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Treatment for PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)

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PTSD is more common than people think.

Roughly 1 in 20 men and 1 in 10 women will experience post-traumatic stress disorder at some point in their lives.

The trigger is not always combat. Car accidents, assault, medical emergencies, abuse, and sudden loss can all cause PTSD.

The good news: PTSD is highly treatable. Evidence-based therapies — including trauma-focused CBT and EMDR — produce meaningful improvement in most people within months.

At Refresh Recovery in San Diego, we treat PTSD as a real medical condition. Our clinicians are trained specifically in trauma care. Most insurance is accepted.

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, you may also develop PTSD. In other words, trauma can travel — it does not always begin with what happens directly to you.
PTSD is also common among first responders. For example, firefighters, paramedics, police officers, and emergency room staff regularly witness the immediate aftermath of trauma. Over time, that exposure adds up.
If this is your story, you are not alone. Importantly, PTSD is treatable. At Refresh Recovery, we use evidence-based therapies — including trauma-focused CBT and EMDR — to help reduce symptoms and restore a sense of safety.

Disasters and Accidents

First responders, families, and witnesses can all develop PTSD.

You do not have to be the direct victim of an event to develop PTSD. Witnessing trauma — or learning of trauma to someone close to you — can be enough.

Firefighters, paramedics, police officers, and ER staff regularly see things most people never will. Over time, that exposure adds up.

Researchers call this “secondary traumatic stress” or “vicarious trauma.” The clinical features look like PTSD because they are PTSD.

Common symptoms include:

Intrusive memories of the event
Hyperarousal — feeling on edge, jumpy, unable to relax
Sleep disturbances and nightmares
Avoidance of people or places that remind you of the event
Emotional numbness or feeling disconnected

These are normal stress reactions in the short term. When they persist past about a month and interfere with daily life, that is when treatment helps.

At Refresh, our trauma-informed approach is built on two principles. First, you set the pace. Second, the work happens in a safe space with clinicians trained specifically in trauma.

We also treat co-occurring substance use when it is part of your picture. Most people develop coping strategies under trauma — and not all of them are healthy.

How do you know if you are suffering from PTSD?

PTSD Symtpoms

What PTSD actually feels like.

The symptoms of post-traumatic stress can show up days, weeks, or even months after the triggering event. They cluster into four groups.

Intrusion symptoms. Unwanted memories. Flashbacks where the event feels like it is happening again. Distressing dreams.

Avoidance. Steering clear of people, places, conversations, or feelings that remind you of the event. Numbing the memory with substances or constant busyness.

Negative changes in thoughts and mood. Persistent fear, horror, anger, guilt, or shame. Loss of interest in things you used to enjoy. Feeling detached from others.

Arousal and reactivity. Irritability, angry outbursts, hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response, sleep disturbance, difficulty concentrating.

If most of these sound familiar — and they have been going on for more than a month — a clinical evaluation is the right next step.

PTSD is not something to “tough out.” Untreated PTSD often gets worse. Treated PTSD usually gets much better.

Trauma is Not Stress

The brain processes trauma differently than ordinary events.

When something traumatic happens, the experience is so overwhelming that the brain struggles to file it normally. Instead of becoming a memory you can recall and put away, it stays partially “live” — easily re-triggered.

That is why a smell, a sound, or a date on the calendar can suddenly bring back the same physical sensations you felt during the event.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) helps the brain file the memory properly. So does trauma-focused CBT.

You are not broken. Your brain just needs a different approach to finish processing what happened.

PTSD Statistics and Brain Chemistry

Women are more likely to develop PTSD.

Roughly twice as many women as men will experience PTSD in their lifetime. The pattern is well-documented and consistent across cultures.

Several factors contribute. Women experience higher rates of certain trauma types — particularly sexual assault and intimate partner violence. The risk of PTSD following these traumas is especially high.

That does not mean men should “tough it out” if they have symptoms. Men are less likely to seek help — partly because of cultural pressure to be stoic. As a result, untreated PTSD in men contributes to higher rates of substance use, depression, and suicide.

If you are a man reading this and any of the symptoms apply to you: please reach out. There is no version of recovery that requires you to do it alone.

What treatment looks like at Refresh:

Trauma-focused CBT — restructures the thought patterns that keep trauma “alive”
EMDR — helps the brain reprocess traumatic memories
Prolonged Exposure (PE) — gradually reduces fear by safely engaging with trauma reminders
Group therapy — connects you with others on the same path
Medication management — when clinically appropriate, certain medications can reduce hyperarousal and improve sleep

We also address co-occurring conditions. Depression and anxiety commonly accompany PTSD. Substance use often does too. Treating all of them together produces better outcomes than treating each one separately.

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PTSD Treatment

Let Refresh Recovery Provide a Personalized Treatment Program for You

You are not stuck with this. Treatment works.

If you or someone you care for is living with PTSD, reach out for a confidential assessment.

We will verify your insurance, explain what your first week of treatment could look like, and answer every question — without pressure.

Most insurance plans cover PTSD treatment under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. Refresh Recovery accepts most major plans.

You do not have to keep living with the symptoms. You do not have to figure out the path alone.