What is Psychological Trauma?
Trauma occurs after witnessing or being part of a disturbing event, like a natural disaster or a serious accident. While most symptoms eventually subside, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) notes that, for some folks, they don’t go away — and even start impacting their day-to-day lives.
This is post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. It persists for months after the initial traumatic event; signs include emotional numbness, distrust of others, and sudden bouts of panic. And despite its association with war, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs explains that PTSD can affect anyone, from children to soldiers.
Signs of Complex Trauma & PTSD
Our San Diego trauma recovery specialists are well-versed in identifying and treating PTSD. Do any of these symptoms sound familiar to you?
Physical Signs
Someone suffering from PTSD may exhibit an exaggerated startle response and severe sleep disturbances — nightmares, insomnia, and the like. Others may report chronic muscle tension and fatigue, or unexplainable aches and pains.
Emotional Indicators
Flooding — defined by Psychology Today as a rush of emotions that triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response — often accompanies PTSD, as do intrusive flashbacks and intense feelings of guilt or worthlessness.
Trauma & the Nervous System
More than a strictly mental phenomenon, trauma also affects the physical self. A jarring event can leave you in fight-or-flight mode, even if you understand you aren’t in imminent danger. Over time, that heightened state of alertness can cause a slew of issues impacting your digestion, circulation, and more.
The Apex Recovery Approach to Mental Trauma Treatment
Each of our San Diego PTSD rehab programs makes use of trauma-informed outpatient therapy. Recognized by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as a cornerstone of evidence-based PTSD treatment, it recognizes the lasting effect that traumatic events have in the lives of all who experience them — and creates a safe, supportive, trusting environment where true healing can take place.
Additionally, we combine gold-standard clinical modalities — like eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR) and trauma-informed care — with holistic wellness practices to help patients build a stable foundation for long-term mental health. And by offering all this in an outpatient environment, we give them the chance to immediately put their new skills to the test, without losing access to critical support.
“Are my symptoms coming from unresolved trauma?”
Give us a call to explore that question with your experts. We’ll help you decide if our holistic trauma recovery modalities are the best choice for this stage of your healing journey — no judgments or strings attached.
How Does Mental Trauma Affect a Person?
Though over in an instant, a traumatic event can affect a person for weeks, months, and even years afterward. In other words: PTSD lingers, and effective dual-diagnosis trauma care in San Diego doesn’t stick to a strict schedule. It takes time, support, and a sense of security — and we’ll do our best to provide you with all of them.
Personally
Someone with PTSD may avoid places or people that remind them of a traumatic event. Also, they may come across as detached — due to something called dissociation — or irritable. Each of these signs, and others, work together to strain interpersonal relationships with loved ones and acquaintances.
Medically
As shown earlier, PTSD activates the body’s fight-or-flight response for stretches of time, causing sharp changes in baseline cortisol levels. That leads to a number of physical consequences — easier scarring, restricted blood flow to hands and feet, and others, according to PTSD UK.
What Others are Saying About Apex Recovery
Our San Diego trauma treatment center has worked with countless patients over the last 12-plus years, and these are some of the experiences.
Frequently Asked Questions About Psychological Trauma
Single-event PTSD (what most folks refer to as PTSD) can be traced to one experience, like a car crash or an assault. Complex PTSD, or C-PTSD, arises from chronic trauma — prolonged abuse in childhood, repeated domestic violence, and the like.
Where EMDR uses guided eye movements to help the brain reprocess trauma, somatic experiencing focuses on releasing trauma pent up in the nervous system. We may incorporate somatic experiencing for trauma in your personalized care plan if it makes sense to do so — and only if you’re comfortable with it.
Seeking C-PTSD Help Near You?
Reach out to our San Diego outpatient mental health center by hitting the button below. One of our trained professionals will happily take your call.
CALL US (619) 756-6424