A post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD doesn’t just happen to those who have been in combat. Women from all walks of life may also struggle with it. Those who have experienced any trauma can face this issue at some point in their lives. Your loved one may be struggling without knowing it. However, having the tools to support someone with PTSD can be invaluable. Soledad House can help people learn to recognize the signs of PTSD and get the right support.
What Is PTSD?
An individual can develop PTSD after experiencing any trauma. This could include:
- Abuse at the hands of a partner or family member
- Violence
- Natural disasters
- Illness
- Loss
Symptoms of PTSD can include flashbacks, anxiety, panic attacks, and trouble sleeping. Some individuals who struggle with PTSD turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with these feelings, which can be dangerous. Many of those with substance use disorders have co-occurring disorders like anxiety or PTSD.
How to Help Someone with PTSD Who’s Self-Medicating
Far too often, women self-medicate when they struggle with the condition. Maybe they survived an assault, witnessed a traumatic event, or survived abandonment. They did not receive therapy or counseling to help them process the event. Now, it keeps replaying itself in their minds.
Perhaps the person encounters flashbacks that make daily functioning difficult. Others suddenly struggle with disabling emotions. Enrolling in a women’s PTSD treatment center in San Diego, CA, is an excellent first step. However, far too many women abuse drugs or alcohol instead.
They might numb themselves to the emotions. They use stimulants to get out of bed and use depressants at night to get some sleep. In between these activities, they function as best as they can.
Learning how to help someone with PTSD can be as simple as making a call. Talk to a high-quality women’s addiction treatment program. Counselors there can help you point a loved one in the right direction. Treatment is essential for healing.
Getting the Necessary Help to Deal with PTSD and Addiction
How to help someone cope with PTSD means taking the first step. You get the information you need to pass on. The goal is not to make treatment sound rosy. Rather, it’s to be factual about mental health and addiction treatment therapies.
Examples include:
- Dual diagnosis treatment: helps someone deal with depression, anxiety, and trauma
- Trauma treatment: encourages a healthy way of reprocessing the event
- Dialectical behavior therapy: lets someone regain control over intense emotions in tough situations
- Substance abuse treatment: can help someone with co-occurring substance abuse
- Family therapy: brings in loved ones to assist with healing and the difficult conversations
What Happens if You Do Nothing?
You now know how to help someone with PTSD. However, it’s up to you to turn this knowledge into action. If you do nothing, there’s a good chance that your loved one continues on a destructive course. This is particularly true if she’s taking drugs or self-medicating with alcohol.
Addiction doesn’t get better on its own. The same’s true for PTSD. It requires expert intervention to overcome the conditions. Without your intervention, it most likely won’t happen.
Reach Out to Soledad House to Learn More About PTSD Treatment
Is there a chance that she’ll make the call herself? It’s possible that she will. But if your loved one hasn’t done so already, it’s time to learn how to help someone with PTSD with help from a professional. At Soledad House, we offer women’s addiction treatment along with mental health treatment in San Diego. In our treatment center, we’re committed to providing a safe, supportive environment where women can begin to heal. Connect with therapists at the Soledad House today by dialing 866.314.3222 now.
