Programs
At Aurora Recovery Centre we can help you grow in an ecosystem of understanding.
Trauma, PTSD and OSI (operational stress injury) Treatment
When a person witnesses extreme violence, endures a sudden loss or is a victim of chronic abuse, the emotional and psychological impacts can be devastating.
These effects can linger several years after the event takes place. But with compassionate, professionally guided trauma therapy, it is possible to manage and overcome the impacts of trauma and trauma disorders.
What is Trauma?
Trauma is an emotional response to a devastating life event.
It may be produced by sexual assault, chronic physical or sexual abuse, ongoing childhood neglect, the death of a spouse or child, living through war or a natural disaster or a car crash.
Trauma may arise after a recent event, but it may also be rooted in events that took place many years ago. This is a treatable condition. There is hope for people suffering from trauma.
But if the condition is untreated, and the person experiences persistent memories of the traumatic event, they may develop a condition called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
What is PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious mental condition that affects people of any age, culture and gender.
People with PTSD experience a persistent negative response to traumatic events long after the danger of those events has passed.
In many cases, people with PTSD have flashbacks that cause them to re-live the traumatic event repeatedly. This can affect the person’s ability to function effectively at work or school and can make it difficult to maintain healthy relationships.
Common symptoms of PTSD include:
- Disturbing memories or nightmares
- Becoming very upset when experiencing a PTSD trigger that reminds them of the trauma
- Avoiding thoughts about past trauma
- Staying away from individual people that remind you of the trauma
- Avoiding conversations about topics that include PTSD triggers
- Social isolation
- Feeling detached from friends and family
- Self-blame for the trauma
- Persistently feeling angry, guilty, afraid or shame
- Difficulty achieving happiness, love and other positive emotions
- Withdrawing from pleasurable or important activities
- Being on-edge, irritable or angry, having trouble sleeping
- Difficulty concentrating
- Easily becoming startled
- Reckless or self-destructive behaviour
- Dissociating from reality
The good news: PTSD is treatable.
Talk therapy, community support groups and other types of trauma therapy are effective treatment options for people with PTSD.
What is Operational Stress Injury?
Operational stress injury (OSI) is a condition involving persistent psychological problems affecting people in the military, police officers or other service-related workers.
OSI is a result of operational duties that expose people to violence, death and other traumatic events.
This can result in a range of problems and typically results in barriers to functioning in society. People with OSI are at higher risk of developing other mental health conditions, including:
- PTSD
- Anxiety; and
- Depression
When to seek help
Trauma, PTSD and OSI can have disastrous effects on people’s ability to live happy, productive lives. They can also lead to alcohol use disorder, drug addiction or prescription drug addiction.
If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms, it is important to seek help. Aurora Recovery Centre provides customized, compassionate and holistic treatment plans that guide the person through recovery with help from licensed therapists.
At Aurora, we understand that every person experiences trauma differently. It’s crucial to develop customized, integrated trauma therapy plans that help people recover — and that’s exactly what we achieve for our clients, every day.
If you or someone you love needs help with the effects of trauma, PTSD or OSI, please contact us at 1-888-515-STOP (7867).
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