Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, can be a devastating destabilizing force in someone’s life.
Most notably associated with soldiers coming back from battle, where they witnessed and lived through the horrors of war, PTSD is defined as a disorder that develops in some people who have experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event. While war is the easiest thing to identify as all of those adjectives, PTSD can be brought on by any kind of traumatic event. For example, some traumatic experiences that can lead to PTSD or complex trauma include:
From the list above, you’ll note it’s just a fact of life that experiences with the potential to shock and distress us to our core are out there and may, at some point, touch all of us. The Department of Veterans Affairs notes that 6 of every 10 men and 5 of every 10 women will face at least one traumatic experience in their lives. Moreover, roughly 7% to 8% of Americans will have PTSD at some point in their lives; that’s 7-8 out of 100 people. All of that goes to show that this isn’t a rare phenomenon.
Regrettably, in the aftermath of trauma, people will often find themselves struggling to manage it, and to deal with a horrific incident of any kind, will turn to alcohol or drugs as a way to cope. Drugs and alcohol are common coping mechanisms to deal with mental health conditions, despite their further negative effects on well-being.
Using substances to numb themselves and mitigate their struggling as much as they can on their own is common in all kinds of mental health disorders or when faced with a variety of types of trauma.
To that end, post-traumatic stress disorder co-occurs with substance abuse disorder (SUD) among about 40% of people.
There’s no blueprint or steadfast metric on when exactly PTSD will occur. But, in most scenarios, symptoms will start to appear within a few months of an incident. Keep in mind, it can take many years to see signs, though, like in the case of those dealing with childhood trauma.
Before the term post-traumatic stress disorder was coined, the common name for it was “shell-shocked,” and the imagery that conjures is actually helpful in understanding how debilitating and life-altering the condition truly is. Overcoming PTSD, especially when paired with addiction, is challenging, and professional treatment programs are often necessary. Thrive Treatment’s dedicated PTSD treatment centers in Los Angeles can help you explore treatment options for PTSD and substance use in daily life, addressing your specific needs with a holistic approach and trauma-informed care.
At Thrive Treatment, we accept most private insurance plans, and we are in network with Cigna, Optum, First Health, and Anthem Blue Cross. Additional payment options are available, so don’t hesitate to call us so we can provide you with the help you need.
1-855-232-1334
The symptoms of PTSD show themselves in 4 principal ways:
This relates to flashbacks, terror-laced thoughts, and memories of the trauma itself flooding back. These can even trigger hallucinations. Additionally, a person can have vivid nightmares. The reliving and re-experiencing of trauma can make the heart race and cause sweating.
On the flip side, a person may work hard to avoid anything related to their trauma, be that any people, places, situations, and circumstances that conjure memories or serve as a reminder of what they went through. This can turn into a wholesale change in a daily routine. As this behavior takes hold, particularly with avoiding people, feelings of being detached can seep in.
Also called hyperarousal, this describes an increased level of anxiety as if a threat is still imminent. This can cause someone to startle very easily and feel overly jumpy or on edge, which leads to difficulty concentrating. Due to that heightened anxiety, a person in this state will find difficulty in sleeping, which causes stress levels to rise and makes them prone to irritability and angry outbursts.
Negative thoughts go hand in hand with PTSD and reach into every part of someone’s life. They’re internalized negative thoughts about yourself as well as the world. A distorted perception of guilt and blame goes along with it, which also leads a person to feel a sense of separation from others. Ultimately, that cycle of thinking turns into a loss of interest in what were once enjoyable activities, isolating a person further from support, family members, and loved ones.
Thrive Treatment’s PTSD treatment centers in Southern California provide trauma-informed treatment at our Santa Monica location in Los Angeles, California. Discover your path to recovery today with effective mental health treatment and trauma therapists ready to create unique treatment plans for your needs in PTSD healing.
The overarching desire of any person is to avoid the havoc of PTSD.
Flashbacks, nightmares, anger, guilt, and overwhelming stress and negativity that all flood the mind make addressing PTSD challenging. From the basic interactions and deeper relationships, to the ability to be productive at work, it’s a major disruptor. When PTSD symptoms become the norm, it’s time to seek treatment for yourself or a loved one.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, to be diagnosed with PTSD, an adult must have all of the symptoms for at least one month, specifically:
Before a proper diagnosis, however, self-medication with drugs and alcohol offers people what seems to be a quick “solution” or “fix” – a way to take the edge off. But in reality, substances only serve to make matters worse for someone living with PTSD, negatively impacting their overall wellness, mental health, and behaviors. The avoidance of dealing with and confronting the trauma, working through it, and instead burying and avoiding it serves to exacerbate the problem and prolong these challenges.
When PTSD and substance abuse become intertwined, it creates what’s called a dual diagnosis. To overcome one, you have to address the other, with combined addiction treatment and trauma therapy being essential. Addiction has become a coping mechanism, and the work of undoing that is vital in being able to tackle the underlying PTSD.
Healing from post-traumatic stress disorder and trauma often requires outside help, particularly if drugs and alcohol are now involved.
At our Los Angeles PTSD treatment center, you’ll receive care and rehab catered, tailored, and centered on your needs. Just like every person is unique, so is your trauma, and there is never a one-size-fits-all solution to overcoming PTSD, addiction, or their effects.
Treatment for PTSD and co-occurring substance use disorder is predicated on various types of talk therapy. You can expect in-depth trauma counseling and probing individual therapy sessions where you and a licensed, master-level addiction therapist will work through and get you past PTSD and addiction. Proven modalities like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and other forms of individual and group psychotherapy are all available. Dedicated programs like eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) are also available with our trained providers at dedicated treatment facilities.
Accompanying the individual work, there will be group therapy and even family therapy to make sure they understand what you’re going through and can be a helpful resource.
Our trauma therapy in Los Angeles goes further in creating a holistic experience and incorporates experiential, therapeutic outings as well as access to an on-site doctor and psychiatrist. We create a supportive environment throughout your time with us, and continue to support change at home through our intensive outpatient program (IOP) and ongoing aftercare and outpatient treatment.
PTSD and trauma aren’t something you have to live with any more than you have to live with an addiction because of it. At Thrive Treatment’s dedicated PTSD treatment centers in Southern California, our team of caring professionals and specialists can help you or a loved one through this trying and difficult time with evidence-based and proven treatment methods. Reach out to us today to learn more and get on the path to living a life free from PTSD.
PTSD and trauma aren’t something you have to live with any more than you have to live with an addiction because of it. At Thrive Treatment, our team of caring professionals and specialists can help you or a loved one through this trying and difficult time with evidence-based and proven treatment methods. Reach out to us today to learn more and get on the path to living a life free from PTSD.
1-855-232-1334
