At Arbor Wellness, our PTSD treatment centers in Nashville, Tennessee help individuals understand their trauma and teach them to live a full life while managing their symptoms.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that occurs in some people who have either experienced or witnessed a dangerous or frightful incident. These things can range from events like an act of terrorism, a natural disaster, a serious accident, war, or physical or sexual assault. It can also develop in individuals who have faced threats of violence, such as death threats, threats of sexual assault, or a threat of serious physical harm.
PTSD is currently categorized as a type of trauma or stressor-related disorder. Many sufferers also present with other conditions like depression, substance abuse, or other mental health problems.
Each year, about 3.5 percent of the US adult population experiences PTSD, and one in eleven adults will suffer from PTSD in their lifetime. PTSD is more likely to develop in women and members of certain minority populations, particularly African Americans, U.S. Latinos, and Native Americans.
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Arbor Wellness is an industry leader in mental health treatment. Our team of top medical experts specialize in dual diagnosis treatment and are committed to ensuring that each patient is treated as an individual. Call us today, we’re available 24/7.
What is Trauma?
Trauma describes an event that is so devastating that it produces a traumatic effect on those who experience it. Trauma can happen as a result of a one-time event, such as being physically assaulted or surviving an act of nature. It can also happen as a result of ongoing events, such as sexual abuse or childhood neglect. Trauma affects a person to the point that they cannot proceed with a healthy sense of themselves and their lives. They often lack a feeling of safety or the ability to control their emotions. Trauma can impact a person to the point that they developed a trauma-based illness such as post-traumatic stress disorder. When this happens, the individual will need to seek help from PTSD treatment centers.
What is PTSD?
PTSD is a mental health disorder that happens to many people who go through a traumatic event or series of events. The trauma overwhelms them so much that they become unable to move past it. They find their lives become impacted in several ways, including mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.
When initially discovered, PTSD was known as “shell shock” and “combat fatigue” and applied mostly to people who endured trauma related to military service and acts of war. However, PTSD treatment centers have recognized for generations that PTSD can happen to anyone, regardless of their gender, age, ethnicity, economic status, and other identifiers.
Symptoms of PTSD
People with PTSD have stressful thoughts and feelings that persist for more than four weeks after initial exposure to the traumatic incident. These disturbing feelings and thoughts manifest in four main forms:
- Reliving the event in the form of flashbacks and nightmares
- Avoidance of situations and people who remind them of the traumatic incident
- Having increased arousal levels, such as strong negative reactions to ordinary happenings like loud noises
- Changes in thinking and mood, such as the loss of ability to remember important aspects of the disturbing incident, or having distorted thoughts about the cause or consequences of the incident
The severity, frequency, and onset of symptoms can all vary from person to person. For some, weeks or even months pass between the traumatic event and their symptoms. This can make it difficult for a person to realize that they are dealing with PTSD, and they may think that they are instead dealing with another condition entirely.
Luckily, these symptoms of PTSD can be treated at our treatment centers in Nashville, TN.
Risk Factors of PTSD
People of all ages, ethnicities, cultures, and national backgrounds can develop PTSD. Not everyone who has had exposure to a traumatic incident will end up with this condition. There are, however, a few factors that increase the likelihood of developing PTSD, which include:
- Experiencing dangerous events
- Experiencing physical or sexual assault
- Witnessing another individual getting physically hurt or killed
- A childhood that included abuse or neglect
- Lack of a social support system
- A history of mental illness or substance use disorder
- Serving in the military
Fortunately, PTSD proves to be a highly treatable condition. It is important to seek help after experiencing trauma as soon as possible. Our Nashville PTSD treatment can help a person build a support system, develop healthy coping skills, and learn how to respond to uncomfortable situations in a way that helps prevent triggering symptoms.
HOW IS PTSD DIAGNOSED?
In order to be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, a person must be seen by a therapist or physician who is trained to recognize the signs and symptoms. They will confirm that the individual has experienced a traumatic event within their lifetime, and discuss their symptoms in order to provide a proper diagnosis.
Common Reasons People Do Not Pursue Treatment for PTSD
There are many reasons people do not seek treatment for PTSD, including;
- Not trusting mental health professionals
- Having financial concerns regarding treatment costs
- Feeling that asking for help could be a sign of weakness
- Thinking that symptoms may improve on their own over time
- A worry that if people find out, it can impact their careers or relationships
- Fear due to the response they have previously received from others – especially common within the LGBTQ+ community
What Happens in PTSD Treatment?
PTSD treatment centers begin by performing a thorough assessment to understand the specifics of a person’s PTSD. From there, a schedule for different types of therapy can be created. Each type of therapy helps a person confront their trauma and learn to make peace with it in a way that keeps it from overwhelming them. The individual will not be rushed to come to terms with what happened to them. Instead, therapists use compassionate, friendly communication to help the person feel able to open up and talk. Together, the therapist and person set treatment goals for PTSD therapy and review the progress made.
Benefits of Our PTSD Treatment Centers in Nashville
When people receive proper treatment for their PTSD, they typically experience relief from many of their symptoms. For symptoms that do persist, they learn coping skills needed to manage them and improve their quality of life. At our PTSD treatment facilities, we help you:
- Make sense of the distressing event
- Learn coping skills to handle distressing thoughts and feelings
- Reconnect with loved ones
- Set realistic goals for moving forward
- Learn to live in the present rather than the past
- Use any appropriate medications proven to help with PTSD symptoms
The reality is that PTSD requires treatment from trained experts. No one needs to suffer in silence with no hope for improvement. The earlier the person seeks treatment, the better. Early treatment helps with better long-term outcomes that improve mental health and wellness. Having said that, it’s never too late to get help. Some programs offered by our facility include:
What to Expect at Our PTSD Treatment Facilities
Mental health professionals use many evidence-based approaches to aid a person’s recovery from PTSD, including medication-based treatments and various forms of psychotherapies.
One particular type of psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), is highly effective in PTSD treatment. There are many types of cognitive behavioral therapy that are used to help people recover from PTSD:
- Cognitive processing therapy: Focuses on the modification of negative emotions and thoughts.
- Prolonged exposure therapy: Involves repeated and continuing exposures to symptom triggers in a safe controlled environment to help patients gain control of their fears.
- Stress inoculation therapy: Arms the individual with the required coping skills to manage stressful triggers efficiently.
- Group therapy: Encourages survivors of similar traumas to share their stories in a safe and nonjudgmental environment.
People who do not want to relive stressful memories can use other psychotherapeutic approaches like supportive, interpersonal, and psychodynamic therapy.
Medications can be used along with psychotherapy to treat PTSD. Antidepressants like SNRIs (serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) and SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are common pharmacologic treatment options. Medications to relieve anxiety and sleep problems may be used, too.
Many holistic types of therapies can be used, including acupuncture, yoga, meditation, and equine therapy.
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Treatment Goals for PTSD
Treatment goals for PTSD therapy vary per person, but many of them are the same for most people. The first goal is to create a safe space to discuss what happened to the person. This establishes an ability to talk outside of therapy with others when necessary. Further goals include helping the person to reduce the anxiety they feel when they think about their trauma. Therapists help them develop healthy coping skills that allow the person to control their emotions and not become overwhelmed by them.
Another treatment goal is the reduction of common side effects of PTSD. These include flashbacks, nightmares, and insomnia. When the person becomes healthier in body and mind, it makes it easier to overcome PTSD in all ways. Many people also want to learn to improve personal relationships that have been negatively impacted by PTSD.
Contact Our Nashville, TN PTSD Treatment Centers Today
Taking the first step to seek treatment for your mental health and PTSD can be uncomfortable or frightening. At Arbor Wellness in Nashville, we understand the devastating effects that PTSD and trauma can bring about. We provide comforting, compassionate care from the moment you contact us.
If you have never pursued help from PTSD treatment centers in Tennessee, you may not know what to expect. At Arbor Wellness, our dedicated admissions coordinators are standing by to help answer your questions. Give us a call now at 615-246-7275 or learn more about our admissions process today.
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