The Rites of Passage Ranch Long Term Care Program supports survivors of traumatic experiences through numerous avenues including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). We provide residents with a safe, open and comfortable environment in which to learn skills to help them process negative life events and move forward on their journey to acceptance and resolution.
What is PTSD?
PTSD is a disorder that people can experience months after going through or witnessing a life-threatening event. This could include abuse, military combat, being attacked or robbed, a serious auto accident, death of a loved one, or receiving a serious health diagnosis. Even witnessing an accident or hearing about and unexpected injury or death of friends/family can start PTSD. These events are often out of our control and overwhelming.
When a traumatic event occurs many people have a hard time coping and getting over it for a period of time, but they do not develop PTSD. With good self-care and time, they get better. For others, however, the symptoms worsen or last for extended periods of time, like months or years, and this starts to interfere with how they function in their everyday lives.
Symptoms:
- Feeling grief-stricken
- Depression or anxiety
- Guilt or anger
- Substance abuse
- Flashbacks or nightmares
- Avoidance or numbing- a person may get absorbed in some activity in order to distract themselves from the memories. Additionally they may cut off and withdraw in an attempt to not feel anything at all.
- Hyper vigilance – a person will always be ‘on guard’, looking out for any potential danger. This results in an inability to relax or sleep well. The person appears jumpy and irritable.
- Muscle aches and pains, headaches
- Diarrhea
- Irregular heartbeats
Treatment
The Rites of Passage Ranch Long Term Care Program understands that PTSD can disrupt a person’s job, relationships, health, and sense of wellbeing. We want to encourage our residents to believe that they can get better. Relaxation exercises, healthy food, and exercise are all great ways for a person to help themselves, and the Rites of Passage Ranch Long Term Care Program adds the additional support of therapy and a sense of confidence through development of coping skills to address symptoms should they arise again.
