A few weeks ago you got into a car accident with a friend. While you didn’t have super serious injuries, your friend did. They were fine, and you thought once the two of you were out of the hospital, that that would be the end of it.
But ever since you got out of the hospital, you haven’t been able to sleep well. Your mind is constantly replaying the moment of the crash.
What could you have done differently? Why did your friend deserve injuries while you didn’t? What if you guys had taken a different route? Why did you guys leave when you did? Was this your fault?
Experiences like these are known as traumatic events. They can happen to anyone for a myriad of reasons. It’s an event that lingers with you, leaving you shaken. Trauma is a deeply personal experience that can often impact your life in a big way. It can disrupt your emotional well-being, and mental health and play a role in many things from anxiety and depression to substance use disorders.
Here at Pinnacle Peak Recovery, we know how complex trauma can be and how often it can be a contributing factor to other conditions, like substance use. When trauma goes untreated, it can be hard to feel like you’re living a life to the fullest. It can make you feel disconnected from the world or constantly on edge and afraid, and that’s not a way that someone should live.
Our team here at Pinnacle Peak is committed to our patients and the community as a whole. With over 1 million Arizona residents reporting having a mental illness, we know how important having options for recovery is. We want everyone to be able to access the proper care they need to be able to lead a fulfilling life. This is why we offer trauma treatment as a component of our rehab program. Let’s talk more about what that entails and how trauma treatment might benefit you and your recovery.
What We Treat: Trauma in All Its Forms
Traumatic events can happen to anyone at any age or time. Trauma isn’t exclusive to “big disasters” like hurricanes or tragic deaths in the family. Trauma can be related to events you experienced in your childhood, known as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), or something that happened to you within the last year. There’s no rate at which everyone heals; it’s unique to each individual.
Not everyone who experiences trauma develops PTSD as a result, either. While trauma can often go hand-in-hand with other conditions like substance use disorders, depression, or anxiety, it can also stand on its own.
Our team here at Pinnacle Peak has seen how trauma can deeply affect a person’s life, often in more ways than they realize. This is why we offer a dedicated trauma treatment program with a wide variety of options to help you find the healing you need.
How We Treat: The Importance of Trauma Therapy
Our team here at Pinnacle Peak knows how unique trauma is and how thoroughly it can influence your life. This is why we have a variety of specialized programs to address some of these concerns. This includes our programs for first responders, veterans, and more. Many of these programs have trauma-focused treatment as a core component.
What Is Trauma Therapy and Trauma-Informed Care?
Trauma therapy and trauma-informed care often go hand-in-hand. Trauma-informed care is when a treatment program acknowledges and works with a patient to address their trauma alongside other things. Trauma therapy is the specific treatment and addressing of trauma. The main goal of trauma therapy is to provide a patient with healthy coping skills. The other goal is to work through some of the trauma itself in a way that helps the patient feel more equipped to live with and address it. What Is Trauma?
Trauma is the result of experiencing an event that is very stressful or frightening. It’s an event that might be difficult to wrap your head around and properly cope with over time. Trauma can be a one-off thing or a repeated event that happens over a long period. No set scenario will always cause someone to experience trauma, as we all react differently to different situations. These events can happen at any age.
How Does Trauma Become PTSD?
A common question we hear is, “What is the difference between trauma and PTSD?” While PTSD always involves trauma, not all trauma leads to PTSD.
PTSD stands for post-traumatic stress disorder. On average, 10% of women and 5% of men will be diagnosed with PTSD at some point in their lifetime. PTSD is the result of trauma and how you react to it. You might be more likely to develop PTSD depending on the type of trauma you experienced and how often you experienced it. For example, many people who live through war and combat scenarios have a higher chance of developing PTSD.
PTSD can also develop over time. It doesn’t always have to appear within a specific time of the traumatic event or events. Many people might block out traumatic events and not experience the full side effects until something reminds them of their trauma, or they try to address it later.
The Types of Trauma Therapy and Their Unique Benefits
Just like we don’t believe in a singular treatment program to address substance use, there’s also no singular treatment plan to help address trauma. Everyone’s trauma, and the ways that they want to handle it, are entirely unique. Here at Pinnacle Peak, we offer a handful of evidence-based practices that can help patients learn the skills they need to manage their trauma in a healthy way.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
Our Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) program centers on the concept of replacing distressing imagery and memories with neutral or positive things, instead. This process, known as Voluntary Image Replacement, doesn't seek to erase your past but rather alter its emotional impact on you.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Our EMDR program is a form of trauma therapy that utilizes the patterns between eye movement and certain areas of the brain to process traumatic memories. The main principle behind EMDR counseling, which sets it apart from other types of therapies, is that it is based on the idea that the mind has an innate ability to heal itself. The process uses guided therapy to address these unresolved emotions, helping your brain process the information that it was not able to resolve earlier.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is probably one of the more well-known treatment modalities in therapy. Developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan, this cognitive-based treatment focused on the balance between acceptance and change. It works toward empowering individuals and giving them the tools they need to address negative thought patterns and behaviors.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is another type of cognitive behavioral therapy. Its main focus is addressing how individuals perceive and interpret the experiences in their lives. It works by helping patients develop a new view of distressing events, challenges, and other beliefs and traumas. The goal is to restructure thinking, which leads to reduced distress and allows you to better face future obstacles and triggers related to trauma.
Psychodrama Therapy
Our psychodrama therapy program allows clients to work through traumatic scenarios in a group setting. Just as one practices before a big speech, or even has arguments with imaginary people in the shower, being able to work through traumatic situations in a fictional setting and safe environment has many benefits for recovery.What Trauma Therapy Can Do to Help You
Whether you’ve been only managing it for a few months, or trauma has been impacting your life for years, you deserve to have peace in your life. Trauma impacts us in deep and long-lasting ways, but it doesn’t have to be something that’s always unmanageable. With proper trauma therapy, you can be equipped to manage triggers, learn new coping skills, and push beyond the symptoms of trauma.
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Trauma Recovery Options in Arizona at Pinnacle Peak
If you’re looking for a comprehensive program that can help you overcome trauma, Pinnacle Peak is ready to help. With our specialized programs and mental health treatment options, we’re dedicated to offering you evidence-based treatment so you can find something that suits your specific needs.
With a team of trained, medical professionals who are dedicated to offering compassionate care, we’ll work hard to help you build up that strong foundation for long-term recovery. No matter your history of trauma or substance use, we want to help you.
If you have any questions about our specialized programs, trauma therapy, dual diagnosis, or anything else, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 866-377-4761. Our Pinnacle Peak team is here whenever you’re ready.