Treatment for PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)

It’s estimated that 1 in every 20 men and 1 in every 10 women will experience PTSD at some point in their lives.

At Refresh Recovery Mental Health Treatment in San Diego, we firmly believe that employing evidence-based practices and cognitive and behavioral toolsets can positively impact PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder. For more information on symptoms and to address any questions about whether you have PTSD or if it’s time to seek help or gain a better understanding of the condition, please read on.

Post-traumatic stress syndrome, or PTSD, is an emotional condition that often follows a traumatic event. It can evoke intense feelings of horror, helplessness, and fear.

Any event that involves experiencing or witnessing actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence can potentially be traumatic. Most individuals recover quickly with personalized attention and medication-assisted treatment. At Refresh Recovery, we prioritize a long-term approach using evidence-based tools to enable individuals to lead fulfilling lives.

Traumatic Experiences

From Assault to Sexual Abuse

Traumatic experiences include:

physical assault
sexual abuse
serious accidents
wars
floods
fires
earthquakes and
other natural disasters.

Traumatic events include things that happen to you directly or to someone you are close to. For example:

Life-threatening events, Injuries or Death

If you learned that a friend or family member was involved in a life-threatening event, was seriously injured, or died suddenly.

Experiencing a loved one’s life-threatening event, serious injury, or sudden passing can be profoundly shocking and emotionally overwhelming. Grief, fear, and confusion are natural responses, and seeking support is crucial during this difficult time. Consider reaching out to friends, family, or a trusted faith leader for comfort and understanding.

Additionally, Refresh Recovery PTSD rehab can offer guidance and support, such as grief counseling groups or medication-assisted treatment in San Diego. Remember, you’re not alone in facing this challenge; seeking help is a sign of strength.

Disasters and Accidents

Suppose you were the first on the scene of a natural disaster or after a profoundly severe accident. Witnessing the aftermath of a natural disaster or serious accident can be incredibly stressful and upsetting. Seeing sights, sounds, smells, or even experiencing physical sensations similar to those encountered during the event can trigger strong emotional and physical reactions. These reactions are normal and understandable, but for some individuals, they can become overwhelming and persistent, potentially leading to symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Common triggers associated with such events could include:

Visual cues: Seeing debris, damaged buildings, injured people, or reminders of the event in everyday life.
Auditory cues: Sirens, alarms, shouts, or sounds similar to those heard during the event.
Olfactory cues: Smoke, dust, or other smells associated with the event.
Physical sensations: Pain, fear, or helplessness similar to what was experienced during the event.
Anniversaries or reminders: Dates, news footage, or weather events similar to the original event.

It’s important to remember that not everyone who experiences a problematic event develops PTSD. While witnessing a severe event can be a risk factor, many people successfully cope with challenging situations without developing long-term mental health issues. However, if you find yourself struggling with intrusive thoughts, nightmares, avoidance behaviors, or emotional distress related to the event, seeking professional help from Refresh Recovery, which specializes in trauma, is crucial.

If you are concerned about yourself or someone you know, please contact Refresh Recovery’s mental health professionals in San Diego for support and guidance.

How do you know if you are suffering from PTSD?

PTSD Symtpoms

The symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder include reexperiencing the trauma either through disturbing memories or, in acute cases, through a flashback in which the trauma is relived at full emotional intensity.

People with PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, often report a general feeling of emotional numbness, increased anxiety, and restlessness. They avoid specific situations, thoughts, and feelings that remind them of the incredible experience.

While it is expected to experience such reactions to a certain degree following trauma, they must last for at least four weeks to be considered symptoms of PTSD. People with PTSD often experience depression, anxiety, and alcohol or drug abuse.

Are you wondering if the sadness or stress you’re experiencing might be more than just downtime and experiences in the past that have impacted these symptoms? Let us answer any questions, such as whether you have bipolar disorder or depression, regarding mental health at Refresh Recovery addiction rehab and dual diagnosis treatment in San Diego, California.

At Refresh Recovery PTSD Treatment San Diego, we are aware that mental health disorders such as depression or anxiety may be accompanied by addiction to drugs such as opiates, benzodiazepines, or meth, among others, so we attend dual diagnosis in a parallel manner make sure each variable is recognized and provided with the right therapeutic tools. Our professionals use supplements and new innovative therapies such as NAD and vitamin treatments to optimize treatment.

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Trauma is Not Stress

When something traumatic happens, it is so overwhelming that it is hard to come to terms with what has happened. The experience is likely to be quite different from anything the patient has gone through before.

You might no longer believe that this world is safe, that your neighbors are generally good people, or that you control what happens in your life.

When people talk about their world being turned upside down after a traumatic event, they mean these big-picture beliefs are now destroyed.

Trauma is hugely different from other stressful events, like a romantic breakdown or the death of a loved one, through natural causes. These events can affect a person’s mental health, but they differ from the above-mentioned traumatic events. Keeping such differences in mind is essential because the therapeutical treatments to help people recover from trauma differ from those generally used for mental health problems caused by the hindrances of everyday life.

PTSD Statistics and Brain Chemistry

Female victims are especially likely to develop PTSD following rape or other forms of sexual assault. Combat exposure is the most common cause of PTSD in men in the United States.

A major disaster or traumatic event can cause PTSD on a large scale. For example, in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, almost 8% of New Yorkers who lived in the general area of the disaster suffered from PTSD. The disorder is most likely to develop among people with little social support who fail to find a new way to understand what happened to them eventually.

Studies employing positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have shown that people with symptoms of PTSD have altered activity in the brain, primarily in the regions of the medial prefrontal cortex, thalamus, and anterior cingulate gyrus. This limited activity reinforces the brain’s ability to recall the brain’s traumatic memories, thereby making it difficult for people with PTSD to break the pattern of negative memory recall.

A synchronous neural interaction (SNI) test can effectively distinguish between abnormal brain activity patterns in persons with PTSD and the typical brain activity observed in healthy persons.

Roughly 13% of people with PTSD have increased levels of a kinase (a regulatory enzyme) called CDK5 (cyclin-dependent kinase 5). Typically, CDK5 works with other proteins in nerve cells to regulate brain development, and its absence facilitates the elimination of memories associated with fear. In people with PTSD, the elevated levels of CDK5 interfere with and prevent fear extinction and delay the ability to control emotional states and reactions when a traumatic memory is remembered.

At Refresh Recovery PTSD Treatment San Diego, we believe that following a traumatic event can be reduced by early mental health and psychological interventions that encourage sharing emotional experiences concerning the event and optional medication-assisted treatment if required. We’re here to help and underhand how overwhelming it can be and the necessary trust to begin stepping towards healing.

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PTSD Treatment

Let Refresh Recovery Provide a Personalized Treatment Program for You

If you or someone you care for suffers or believe may be suffering from PTSD or dual diagnoses such as substance use disorders or addiction, let us at Refresh Recovery answer any questions you have on diagnosis, treatment, and the right step toward getting help. A personalized program and options are made to your needs, and at Refresh Recovery, we look forward to creating a space of non-judgment and care for your healing.