PTSD

WE HELP YOU STOP RELIVING THE PAST

Nearly everyone will experience a traumatic event in their life – whether they experience it directly or bear witness. Most often people recover from the trauma over a relatively short amount of time. However, this isn’t always the case. The National Comorbidity Survey Replication found that 6.8% of the US adult population suffers from post traumatic stress disorder – a disorder in which individuals have a difficult time recovering from a traumatic event. At The Ohana we help you recover and get back to truly living your life.
 

WHAT IS POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER?

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs when an individual is unable to recover from a traumatic event that they either experienced or witnessed. We often hear about PTSD in relation to war veterans, but PTSD can, and does occur outside of the battlefield. For example, an individual may experience PTSD after a car accident. They may have flashbacks to the traumatic event whenever they try to drive a car again. They may even find it unbearable to be a passenger.

People may experience PTSD from a variety of incidents including (but not limited to):

  • Sexual assault
  • Sports injury
  • Car wreck
  • Unexpected death of a loved one
  • Physical and/or mental abuse
  • Combat

It is still not entirely clear why some people experience PTSD after a traumatic event while other don’t. Some factors that may play a role are a person’s support network, coping strategies, and overall mind-body awareness during and after the event.

Regardless of a person’s resiliency and network, it is still important that they fully process the event in order to increase their ability to heal from it.

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SYMPTOMS OF PTSD

Like most mental health disorders, people may experience PTSD differently. Some may sleep soundlessly through the night while others suffer night terrors. Similarly, some may become easily aroused and frightened while others dissociate and appear numb wherever they go.

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  • Flashbacks
  • Nightmares
  • Avoidance
  • Negative mood changes
  • Heightened arousal/sensitivity to environment
  • Thoughts of suicide

TREATMENT FOR PTSD

Living with post traumatic stress disorder can feel limiting at best, and extremely frightening at worst. Relationships may be impacted as the sufferer feels isolated and not understood by others who did not experience the event. Additionally PTSD can impact a person’s ability complete daily tasks, including maintaining consistent employment.

Various treatment methods can be successful in treating PTSD. Psychotherapy, and specifically cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been found to help individuals process their trauma and get back to thriving. Pairing psychotherapy with medication can also be beneficial in helping the individual process the traumatic event.

Additionally, holistic therapies like meditation and mindfulness practices can help the sufferer learn to be present and become aware of things that make them feel safe (like taking a deep breath).

Another great practice for sufferers of PTSD are mind-body practices such as yoga that help move stored trauma physically through the body. At The Ohana our clients have the opportunity to try out various healing modalities and mix and match those that they find most beneficial.

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POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER DOES NOT HAVE TO RUN YOUR LIFE. CONTACT US TODAY!

877-664-2622