PTSD Treatment In Orange County

Orange County Mental Health Treatment

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About 3.5% of American adults suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). That’s about 8 million people over the age of 18.

PTSD symptoms can come about because of a traumatic life experience, but it may not be obvious right away what the person is struggling with. It can also come about a while after the event, but other times symptoms show up right away.

If you or a loved one is in need of PTSD treatment in Orange County, contact us today.

What Is PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental health condition that can occur after someone experiences a traumatic event in their life or witnesses a traumatic event. These events can include:

  • A serious accident
  • Animal bites or animal attacks
  • Sexual assault
  • Physical abuse or violence
  • Emotional abuse
  • Bullying
  • Neglect


There are many other things that can contribute to signs and symptoms of PTSD, like
veterans from wars.

While not everyone who experiences traumatic events develops PTSD, there are certain factors that may make some people more prone to developing symptoms. The severity and the duration of the trauma will have an impact, but internal factors like resiliency and coping skills can also determine if PTSD develops.

What Are the Symptoms of PTSD?

If you believe you or someone else is dealing with PTSD, there are certain symptoms that may stick out to you. Many people display symptoms if they have flashbacks of the event or have a nightmare about it. It is also possible to have symptoms if you are put in a situation similar to the previous traumatic event or reminded of the event.

Here are symptoms to look out for if you think someone is struggling with PTSD:

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  • Odd sleep patterns
  • Loss of interest in things they used to be interested in 
  • Depression
  • Aggressiveness 
  • Avoidance of certain situations, places, or people
  • Flashbacks
  • Headaches and stomachaches

Intrusive thoughts that can accompany flashbacks are often just as traumatic as the event itself because it seems so real – almost as if it is happening again. People will avoid certain situations and places because of the possibility of intrusive thoughts causing flashbacks and unwanted memories to pop back up.

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Contact our specialists to find how we can help treat your needs.

How Is PTSD Diagnosed?

When you decide to take the step to visit a medical professional to get some help for your symptoms, a doctor will need to go through a few questions to determine if you are suffering from PTSD or something else.

First, a doctor will want to do a physical evaluation to rule out that anything physical is causing your symptoms. 

A doctor will then give a psychiatric evaluation to better understand what you are feeling and thinking on any given day. After the psychiatric evaluation, a doctor can usually determine if you have PTSD.

How Is PTSD Treated?

Just as one has many options for treatment if one suffers from depression, the same goes for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a very popular form of therapy that deals with the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of a person to see how they are all interconnected.

This type of therapy focuses on problems that affect you at the moment and are creating changes in behaviors.

The focus of this type of therapy is that it helps problems in one sector of your life to ultimately affect all the other aspects. Talk therapy is effective in determining cognitive behaviors that are negatively affecting you so that there is a way to change them and progress with your life.

Cognitive Processing Therapy

Cognitive processing therapy specifically targets how the patient is thinking about a specific event or experience. This therapy will allow the patient to change their thoughts and perceived experiences related to the event.

Medication

There are several different types of medications that can help the symptoms of PTSD. Antidepressants can help improve the symptoms related to depression and anxiety. Prazosin is a medication that can help those who struggle to sleep due to PTSD by suppressing nightmares.

PTSD Treatment in Orange County, CA

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If you or someone you know is suffering from PTSD in Orange County, California, it may be time to get help. Suffering doesn’t need to last forever since there are ways that you can get treatment if you need it.

There are a few steps you can take online to schedule an appointment and learn more about the options you have in Orange County.

Are you ready to take the next step to get the help you or someone you love needs? Contact us with any questions you have about PTSD treatment.