June 27th is National PTSD Awareness Day. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition that can affect those who have experienced trauma. Unfortunately, many people who have PTSD do not seek help. Left untreated, PTSD can lead to addiction and mental health issues. The goal of PTSD Awareness Day is to bring attention to this condition to encourage more people to get help from addiction treatment therapy programs near Columbus.
At BrightView, we provide mental health counseling as a part of our comprehensive PTSD counseling therapy program. Our programs specialize in helping those with PTSD process and heal from their trauma so they can move on to lead happier, healthier lives. Call us today at 888.501.9865 to find out how you can enjoy freedom from post-traumatic stress disorder.
How You Can Observe PTSD Awareness Day
Whether or not you or a loved one suffer from PTSD, there are a variety of ways to show your support for those suffering from this debilitating condition:
- Spread the word on social media. You can do this by sharing PTSD posts from mental health or military organizations or posting PTSD facts on your page. You can also share digital resources and contact details for PTSD treatment programs in your area to encourage those in your community to get help.
- Share PTSD awareness posters or brochures with your local businesses and community centers and ask them to display them on their windows or information boards.
- Download the PTSD Family Coach app to get free guidance for helping a loved one manage PTSD.
- If you know someone you think may be suffering from PTSD, share information about the benefits of getting treatment and gently encourage them to get help.
You can also find a calendar with more PTSD awareness activity ideas on the National Center for PTSD website.
How Can a PTSD Treatment Program Help?
When a person experiences a traumatic event, their mind and body may struggle to deal with the trauma. This can lead to many symptoms, including nightmares, flashbacks, angry outbursts, anxiety, and depression, which are markers of post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD Is most frequently associated with military members who have been involved in combat. However, PTSD can affect anyone who has experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, serious car accident, or an act of violence.
People suffering the effects of trauma need treatment specific to PTSD to experience optimal relief. Some of the outpatient treatment program components will be similar to those of other addiction and mental health treatment programs as they can be beneficial across the board. However, a person experiencing trauma needs to be able to process the traumatic event to heal and move on from it. This may require a slightly different approach. Here are some ways a trauma treatment program can help a person heal:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) helps you reframe distorted thoughts stemming from trauma.
- Cognitive processing therapy (CPT), a form of CBT, helps you examine how the trauma has affected your thinking and guides you toward a healthier perception of the event.
- Prolonged exposure therapy helps desensitize you from triggers that elicit negative symptoms.
- Medications help you manage anxiety, depression, and fear associated with the traumatic event. Your fight or flight response may be hyperactive, and medications help take the edge to calm your mind and body.
Process and Heal with the Trauma Treatment Program at BrightView
The comprehensive addiction treatment therapy programs at BrightView can help you recover from PTSD and any co-occurring drug or alcohol addiction. We treat the whole person with mental health counseling, group therapy, and medication so you can get back to feeling like yourself again. To get started with our outpatient mental health treatment program for PTSD, call us today at 888.501.9865.
