PTSD and Trauma Treatment in Glendale, Arizona
Shamlock Behavioral Health provides PTSD and trauma treatment in Glendale, Arizona and throughout Arizona, led by Dr. Kerubo Nyachieo, PhD, MSN, PMHNP-BC. Care may include psychiatric evaluation, PTSD medication management, therapy, and ongoing mental health support based on your symptoms and treatment needs.
Trauma can continue to affect you long after the event has ended. You may experience unwanted memories, flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, sleep problems, or a constant feeling that you are not safe. When these symptoms continue to affect your daily life, professional treatment can help.
Understanding Trauma and PTSD
What Is Trauma?
Trauma is the emotional and psychological response to a deeply distressing or threatening experience. A traumatic experience can affect how you think, feel, sleep, respond to stress, and interact with other people.
Some people recover with time and support. Others continue to experience symptoms long after the event.
Trauma can result from experiences such as abuse, violence, serious accidents, natural disasters, or witnessing a traumatic event. The impact can also vary from person to person.
What Is PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can develop after trauma. PTSD can cause recurring memories, flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance, anxiety, changes in mood, and a heightened sense of alertness.
Not everyone who experiences trauma develops PTSD. Persistent trauma-related symptoms can also be related to anxiety, depression, or other mental health conditions.
A psychiatric evaluation can help determine what is causing your symptoms and what type of care may be appropriate.
Childhood Trauma and PTSD
Childhood trauma can continue to affect a person into adulthood. You may experience anxiety, emotional distress, sleep problems, relationship difficulties, or strong reactions to situations that remind you of earlier experiences.
Not everyone with childhood trauma develops PTSD. Some people experience other mental health symptoms instead.
If experiences from childhood continue to affect how you feel or function today, professional care can help identify the symptoms that need treatment.
PTSD Signs/Symptoms That Requires Treatment
PTSD symptoms can affect your thoughts, emotions, behavior, sleep, and sense of safety that requires professional treatment. Common symptoms includes flashbacks or unwanted memories, distressing dreams or nightmares, anxiety when something reminds you of the trauma, avoiding people, places, or situations connected to the event, feeling constantly alert or on guard, being easily startled, irritability or sudden anger, trouble sleeping, difficulty concentrating, emotional numbness or feeling disconnected, persistent fear, guilt, shame, or negative thought, or loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed.
You do not need to experience every symptom to seek help. When trauma-related symptoms are persistent or interfere with daily life, a professional evaluation at Shamlock Behavioral Health in Arizona can help to identify the next step.
Flashbacks, Intrusive Memories, and Trauma Triggers
Flashbacks and intrusive memories can make a past traumatic experience feel present again. You may suddenly experience images, sounds, sensations, emotions, or memories connected to the event. Trauma triggers can include a place, smell, sound, conversation, date, person, or situation that reminds you of what happened. You may also avoid people or situations that trigger these reactions. Avoidance can provide temporary relief but may make daily life more difficult over time. Treatment can help you manage trauma-related reactions and reduce the impact they have on your everyday life.
PTSD Evaluation and Diagnosis
A PTSD evaluation helps determine whether your symptoms are related to PTSD, another mental health condition, or more than one condition. Dr. Kerubo may ask about:
- The symptoms you experience
- When the symptoms started
- Events or situations that trigger symptoms
- Flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive memories
- Avoidance and changes in behavior
- Sleep and concentration
- Anxiety and depression
- Previous mental health treatment
- Current and past medications
- How symptoms affect work, relationships, and daily activities
A clear diagnosis helps guide treatment and decide whether medication, therapy, or a combination of treatments may be appropriate.
PTSD Treatment in Glendale, and all Across Arizona
Shamlock Behavioral Health provides PTSD treatment in Arizona, led by Dr. Kerubo Nyachieo, PhD, MSN, PMHNP-BC. Our treatment plan focuses on reducing distressing symptoms and helping you function better in everyday life. Treatment may include medication management, psychotherapy, or both.
1. PTSD Medication Management
Medication can be part of PTSD treatment when it is clinically appropriate. PTSD medication management may address symptoms such as anxiety, depression, sleep problems, or other distressing symptoms associated with PTSD.
Your provider can review your current symptoms, previous medications, treatment response, side effects, and other medications you take.
2. Trauma Therapy and PTSD Therapy
Trauma therapy can help you manage the thoughts, emotions, triggers, and behaviors connected to a traumatic experience.
Trauma-focused psychotherapy may help you process traumatic experiences and develop healthier ways to respond to reminders and distress.
When specialized trauma therapy is needed, psychiatric care can also be coordinated with our qualified therapist who provides appropriate trauma-focused treatment.
Your PTSD Treatment Plan
A PTSD treatment plan should focus on the symptoms that are affecting you now. Your plan may include:
- Medication management when appropriate
- Therapy or referral for trauma-focused therapy
- Treatment for anxiety or depression
- Support for sleep problems
- Strategies for managing trauma triggers
- Monitoring your response to treatment
- Adjustments when your symptoms or treatment needs change
Your treatment plan can be reviewed and adjusted when your symptoms change or a treatment is not providing the expected benefit.
When Trauma Symptoms Continue for Years
You can seek treatment even if the traumatic experience happened years ago. Some people continue to experience flashbacks, intrusive memories, anxiety, avoidance, sleep problems, or emotional distress long after the original event.
The fact that the trauma happened in the past does not mean that your current symptoms cannot be treated. You can get a psychiatric evaluation to identify the symptoms affecting you now and help determine an appropriate treatment plan.
Get Online/In-person PTSD Treatment Throughout Arizona
Shamlock Behavioral Health provides PTSD and trauma-related psychiatric care in Glendale and throughout Arizona. Care may include psychiatric evaluation, medication management, and coordination with other mental health professionals when specialized therapy is needed.
If you are finding for a trused trauma, or aPTSD psychiatrist who can provide accurate treatment near you, you can start with a psychiatric evaluation to discuss your symptoms and treatment options.