Trauma and Beyond PTSD Treatment Center in Los Angeles CA

PTSD is a familiar term to many. The term was first coined during the Vietnam War to describe the disturbing effects of the horrors of war suffered by returning vets. The burgeroning women’s right movenent recognized that the symptoms of experiencing traumatic events displayed by war veterans were the same as women suffering from rape or domestic abuse. Today we recognize that PTSD can be triggered by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. These events can include, natural disasters, accidents, assaults, psychological, emotional, physical, sexual abuse, and other events that cause fear for one’s life or the life of someone else.

“I have come to the conclusion that human beings are born with an innate capacity to triumph over trauma. I believe not only that trauma is curable, but that the healing process can be a catalyst for profound awakening – a portal opening to emotional and genuine spiritual transformation.”
~ Peter A. Levine
 

Symptoms can include flashbacks, confused thoughts, nightmares, extreme anxiety, avoidance of anything reminding one of the event, negative changes in mood and thoughts following the event, increased reactivity, angry outbursts, hypervigilance, self destructive behavior, increased startle response.

There are normal stress reactions to threat, however, when it interferes with your day-to-day functioning and lasts for months or years you may have PTSD

Click on the images below to complete a symptoms checklist from the Intergenerational Trauma Workbook (Lynne Friedman-Gell, PhD and Joanne Barron, PsyD., 2020)

symptoms checklist
symptoms checklist

Getting effective treatment after PTSD symptoms develop can be critical to reduce symptoms and improve function. At Trauma and Beyond Center ® we treat PTSD and Complex PTSD with treatment in Los Angeles, using evidenced based and integrated trauma treatment methods. Starting with an assessment we will design your program based on your specific needs. EMDR, Neurofeedback, CPT and other modalities may be used according to each client’s profile.

Because trauma that leads to PTSD can take many shapes and forms within our mental and physical selves, it’s important to understand how it affects us. Therapy can help you determine the effects of PTSD in your present life, and help you move towards recovery.

In a safe environment, we can explore your trauma, understand the survival strategies you employed to respond to it, and chart a course for recovery by focusing on your strengths rather than just your symptoms.

The Trauma-Informed Lens

At Trauma and Beyond we operate from the foundational belief that trauma is at the root of many psychological and emotional disturbances.

How PTSD Affects You

PTSD may compromise your ability to cope in many ways and even daily stresses may lead to intense distress, overwhelming our ability to cope. Along with difficulty regulating our emotions, we may experience both hyperarousal and hypoarousal symptoms such as sleep difficulty, attention difficulty, anger and irritability, intrusive thoughts, withdrawal, or disconnection in family and peer relationships.

PTSD Leads to a Distortion of Reality

PTSD sufferers may develop an oversensitivity to perception of threat. Because of changes in the nervous system, signals can be interpreted incorrectly perceiving danger when there is none. This hypervigilance can cause problems in relations, safety and day to day functioning. We may think the alarm is the fire truck when it’s really the tea kettle.

Healing from PTSD

One of the most important scientific advances in the field of trauma studies is that the brain—once thought to become crystalised—actually has incredible healing power available to it. Neuroplasticity is the science that has taught us that the brain can change and grow. Our PTSD treatment facilities in Los Angeles can develop new pathways and heal from developmental deficits. We can have corrective emotional experiences. We can overcome the survival-focused programming from PTSD, and form new, more adaptive connections when we employ specific modalities of healing body and mind, such as what we offer at Trauma and Beyond ® PTSD Treatment Center Los Angeles CA.

Are You Suffering From PTSD?

  • Do you find yourself avoiding certain reminders of the trauma you experienced?
  • Are you suffering from flashbacks where you feel like you’re stuck in a memory of what happened to you?
  • Or do you feel like you have blank spots in your memory, and you can’t fully place what happened to you?
  • Do you frequently have nightmares related to what you experienced?
  • Are you easily startled, frightened or feel like you’re always “on edge”?
  • Do you feel disconnected from others in your life, or the passions you once enjoyed?
  • Have you turned to substances or some other behavior to help deal with your overwhelming emotions?
  • Do you feel numb and find yourself wanting to do reckless things just to “feel something”?
  • Are you disillusioned with the state of the world and do you tend to believe the worst of other people?
  • Have your close relationships suffered because of your irritability, angry outbursts or aggression?