enjoyed habits, or lack of passion for life
Arousal symptoms
- Hypervigilance
- Increased irritability or anger
- Insomnia
- Inability to concentrate
- Self-destructive behaviors, including substance abuse
- Strong feelings of shame or guilt
If you feel like you may be experiencing PTSD, try checking out our PTSD Self Test based on official DSM-5 criteria.
While DSM-5 criteria are used in the U.S., the International Classification of Diseases classifies a higher severity of PTSD as Complex PTSD (C-PTSD). You can learn more about C-PTSD here.
Road to Recovery
At our mental health treatment center we understand how disruptive PTSD symptoms can be to everyday life, and how inescapable these symptoms can feel. To aid in veterans’ recovery, we have created a psychiatric facility that is calm, quiet and comfortable. It is the perfect refuge from the stresses of day-to-day living. Here, veterans find the ideal environment to relax and recover, far from the disruptions of potential stressors and triggers.
Our facility’s peaceful environment is aided by our compassionate staff. In addition to fostering a sensitive, respectful environment, our expert clinicians will provide comprehensive holistic treatment to all veterans, helping them build the inner strength and confidence they need to progress.
Similarly, every veteran’s treatment plan will be tailored to their specific symptoms, needs, and boundaries, creating a safe environment for veterans to explore, face, and cope with their traumatic experiences. Through this treatment, veterans can receive the reassurance and support they need to finally heal physically, psychologically and emotionally, and to feel secure, safe and fulfilled in their lives once more.
PTSD Treatment for Veterans
Solara Mental Health in San Diego is focused on giving veterans a supportive and safe environment to recover from their PTSD. Our mental health treatment facility recognizes that each veteran will have their personal needs, and we will customize their treatment plan to help with their specific diagnosis and symptoms.
Solara is VA contracted as a community care provider, which gives us the unique opportunity to help veterans with their mental health needs, including PTSD treatment. Once authorization is approved, we provide housing, transportation, and accommodations.
Get PTSD Treatment San Diego Trusts
While our veterans make considerable and rapid improvements, post-traumatic stress disorder is often a long-term condition. Through years of experience, trauma therapists at our San Diego mental health treatment center have learned how to provides the entire spectrum of care for our veterans.
From inpatient to outpatient, from transitional living to a long-term aftercare plan, our program has been designed to free our veterans from the clutches of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Contact our San Diego PTSD Treatment Center now to start the healing process.