PTSD Treatment center in Los Angeles
Trauma Overview
For most people, it is common to experience events that are both upsetting and traumatic. In most circumstances, people are able to work through these events and are able to move on with their lives. For some people, those intense feelings linger, and it severely impacts their daily lives. They may have trouble eating, sleeping, and attending to their work and family obligations. In cases where trauma has totally taken over their lives, they may be in the grip of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
While PTSD is commonly thought of occurring in people who serve in the military after prolonged engagements in battle or wars, anybody can experience this debilitating mental condition. According to information provided by the American Psychiatric Association:
- PTSD affects 3.5% of Americans every year
- 1 in 11 Americans will be diagnosed with PTSD in their lifetime
- Women are twice as likely as men to develop PTSD
If you or a loved one is struggling with PTSD, finding professional help is critical in overcoming this debilitating condition. Inneractions is one of the premier PTSD treatment centers in Los Angeles. Our treatment programs are evidence-based and tailored to meet your specific needs. For more information, call us toll-free today.
“There are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds.”
― Laurell K. Hamilton
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Introduction and Overview of PTSD/Trauma
Simply defined, PTSD develops as the result of experiencing a terrifying or traumatic event. Most people who think of PTSD think of those in the military who experienced the horrors of war. In reality, there are
- Severe automobile accidents
- Living through natural disasters
- Extreme physical neglect
- Child abuse, including psychological, physical, and sexual abuse
- Sexual assault or prolonged/repeated sexual abuse
- Physical assault, such as being jumped or attacked
- The death of a loved one, friend, or pet
Those who are afflicted with PTSD will often relive those traumatic experiences through vivid nightmares and flashbacks. As a result, they will have tremendous difficulty sleeping. Additionally, those with PTSD are emotionally flat and feel detached from their day-to-day life.
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Symptoms of PTSD
Those who struggle with PTSD experience symptoms that fall into four main categories:
Intrusive Thoughts
These can include involuntary memories, distressing dreams, or flashbacks of the traumatic event. These flashbacks people experience are lucid and visceral. As a result, people feel they are reliving the traumatic experience over again or seeing it before their eyes.
Avoidance
Another symptom of PTSD is the avoidance of the people, places, activities, objects, and situations that may trigger memories of their past trauma. People may try to avoid remembering or thinking about the traumatic event. People struggling with PTSD will also avoid talking about what happened or their feelings about those traumatic events.
Changes in Cognition and Mood
People who struggle with PTSD struggle to remember important aspects of the traumatic event. As a result, people’s beliefs about themselves and others are distorted. These distorted thoughts about the cause or consequences of the event often lead to blaming self or others. This often results in people feeling an ongoing sense of fear as well as horror, anger, guilt, or shame.
People with PTSD have decreased interest in activities they previously enjoyed, and they feel detached or estranged from others.
Changes in Arousal and Activity
Arousal and reactive symptoms may include being irritable and having angry outbursts; behaving recklessly or in a self-destructive way; being overly watchful of one’s surroundings in a suspecting way; being easily startled, or having problems concentrating or sleeping.
When to Get Help from PTSD/Trauma
If you or a loved one have been experiencing the above-mentioned symptoms for a prolonged period of time, you need to look for professional help. However, the search for PTSD treatment in Los Angeles needs to be immediate if the following occurs:
- If you or a loved one are experiencing suicidal thoughts
- If you are in danger of harming yourself, loved ones, or others
Also, you will also need to get help if you have been using drugs and alcohol in order to cope with your PTSD. Like many people who suffer from PTSD, the stigma associated with mental illness is a significant barrier in you seeking the help you need. As a result, you may turn to substances as a way to minimize symptoms. Without dealing with the root causes of your PTSD, your symptoms will continue to worsen—and you may also develop a substance abuse problem.
What to Expect in PTSD Treatment Centers in
Los Angeles
When you make the decision to get help at a Los Angeles PTSD treatment facility, experienced medical and psychiatric personnel will perform a physical exam to see if there are underlying medical problems that may be causing your PTSD. They will also perform a full psychological evaluation, including a discussion of the signs and symptoms you are experiencing. Most importantly, professionals will utilize criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM) to properly diagnose PTSD.
The goal of Los Angeles PTSD programs is to help you regain control of your life. The programs and services offered will help you learn coping skills so you can address your symptoms. PTSD treatment will help you feel better about yourself and the world around you. Importantly, PTSD treatment in Los Angeles will help treatment co-occurring issues such as substance abuse, depression, and anxiety. Important components found in PTSD treatment programs in Los Angeles include the following:
Therapy
An important part of PTSD treatment is therapy. Common therapies used in PTSD treatment include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EDMR). Treatment professionals will decide which combination of therapies is best suited for your needs. Therapy can be done on an individual basis, in groups, or as a family.
Medication Therapy
Another cornerstone of PTSD treatment programs in Los Angeles is medication therapy. You and the medical staff will determine if medications can help you cope with your symptoms and which combinations will help you best. Common medications used to treat PTSD include antidepressants such as Zoloft and Paxil, anti-anxiety medications such as Xanax and Prazosin. Since some medications do have the potential for misuse, any use of medications will be under strict supervision.
Coping Skills and Aftercare
An extremely important part of PTSD treatment is learning the healthy coping skills needed to manage your symptoms. This includes proper self-care, building a support network, participating in support and self-help groups, and mindful meditation and exercise programs, among others. These programs may include specialized therapy for those with anger issues, anxiety, and stress management. PTSD centers Los Angeles also will find you community resources that will provide additional support as you resume your daily life.
Our PTSD Outpatient Treatment in Los Angeles is Here to Help
When you struggle with PTSD, it can feel like it’s a losing battle. PTSD is not only debilitating in your life, but it also affects your family and loved ones. Make today the day you take back your life. Inneractions is an intensive outpatient program located in Los Angeles that is committed to helping you transform your life. Our staff has nearly three decades of experience dealing with the unique and specific needs of our clients.
Like all of our programs, our PTSD treatment program Los Angeles is evidence-based, proven to work, and tailored to meet your needs. The programs and services offered fully address the underlying causes of PTSD, and we give you the tools and support you need to cope with this illness in a healthy manner. Inneractions provides a safe atmosphere where you can finally let go of the trauma that can hold you down. With the support of compassionate staff and your peers, you become empowered to take back your life and become the happy and healthy person you are meant to be.
Begin your healing journey right now with the help of Inneractions. Call us toll-free right now.