PTSD can interrupt and derail someone’s daily life in relentless and intrusive ways. If you or a family member live with PTSD, know that help is out there and recovery is possible. With the aid of PTSD rehab, individuals can develop healthy coping skills and learn to re-engage in everyday life after trauma.
Heroes’ Mile is a PTSD treatment center created for veterans by veterans. Read further to learn more about this invasive disorder, what we do to help the veterans who spend each day fighting it, and how we can help you, too.
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What Is PTSD?
PTSD rehab centers exist to help people overcome their symptoms and return to their everyday lives, but what does that mean? What does PTSD stand for, and what are the symptoms associated with it?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that develops after someone lives through or witnesses a traumatic event. It can happen to anyone at any age, though certain factors can influence someone’s likelihood of developing it.
For example, the nature of their trauma may increase the risk of it having a long-term effect on their mental health. PTSD is most common following particularly intense and violent experiences, as well as long-lasting trauma like domestic abuse.
Symptoms of PTSD
PTSD symptoms normally fall within one of four categories. These include:
- Reliving the event. Someone may experience recurring flashbacks or nightmares about their trauma. These can occur unprompted, or someone may encounter them after seeing or hearing certain triggers.
- Avoidance. To minimize their thoughts about the event, someone may try to avoid situations, people, media, or locations that remind them of it. This includes avoiding cars after getting into an accident or staying away from noisy crowds.
- Negative thoughts and feelings. Numbness, forgetfulness, guilt, and shame are common feelings that occur after a traumatic event. Someone’s beliefs about themselves, others, or the world at large may take on a negative lens.
- Hyperarousal. Living through trauma can make someone more jittery and restless than before. They may experience difficulty sleeping or focusing, in addition to being easily startled or angered. Others find that they are always on alert and keeping an eye out for danger.
Many of these symptoms are normal when they occur immediately after a traumatic event. However, if they persist for weeks or months while showing few signs of improvement, it may indicate a deeper, prolonged issue like post-traumatic stress disorder. In these cases, individuals may benefit from PTSD rehab.
PTSD in Veterans
Another factor that affects someone’s likelihood of developing PTSD is their veteran status. In many ways, individuals with military experience are predisposed to behavioral health conditions. For instance, more than one in ten veterans have or will develop PTSD following their military service.
Many reasons contribute to the prevalence of PTSD in veterans. Consider what their life experiences may look like compared to those of civilians. Veterans can experience combat exposure, training accidents, military sexual trauma (MST), and other challenges unique to military life. The abundance of high-stress environments and situations veterans face make them far more likely to need PTSD rehab.
Complications of PTSD
The impact of traumatic events on veterans can go further than PTSD. For example, they may also turn to drugs or alcohol and develop substance abuse problems as a result. When addiction exists alongside a mental illness such as PTSD, they’re known as co-occurring disorders (or dual diagnosis).
Co-occurring disorders are known to feed into each other. Symptoms of one often worsen those of the other, and vice versa. For this reason, they need to be treated in tandem to solve the root issues responsible.
Furthermore, veterans may encounter other mental health conditions following a traumatic event as well, such as:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Eating disorders
- Dissociative disorders
- Mood disorders
- Personality disorders
- Suicidal ideations
No matter the extent of someone’s mental health battle, they deserve to get the proper care. Veterans should choose a PTSD rehab center that knows how multifaceted veteran PTSD can be.
Heroes’ Mile understands how to help veterans with co-occurring disorders and additional mental health conditions. Our PTSD rehab programs acknowledge the diversity and complexity of these issues through trauma-informed care and individualized treatment plans.
What Is PTSD Rehab?
Though it can feel like a pervasive, unyielding illness, PTSD is not untreatable. With the proper resources and support, anyone can overcome the symptoms of PTSD and transition back to everyday civilian life.
PTSD rehab stands as one of the most effective methods of making that happen. It introduces individuals to a plethora of helpful tools and skills they can use to cope with their traumatic memories in healthy ways.
This is accomplished through several different techniques. Some of the treatment options utilized at a PTSD treatment program include:
- Individual therapy
- Group therapy
- Recreational therapy
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy
- 12-step programming
- Family counseling
- Nutrition education
- Career development
- Discharge and aftercare planning
Each facet of PTSD rehab treatment exists to fulfill a particular goal or meet a specific need. For instance, EMDR therapy helps patients work through their traumatic memories and reach a point where they can speak about them without getting triggered. Group therapy boosts communication skills, while family counseling can rebuild bonds and increase emotional awareness.
Exposing patients to a broad range of therapeutic techniques sets them up for the highest chance of success. As mentioned before, PTSD can impact every area of someone’s life. Therefore, it stands to reason that PTSD treatment needs to address just as many concerns.
Types of PTSD Rehab Programs
Moreover, Heroes’ Mile respects that everyone has a unique experience with PTSD. Some people need different levels of care, while others may find that certain treatment options work best for them.
We recognize these differences and take advantage of the most effective options for each patient. At Heroes’ Mile, you will develop an individualized treatment plan that bolsters your strengths and ensures all of your problem areas are addressed.
To further accommodate for a wide range of needs and situations, we offer three different PTSD rehab programs of varying intensities:
- Inpatient PTSD rehab. Our residential treatment program offers the highest, most intensive level of care. Patients should consider inpatient treatment if they have severe, debilitating symptoms, or if they lack an encouraging, sober home environment.
- Outpatient PTSD rehab. For individuals who have graduated from residential treatment or require less intensive care from the start, our intensive outpatient treatment program may be an option. Patients in outpatient treatment come on-site for one to two hours each day.
- Partial hospitalization. If someone has moderate symptoms but is mentally stable, and if they have a safe home life, they may opt for our partial hospitalization program. These patients commute to the facility for up to five hours each day, then return home at night.
Rest assured that our team of PTSD and addiction experts will work with you to help determine which treatment program is best for you. Furthermore, each program employs many of the same therapeutic activities. The biggest difference between them is the amount of time a patient spends participating in said activities, which helps patients with more or less severe cases of PTSD decide which route to take.
PTSD Rehab Center for Veterans
Heroes’ Mile is a PTSD rehab center for veterans located in DeLand, Florida. Our veteran exclusivity ensures that your peers understand and can relate to your experiences in the military. You can forge deep, meaningful bonds and develop a support system of unmatched strength.
In addition, the majority of the staff members at Heroes’ Mile are veterans as well. We believe in recovery through common ground, and we do all we can to reflect that message throughout our practices.
So, are you ready to fight against the effects of PTSD and reclaim your life? If so, contact us today by calling 888-838-6692 or submitting a confidential contact form online. Our admissions experts will gladly answer any questions about addiction and mental health treatment, and then they’ll guide you through your next steps.
No matter where you are in your journey, recovery is within your grasp. Whether you’re just starting to heal or you’re continuing care received in the past, the staff at Heroes’ Mile will welcome you with open arms. Here, we’ve got your six.
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