PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, can affect anyone at any point in their life. Once thought to only affect combat veterans, first responders, and others working in high-risk jobs, psychologists and scientists now understand that PTSD can stem from prolonged, untreated, and complex trauma. The more modern medicine understands the effects of trauma on the brain and body, the more treatment options become available. A PTSD treatment can help diagnose trauma, heal unprocessed trauma, and help someone develop coping mechanisms to improve daily life.
If you or someone you love has experienced trauma, know you are not alone. If you’re looking for PTSD treatment in Massachusetts, consider treatment in New Hampshire instead. Just a short drive from Boston, A Better State is here to help you uncover and treat trauma with our holistic outpatient clinic. Call us now at 781.412.1488 to learn more about the benefits of PTSD treatment in New Hampshire.
How Does Trauma Lead to PTSD?
Trauma is a complex physical, emotional, and mental response to life-threatening events. The brain and body react to trauma without help from the conscious mind. During a life-threatening event, the brain releases adrenaline and cortisol, causing a fight, flight, or freeze response to help the body escape a dangerous situation. This response comes from the oldest part of the human brain, designed to help humans survive.
Scientists now know that during a life-threatening event like a natural disaster, the body may not process all the cortisol and adrenaline in its system. This leads to “trapped” trauma as these chemicals become trapped in muscle tissue, ready to reactivate when traumatic memories are triggered. This “trapped” trauma is often responsible for the physical and emotional side effects of trauma triggers and PTSD.
While some people survive a traumatic event like experiencing or witnessing physical violence, prolonged illness, or an accident without processing cortisol and adrenaline, others may come out of an event without trauma. Because traumatic experience and the body’s ability to process trauma are highly individualized, it’s difficult to know when an event will or won’t lead to PTSD. For many, prolonged stress such as illness, first responder work, divorce, or a toxic relationship can lead to PTSD because the body never processes compounding events.
Common Side Effects of Trauma
The brain often creates “screen memories” to soften the effects of a traumatic event. This means that many people live with trauma and PTSD without knowing it. This can lead to a wide range of side effects that someone experiences without knowing why. Side effects of PTSD include:
- Anger
- Aggression
- Sound sensitivity
- Light sensitivity
- Worry
- Depression
- Self-isolation
- Nausea
- Confusion
- Mood swings
- Self-medicating
- Paranoia
- Shaking
- Flashbacks
- Reactive behavior
- Unexplained guilt
- Shame
- Feeling unsafe
- Anxiety
- Fast heart rate
- Panic attacks
- Disorientation
- Nightmares
The side effects of trauma can be intense and alienating. Someone may not understand why they are reacting to benign situations. Loved ones may worry or become frighted when someone’s PTSD is triggered. While there are strategies for working with PTSD at home, PTSD therapy is the safest, most effective way to understand, manage, and heal unprocessed trauma.
Begin Outpatient PTSD Treatment in New Hampshire Today
If you or someone you love is struggling with PTSD, know you are not alone. An estimated 3.6% of U.S. adults had PTSD in the past year.1
Unfortunately, a lack of education and accessible trauma therapy treatment programs keep many people from getting the help they need to recover and thrive. If you’ve been looking for PTSD treatment programs in Massachusetts, it’s time to look at treatment options in New Hampshire instead. Just a short drive, PTSD treatment in New Hampshire can provide just enough distance from triggers without requiring residential care.
At A Better State, we specialize in uncovering and treating the root causes of PTSD and trauma. Our trauma-informed outpatient clinic provides the following:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Art therapy
- Yoga therapy
- Mindfulness meditation therapy
- Individual therapy
- Group therapy
- Family therapy
With daytime and evening IOP and PHP programs, we have a PTSD treatment plan that won’t compromise your schedule.
Learn More About A Better State’s PTSD Treatment in New Hampshire
Don’t start with PTSD treatment in Massachusetts. Consider a PTSD treatment in New Hampshire at A Better State. Contact us now at 781.412.1488 to learn how our PTSD therapy can help you thrive.
Footnote
