Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

ORANGE COUNTY RESIDENTIAL MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT CENTER

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Trauma is difficult to process for everyone. Even a single traumatic event can negatively impact a person’s mental health, lasting long periods of time. Those who develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may face emotional, mental, and physical challenges that get in the way of everyday life.

Restore Your Peace and Sense of Safety

PTSD can leave a person feeling helpless and out of control emotionally. These feelings can grow into anxiety and leave a person feeling numb and disconnected from their life.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is most commonly linked with the military and other dangerous occupations, though it can occur in anyone who is overwhelmed by an extreme experience. These traumatic experiences often bring feelings of fear and heightened stress, sometimes leading to other co-occurring behavioral health disorders — such as substance use disorders — as a result.

D’Amore Healthcare facility is a mental health treatment center that can treat many conditions that arise from PTSD or another trauma disorder. We are a Joint Commission accredited, and California State licensed mental health treatment center.

Our professional and compassionate staff will guide you through the treatment modalities best suited for your needs. We take your entire medical, environmental, genetic, nutritional, and psychological history into consideration when personalizing our patients’ treatment plans.

PTSD Therapy Modalities

Because the safety and security of our patients are our top priority, D’Amore offers the following therapeutic practices in order to help stabilize our patients. Once a patient is in a healthy place mentally, we can recommend a program of more intense, trauma-focused therapies.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Exercise and Yoga
Motivational Enhancement
Gestalt Therapy
Humanistic Therapy
Positive Psychology
Our “Build Me Up” Positive Reinforcement Program
Strategic Family Therapy
Play Therapy
Integrative Functional Medicine
Reality Therapy

While D'Amore does not provide specific Trauma-Focussed therapies we will include recommendations for these treatments in our discharge plan once a patient has undergone primary mental health stabilization and is considered able to receive these more intensive treatments.

A combination of the following trauma-focused psychotherapy strategies can alleviate PTSD symptoms:

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

Involves talking with your therapist about negative thoughts, helping you work through them with expressional exercises. This can help you think about traumatic experiences less negatively.

PTSD Psychodynamic Therapy

Focuses on mental and emotional reactions to trauma. This approach explores beliefs and emotions associated with the patient’s life to gain insight into their mental processes.

Prolonged Exposure Therapy

Carefully allows patients to recall trauma-related experiences, working through challenging feelings. It’s specific to PTSD and can desensitize patients to stressful situations.

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)

Involves the patient focusing on a moving object while asking them to recall their traumatic related experiences. This can help one better process their memories, shifting total focus away from the conversation.

Therapy, in conjunction with medication, may further support one’s recovery from PTSD.

Medications for PTSD

There are not any PTSD-specific medications, though other FDA-approved medicines used to treat mood and anxiety disorder have been found to be useful in managing PTSD symptoms. Patients can work with their doctors to establish the right medications for symptom management where necessary.

Medications that may be able to improve the symptoms of your PTSD might include:

SSRIs

Also known as antidepressants, SSRIs help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. They may also prove helpful in increasing cognitive function due to these symptoms. These SSRIs often include sertraline, fluoxetine, paroxetine.

SNRIs

Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) — used to treat major depressive disorders — can also be helpful in treating PTSD. They work similarly to SSRIs, but they inhibit the “reuptake” of norepinephrine in addition to serotonin. A common SNRI used for PTSD is venlafaxine.

Anti-Psychotic Medication

In extreme cases of PTSD, antipsychotics may be considered to alleviate psychosis symptoms or help in treatment-resistant PTSD.

These medications may help with mood and other symptoms within a few weeks. Any side effects or problems caused by these medications must be discussed with the prescribing doctor to determine whether they are right.

How Long Does PTSD Treatment Take

Talk therapy treatment for PTSD is usually 8-16 sessions over 6-12 weeks. Since everyone experiences PTSD differently, this will vary for everyone.

The best PTSD treatment is typically done in an inpatient setting where the patient stays overnight at their mental health center of choice. An inpatient stay at D’Amore’s residential mental health center averages around 45 days. Afterward, a continued plan is given to patients so that they may follow up with therapists or continue medication management (where necessary).

More Information on PTSD

Many of us experience traumatic moments at some point in our lives. It’s normal to feel scared during these times. Our body’s natural response is to protect ourselves from threatening circumstances.

When these feelings continue months after we’ve experienced a traumatic incident, we may then categorized these feelings as post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD symptoms typically fall into four main categories: intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in mood, and changes in emotional reactions.

Signs and Symptoms of PTSD

Normal responses to trauma include thinking about the event, sleeplessness, lack of focus, sadness, and discomfort. However, some people may have more extreme reactions.

Symptoms of PTSD usually start within a month. However, some people may have a delayed response. These symptoms can cause problems in one’s life, affecting their ability to function at work, maintain relationships, or engage in social settings.

Some signs a person in your life may be dealing with PTSD are:

Excessive worries and anxiety

Depression

Denial or irrational guilt

Agitation or anger

Terrors and nightmares

Insomnia

Avoidance and isolationist behavior

“Blocking out” thoughts or feelings related to a traumatic event

Difficulty remembering details of a traumatic event

Exaggerated startle responses

Numbness or a sense of disconnect

Loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities

Persistent negative thoughts or feelings

Statistics on PTSD

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a mental health condition affecting approximately 3.5% of Americans in any given year. It generally results after experiencing the horrors of an extreme situation, such as war or rape, but can occur after any type of trauma, especially if the event is repeated.

There is an extremely high comorbidity of PTSD with other mental health disorders (higher than 80%), with the most common being depression and substance abuse. Furthermore, there is an increased risk of suicide as 27% of individuals who have been diagnosed with PTSD have also attempted suicide.

Get PTSD Treatment in Orange County

D’Amore Healthcare is here so that you and your loved ones don’t have to deal with PTSD along. Our mental health center in Orange County, CA has compassionate staff that will guide you through the treatment options best suited for your needs.

Our inpatient facility is located in Orange County, California, where patients can enjoy the sunny beach lifestyle while recovering. Here, you can remove yourself from triggers and stresses of day-to-day life. You’ll also have the opportunity to share your story with those who have lived through similar experiences in group therapy sessions.

You don’t have to go through this alone. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and awaiting your call. Call now to get started!

Clinically Reviewed By:

Jamie Mantell, PsyD, LMFT

Jamie Mantel is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, with a Psy.D. in psychology. Jamie has worked for non-profits for over 20 years working with agencies, as well as her private practice in Huntington Beach, California.