Anyone affected by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can use the help of a PTSD treatment program. The general goals of this kind of program are always more or less the same. However, the methods used to reach these goals can vary from one person to the next.
Which treatment options are right for you? Get the detailed answers you need at Northpoint Colorado. We’re committed to helping you understand what to expect from PTSD treatment. We’re also committed to providing that treatment as part of substance recovery. Call us today at 888.231.1281 to find out more.
What Is PTSD Treatment’s Goal?
If you’re affected by PTSD, you have four different types of life-impairing symptoms. Those symptoms impact your:
- Memories of past traumatic symptoms
- Ability to tolerate those memories
- General state of mind
- Ability to turn off your natural fight-or-flight response
To recover, you must have help for problems in each of these areas. The goal of PTSD treatment is to provide that help in a manner that works best for you.
Things to Expect in PTSD Recovery
It’s natural to want to know what to expect during PTSD recovery. A basic understanding of PTSD treatment is a good start. But you should also know what methods may be used to help you recover.
These methods fall into two main categories–psychotherapy and medication. There are several therapy options with proven usefulness for PTSD recovery. Multiple medication options may also help you.
Understanding PTSD Treatment Options for Psychotherapy
Therapy is essential for the typical person with PTSD. All of the best options are trauma-focused. This means that they’re designed to help you process traumatic experiences. Three main options fit this bill:
- Prolonged exposure (PE) therapy
- Cognitive processing therapy (CPT)
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
PE therapy helps you confront past traumas in a controlled setting. Its goal is to help you work through those traumas and reduce their impact on you. In CPT, you get help changing how you feel and think about what happened to you in the past. In EMDR, your therapist uses movement or sound to focus your attention as you work through past traumas.
Therapy for PTSD can help you in a relatively short amount of time. Some people start to feel better after as few as eight sessions. However, others need more time to make significant gains.
What to Expect from Your PTSD Treatment Medication
Understanding PTSD treatment options also means learning about any medications you receive. All three of the currently recommended medications are antidepressants classified as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Their names are sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil), and venlafaxine (Effexor).
How do these medications help? By making certain changes in your brain chemistry. These changes help improve your ability to tolerate stress. In turn, improved resistance to stress can help ease the effects of PTSD.
All of the recommended medications provide roughly the same amount of relief. For this reason, your doctor may pick any one of them for your recovery plan. You’ll receive detailed instructions on how to safely use the prescribed SSRI.
Enroll in the PTSD Treatment Program at Northpoint Colorado Today
If PTSD affects you, you probably have a lot of questions about the treatment process. For example, what is PTSD treatment’s goal and how is that goal reached? The more you know, the easier it will be to prepare yourself for your recovery program.
Want more help understanding your PTSD treatment options? Get it today at Northpoint Colorado. We have all the information you need to ground your expectations firmly in reality. Need to seek PTSD treatment while in drug or alcohol recovery? We specialize in this kind of dual-purpose recovery program. To find out more about treating PTSD in rehab, just call us today at 888.231.1281. You can also use our convenient online contact form.