Residential Treatment for Trauma Disorders

Trauma disorders, which are officially known as trauma and stressor-related disorders, are a natural outgrowth of shocking and terrifying experiences. Trauma disorders can result from exposure to child or domestic abuse, sexual assault, severe neglect (usually in childhood), warfare, natural disaster, the sudden death of a loved one, or violent crime (as either a victim or a witness).

Without treatment, a serious trauma disorder can lead to self-harming behavior, up to and including attempts at suicide.

Symptoms of Trauma Disorders

Trauma disorders and related conditions will have a destabilizing effect on your loved one’s emotional and psychological states. These disorders can cause a wide variety of symptoms, based on the type of trauma-related conditions that develop and their severity.

Some of the most common trauma and stressor-related disorder symptoms include:

• High levels of anxiety
• Chronic suspicion and mistrust
• Sleep disruptions or disturbances
• Social withdrawal and isolation
• An inability to control negative emotions, or avoid overly emotional responses
• Emotional numbness or emptiness, sometimes alternating with emotional outbursts
• Feelings of disconnection or detachment from self and/or the world
• Vivid memories that may seem like past events are recurring

If several of these symptoms are observed for a prolonged period of time, you should have your adult child, partner, parent, sibling, friend, or extended family member evaluated by a mental health professional.

Our inpatient treatment program for trauma disorders at BrightQuest offers excellent prospects for a sustainable recovery, thanks to our evidence-based practices, highly trained and experienced recovery experts, and the warm and supportive atmosphere we create to make our clients feel comfortable and welcome.

We offer high-quality, evidence-based treatment for those who are diagnosed with trauma disorders or trauma-related conditions that cause persistent and long-lasting symptoms.

Trauma-related conditions we treat include:

• PTSD. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) produces vivid flashbacks to previous traumas, where memories are relived as if the events that were causing them were happening again. Individuals with PTSD are haunted by stressful thoughts or nightmares, are easily aroused by external events or stimuli, and often experience uncontrollable feelings of anxiety.
• Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD). C-PTSD is a more serious form of the disorder. It produces similar symptoms, but they can be even more intense, frightening, and disabling. C-PTSD is caused by repeated exposure to traumatic events over the course of months or years.
• Adjustment disorders. When someone takes an excessive amount of time adjusting to the loss of a loved one, a battle with a serious illness, sudden unemployment, the break-up of a relationship, or another unpleasant or unwanted event, they may be diagnosed with an adjustment disorder. Individuals with adjustment disorders often come to treatment for co-occurring conditions, like depression or substance abuse problems.
• Relational trauma. Long-term, severe relationship troubles leave wounds that make the formation or maintenance of new relationships difficult. Relational trauma is a high-risk factor for other serious mental health disorders as well, and treatment plans must address these disorders plus their roots in destructive or harmful relationships in the past.
• Dissociative disorders. These highly disabling conditions are not classified as trauma disorders but develop in reaction to severe and shocking trauma. Dissociative disorders are associated with discontinuities in thinking and perception and with feelings of deep detachment or distance from the self (depersonalization) or the surrounding environment (derealization). At their most extreme, they can lead to the development of additional personalities. Dissociative disorders are complicated conditions that can require extensive, multilayered, long-term treatment.

Complex mental illness of any type creates significant life challenges. Intensive treatment at BrightQuest can make a lasting and positive impact on your loved one’s condition, where we will guide them toward empowerment in their transition to a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

Co-Occurring Disorders

About 80 percent of men and women with PTSD will suffer from co-occurring mental or behavioral health conditions. The most common diagnoses in these instances include an anxiety disorder, depression, or a substance use disorder. The longer your loved one goes without getting help for their PTSD, the more likely they are to develop other debilitating conditions.

Dissociative disorders are serious mental disorders and predictors of other conditions. Untreated PTSD is a risk factor for dissociative disorder and is therefore frequently diagnosed as a co-occurring disorder in need of treatment. Many men and women with dissociative disorders will use drugs and alcohol as a form of self-medication for their troubling symptoms. If dissociative symptoms are not addressed in treatment, the odds of developing a substance use disorder are high.

Men and women with adjustment disorders and relational trauma are also at risk for serious substance abuse issues. Without professional treatment the temptation to escape into intoxication is strong, and many who choose this route end up addicted. Anxiety disorders and depression are other conditions that might develop in those who have relational trauma. Meanwhile, people with adjustment disorders frequently have pre-existing anxiety disorders or personality disorders that predispose them to react badly to significant loss or disappointment.

Co-occurring conditions are a complication that can make treatment for trauma disorders more challenging. But an all-inclusive approach that treats all disorders simultaneously and with equal emphasis produces the best results. Our mental health professionals at BrightQuest have ample experience creating complex treatment regimens for men and women with multiple mental health conditions.

Most people who experience the symptoms of a trauma disorder realize they need help. But they may have fears and insecurities that prevent them from reaching out to mental health professionals, or to family members who might intervene on their behalf. Sometimes, their conditions deteriorate to the point where they no longer possess the ability to ask for help on their own.

Anyone with the support of their family during their mental health struggles has a much better chance of making a lasting recovery than those who lack this vital source of encouragement. You can offer positive thoughts and energy during the most difficult times, letting them know you believe in them and are ready to stand by them every step of the way throughout their recovery.

Once they’re willing to accept your help, they’ll likely be willing to seek the assistance of trained mental health professionals as well. At BrightQuest, we can provide thorough and complete diagnostic services, evidence-based therapies, and medications when they are a good alternative. You can speak to us directly to learn more about our wellness plans and our approach to treatment, and sharing this information with your loved one can help alleviate their concerns and uncertainties.

Your Family’s Involvement in the Treatment Process

When your loved one has been diagnosed with a trauma disorder, they need expert treatment for their condition. But they also need kindness, compassion, and understanding, and no one is better prepared to offer it than you and the other members of your family. That’s why we encourage extensive family involvement in the recovery process.

Family therapy will be a regular and essential part of your loved one’s treatment plan. During weekly sessions, you’ll offer love, support, advice, and a sympathetic ear. Your loved one’s comfort level is vital to recovery, and having you there by their side throughout their time at BrightQuest will strengthen their resolve to heal.

In addition to family therapy, we also sponsor multifamily educational classes on a biweekly basis. These informative sessions will deepen your knowledge of trauma disorders and complex mental health in general. You’ll be able to network with others facing the same situation in their families, many of whom will have the same questions about mental illness and treatment as you have.

Finally, you’ll be invited to multifamily support group meetings, which are held on a bimonthly basis at our facilities in San Diego and Nashville. Support groups feature constructive and motivating interactions with the loved ones of other BrightQuest clients, who will appreciate your support and feedback just as much as you appreciate theirs.