Almost 100 thousand veterans live in Santa Ana and Orange County, CA.1 About a quarter of all veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), making 25,000 a reasonable estimate for how many individuals in Orange County could benefit from PTSD treatment for veterans in Santa Ana and surrounding areas. The effects of PTSD are dramatic and life-altering, and receiving reputable evidence-based treatment can make the difference between living a meaningful, productive life and feeling as if you can’t get control because of the effects of this devastating mental health disorder.
Peer Mental Wellness offers treatment for veterans with PTSD. Our compassionate, professional clinicians work collaboratively to provide you with the most comprehensive, personalized outpatient treatment for PTSD and any co-occurring disorders such as depression or substance misuse. Learn more about our PTSD treatment program in Santa Ana, CA, by connecting via phone at 714.844.5473.
A PTSD Diagnosis
Before the 1970s, the symptoms of what is now called PTSD were known by different names. Since war has existed, the psychological impact of combat has been recognized. It has gone by names such as irritable heart, post-Civil War, and shell shock after WWI. Many servicemembers who suffered after WWII were told they had battle fatigue. Regardless of how it is named, PTSD means that the natural alarm center of the brain, which is controlled by the amygdala, is altered after extreme, sustained, or repetitive trauma. Normally, that alarm center is meant to help humans face and survive dangerous situations. If you have PTSD, your alarms go off over anything, or sometimes even nothing.
Your prefrontal cortex, which normally acts to mute overreactions so you can think clearly, is deactivated by the flood of cortisol and adrenaline that are released by your overly reactive alarm center. Veterans and others with PTSD are triggered constantly and re-experience trauma over and over again because they cannot easily distinguish between normal present-moment events and the terrifying events of the past.
Signs That You May Need PTSD Treatment for Veterans in Santa Ana
Imagine being in Birch Park on West 3rd Street, sitting on a bench, when suddenly you feel like you are right back in the moment your trauma occurred. A distant backfiring muffler may have made your brain feel like it was in real danger—so close to the event that it felt as real as if it were happening again for the first time. This symptom of PTSD is often referred to as a flashback. It is linked to intrusive thoughts—meaning thoughts you have no control over. Below are some common signs of PTSD:
- Intrusive thoughts are unwanted memories of traumatic events that erupt fully in the mind with no warning. To the person experiencing this, it feels as if the event is happening now. This can happen at any time. The disruption of daily life can be completely debilitating.
- Thinking patterns can become distorted, meaning that people with PTSD can become consumed by negative thoughts, feelings of despair, numbness, detachment, and hopelessness. Memory lapses are common, too. These thoughts make forging relationships or even carrying on normal conversation extremely difficult.
- Avoidance is common among those with PTSD. You may find yourself avoiding places, people, or activities that remind you of trauma, even if the links seem illogical to you and others. You may find you are unable to talk about your experiences, which means normal psychotherapy can be difficult. Avoidant behaviors can result in unhealthy isolation and loneliness.
- Extreme reactivity results in intense responses of fight or flight in everyday situations. Being in a constant state of heightened anxiety puts a lot of stress on the body and can lead to sleep dysregulation, powerful feelings of guilt and shame, and an exaggerated startle response.
Attempting to walk to the store or take your child to the park can become insurmountable challenges, let alone finding and holding down a job, going back to school, or sustaining a marriage or other relationships. You deserve to live your life out from under the cloud of PTSD. Treatment for veterans with PTSD at Peer Mental Wellness could turn things around for you.
Call Peer Mental Wellness’s PTSD Treatment Center for Veterans in Santa Ana Today
Peer Mental Wellness is easily accessible from around the city of Santa Ana and surrounding areas. Close to major thoroughfares such as I-5, CA-55, and CA-91 and easily reached via North Broadway, Grand Avenue, or Main Street, our center offers outpatient treatment programs, including an intensive outpatient program (IOP) and a partial hospitalization program (PHP).
Let our staff walk you through your options for receiving the treatment and support you need for PTSD. Simply submit this online form or call us at 714.844.5473. Start on the path to healing today.
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