“How do I find a PTSD treatment center near me?” You may be asking yourself this question if you or a loved one has recently been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a type of anxiety disorder. A diagnosis like this can be surprising for some, especially if they weren’t directly involved in a deeply threatening or scary event. Even if you weren’t directly involved, the shock of what happened can be so great that you experience trauma and develop PTSD. But what does PTSD even mean in terms of adjustments you’ll need to make in your daily life or treatments to help you manage how the disorder affects you? If you’re looking for answers and a PTSD treatment center in San Diego, CA, contact True Life Center today.
Our PTSD treatment center provides the perfect environment for people to begin to heal from trauma. If you or someone you care about might benefit from treatment for PTSD, reach out to True Life Center online or at 866.420.1792 for more information.
What Does PTSD Mean?
PTSD is a mental health disorder that may occur in those who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a sexual assault, a terrorist act, and war or combat. Complex PTSD (CPTSD) is a related mental health disorder that is a combination of some symptoms of PTSD along with other symptoms, such as:
- Avoidance of friendships and relationships, or finding them difficult to maintain
- Difficulty controlling emotions
- Dissociative episodes that include depersonalization or derealization
- Feelings of anger, distrust, worthlessness, or hopelessness
- Chest pains, dizziness, headaches, and stomachaches
- Suicidal feelings
People struggling with PTSD have disturbing, intense thoughts and feelings related to their experience that last long after the traumatic event has ended. These people may avoid situations or people that remind them of the traumatic event, and they may have strong negative reactions to something as ordinary as an accidental touch or a loud noise.
A PTSD diagnosis often leads to exploring ways to manage its symptoms. Typically, treatment for PTSD includes different types of therapy and can even include medications. PSTD can affect the way someone views and interacts with the world. In particular, it may affect how they communicate with people who are close to them and possibly damage those relationships.
What Are the Signs of PTSD?
Although they may vary from person to person, common signs of PTSD include:
- Alterations in arousal and reactivity
- Avoidance
- Intrusion
Many people exposed to a traumatic event experience symptoms following the event. However, for a person to be diagnosed with PTSD, symptoms must last for more than a month and cause significant distress or problems with daily functioning. Most people develop symptoms within three months of the trauma, but symptoms may appear later and often persist for months or years.
PTSD often occurs with other related conditions, such as depression, memory problems, substance use disorders, and other physical and mental health problems.
What Should Patients Expect from a PSTD Treatment Plan?
Those with a PTSD diagnosis may feel like they’ll never get the life they knew before the traumatic event. While a time machine doesn’t exist and memory wipes are similarly an idea from science fiction, there’s professional treatment for PTSD.
An effective PTSD treatment plan has three main goals, which are:
- Decrease the frequency and severity of PTSD symptoms
- Teach the client skills to deal with PTSD symptoms
- Restore the client’s self-esteem
In particular, short- and long-term psychotherapy and PTSD medications can work very well. Often, these two forms of care are more effective when combined into a comprehensive PTSD treatment program.
Most forms of therapeutic care used in PTSD treatment plans fall under the umbrella of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). The idea behind this is to change the thought patterns that disturb the client’s life. This might happen by talking about the client’s trauma or concentrating on where the client’s fears come from. Depending on the client’s situation, group or family therapy could be an ideal choice instead of individual sessions.
Explore True Life Center’s PTSD Treatment Options Today
At True Life Center, our comprehensive programs include treatment for trauma. If you’re located in San Diego, CA, contact True Life Center today by calling 866.420.1792 or filling out our online form to learn more about PTSD treatment centers.
