Warner Park Recovery Center – Woodland Hills Mental Health

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Signs and Symptoms of PTSD

The symptoms and risk factors of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can manifest in a person’s life as soon as one month after an event, or sometimes not until years later. Symptoms affect an individual’s ability to function effectively in work, social settings, interpersonal relationships and can interfere with the ability to complete everyday tasks.

PTSD Symptoms and warning signs can be grouped into the following four categories, each with a different order of symptomatology.

Re-Living

People with PTSD often relive the event(s) through thoughts and memories. This could look like

  • Flashbacks
  • Hallucinations
  • Nightmares
  • Severe emotional and physical reactions that remind you of the event

Avoidance

An individual may avoid people, places, and things that remind them of the event(s). This can lead to

  • Feelings of detachment from others and the world around you
  • Isolation
  • Loss of interest in activities
  • Trying to avoid talking or thinking about the event

 

Negative Mood and Cognition

A person struggling with PTSD may experience intense, prolonged periods of negative thoughts and decreased mood resulting in

  • Hopelessness
  • Memory Problems
  • Feeling emotionally numb
  • Blame
  • Estrangement from family and friends

Increased Arousal

PTSD can manifest a set of physical symptoms that may include.

  • Irritability or angry outbursts
  • Inability to show affection
  • being “jumpy” or easily startled
  • trouble concentrating and sleeping
  • Self-destructive behavior such as drinking, using substances, or driving recklessly

For children, symptoms may include

  • Delayed language, motor, and other developmental skills such as toilet training
  • Re-enacting the event
  • The trouble with sleep and frightening dreams that may or may not include memories from the event

Do I Have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?

If you fear yourself or a loved one may be suffering from a mental health or addiction disorder, our assessment tool may be of use. Although our assessments cannot replace a diagnosis from a trained medical professional, they can help determine how many symptoms a person is experiencing for any addiction or mental health disorder.

There is no reason to wait. If you have any reason to suspect you or someone around you may be dealing with a severe addiction or mental health disorder, take our assessment and reach out to us today!

Side Effects

PTSD symptoms can vary in their occurrence and intensity over time. You may have more symptoms when you are under a lot of pressure and stress in general or when you encounter specific reminders of the event.

The Connection Between PTSD and Addiction

Addiction and Substance abuse are commonly connected as co-occurring disorders with PTSD. A co-occurring disorder (or having a dual diagnosis) is having two conditions affecting an individual at the same time. After experiencing a terrifying and traumatic event, an individual may not have the coping skills and tools to manage the negative and destructive aftermath of the experience. To alleviate the negative symptoms of PTSD, individuals may begin to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol to cope. Over time substance use worsens the effects of PTSD and creates a dependency issue for individuals increases both physical and mental health risks. Many addiction treatment programs can treat chemical dependency and Post – Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) at the same time.

Statistics

According to research presented by time, it is estimated that two-thirds of individuals suffering from PTSD also have a substance use disorder.

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs lists the following statistics regarding PTSD and Addictions.

  • About 7 or 8 out of every 100 people (or 7-8% of the population) will have PTSD at some point in their lives.
  • About 8 million adults have PTSD during a given year. This is only a small portion of those who have gone through trauma.
  • About 10 of every 100 women (or 10%) develop PTSD sometime in their lives compared with about 4 of every 100 men (or 4%). Learn more about women, trauma, and PTSD.
  • Women who have PTSD at some point in their lives are 2.5 times more likely to also have alcohol abuse or dependence than women who never have PTSD.
  • Men are 2.0 times more likely to have alcohol problems if they have PTSD than men who do not have PTSD.

Is There a Cure For PTSD?

There are a wide array of effective treatments and modalities that are commonly used to effectively treat Post Traumatic Stress- Disorder as well as PTS, addiction, and other mental health problems at the same time.

EMDR (Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing): a focused type of psychotherapy used to help individuals heal from trauma by safely reconnecting them to the thoughts, emotions, and body sensations associated with trauma and then allowing the brain to move forward with adaptive resolution and healing.

Supportive Counseling and Talk Therapy: Talk therapy in an individual setting can be an effective way to allow yourself to open up about repressed thoughts and emotions while building a healthy therapeutic relationship to make progress towards healing.

DBT and Skill Building- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT): helps individuals learn how to self-regulate and find healthy coping skills and tools to manage stressful situations that may occur in everyday life.

Group Therapy and Activities: Therapy in a group setting can help one combat the debilitating feelings of isolation and become a safe space to work on interpersonal effectiveness while developing and understanding that they are not alone.

Relaxation, Art, and Mindfulness Therapies: Art, Music, Acupuncture, and Meditation therapies can all be effective in helping one engage in the healing process from the mental and physical effects of PTSD.

Energy Healing and Movement Therapies: Exercise and other forms of energy healing such as yoga, reiki, and breathwork can all help an individual gain coping skill that works for them in managing the effects of PTSD in a healthy and productive way

Medications: There are many medications that can help individuals combat the negative physical and mental effects of PTSD. Finding a local psychiatrist and sharing the symptoms you are currently experiencing will help you to know what type of medications could help you.

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Based on your test results we are sending you this notification in order to better assist you. Please feel free to reach out with no strings attached and speak with one of our live representatives today. 

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