Treatment
Trauma and PTSD treatment
True Again Care, a program of FHE Health, treats trauma and PTSD in adults, including when alcohol or drug use is part of the picture. Here is what PTSD is, how FHE Health treats it, and how trauma and substance use can be treated together.
What trauma and PTSD are
A traumatic event is something like a serious accident, an act of violence or a natural disaster that you go through or see. Afterward, it is common to feel anxious, sad or angry, to sleep badly, or to keep thinking about what happened. For most people, these reactions ease over time.
PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder) is a mental health condition that can develop after you go through or see a life-threatening event. If your symptoms last longer than a month and cause problems at work, at home or in your relationships, it could be PTSD.
Only a mental health provider can diagnose PTSD. Symptoms can start soon after the event, or months or years later.
Common signs of PTSD
The VA's National Center for PTSD describes four types of symptoms. Everyone experiences them in their own way.
- Reliving the event. Nightmares, flashbacks, or strong reactions to reminders such as a sound, a smell or a news story.
- Avoiding reminders. Staying away from people, places or conversations that bring the event back, or keeping very busy so you do not have to think about it.
- More negative thoughts and feelings. Feeling numb, losing interest in things you used to enjoy, or carrying guilt or shame about what happened.
- Feeling on edge. Trouble sleeping or concentrating, being easily startled, feeling irritable, or acting in unhealthy ways, such as misusing alcohol or drugs.
How FHE Health treats trauma and PTSD
For PTSD, FHE Health uses therapies including cognitive processing therapy (CPT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), exposure therapy and group therapy. These are often combined with medication and psychiatric care.
Before recommending EMDR, the clinical team reviews your trauma history, substance use, diagnoses and safety. Your plan is built around what you are dealing with, not a fixed script.
For context, the 2023 VA/DoD clinical practice guideline for PTSD strongly recommends three trauma-focused therapies: CPT, EMDR and prolonged exposure (PE). Trauma-focused means the therapy works directly with the memory of the event or what it means to you.
Therapies you may work with
Your clinical team decides with you which of these fit. Not every therapy is right for every person.
Cognitive processing therapy (CPT)
You learn how the trauma changed the way you think and feel. Changing how you think about the trauma can change how you feel.
EMDR
You process the memory of the trauma while paying attention to a back-and-forth movement or sound. The team reviews your history and safety first.
Exposure therapy
With your therapist's support, you gradually approach trauma-related memories, feelings and situations that you have been avoiding.
Group therapy
In group sessions, you work on skills alongside other adults in treatment.
DBT skills
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills work, in groups and one-on-one, teaches skills for handling intense emotions and getting along with others.
Medication and psychiatric care
A psychiatrist can talk with you about medication. The VA lists sertraline, paroxetine and venlafaxine as recommended medicines for PTSD, and the VA/DoD guideline recommends against benzodiazepines for PTSD.
What Trauma Resolution Therapy means
You may see the name Trauma Resolution Therapy in FHE Health materials. It is FHE Health's own name for how it addresses trauma during addiction treatment. It draws on therapy, EMDR, DBT skills and neurofeedback.
It is not a separate, credentialed type of therapy. The methods inside it are the ones described on this page and on the brain-based care page.
Treating trauma and substance use together
PTSD and substance use problems often happen together. According to the VA's National Center for PTSD, more than 4 in 10 adults in the U.S. who have PTSD also have problems with drug or alcohol use.
Having a substance use disorder does not have to mean putting trauma work on hold. The VA/DoD guideline says a substance use disorder should not keep someone from getting trauma-focused PTSD therapy. The VA also says research shows that treating PTSD and substance use at the same time works to treat both.
At FHE Health, when substance use and a mental health condition occur together, both are treated at the same time in one coordinated plan. If you need medical detox first, FHE Health offers it on the same Deerfield Beach campus. Learn more about addiction treatment and levels of care.
Care for first responders and veterans
FHE Health runs a first responder program that began in 2016. Veterans and service members have their own dedicated branch of that program.
First responders
For police officers, firefighters, EMS professionals, dispatchers and corrections officers. Trauma, PTSD, substance use and other mental health concerns are treated together, and many of the clinicians have first responder or military backgrounds.
First responder program →Veterans and service members
Care ranges from medically supervised detox and residential care to partial hospitalization, outpatient services and aftercare. The treatment team sets the level of care after an evaluation.
Veterans and military →Intensive EMDR
The first responder program offers intensive EMDR, with longer and more concentrated sessions, for patients who are evaluated and meet clinical criteria.
Where brain-based care fits
FHE Health also offers brain-based care as an add-on to therapy and psychiatric care, not a replacement for them.
For PTSD, the evidence for these services is limited. The 2023 VA/DoD guideline found there is not enough evidence to recommend for or against neurofeedback or repetitive TMS for PTSD, and it suggests against ketamine for PTSD. Ask your team what the research shows for any service they suggest.
Common questions
How do I know if it is PTSD?
Only a mental health provider can diagnose PTSD. If upsetting memories, poor sleep or feeling on edge have lasted more than a month and get in the way of your life, it is worth getting an evaluation.
Can I work on trauma while I am treated for substance use?
Yes. At FHE Health, substance use and mental health conditions that occur together are treated at the same time in one plan. The VA/DoD guideline says a substance use disorder should not keep someone from trauma-focused therapy.
What is Trauma Resolution Therapy?
It is FHE Health's own name for how it addresses trauma during addiction treatment, drawing on therapy, EMDR, DBT skills and neurofeedback. It is not a separate credentialed therapy.
Is EMDR right for everyone?
Not always. Before recommending EMDR, the clinical team reviews your trauma history, substance use, diagnoses and safety.
Will FHE Health tell my employer?
FHE Health does not share your treatment details with your employer or anyone outside your care team without your permission, except where the law requires it.
Talk with FHE Health admissions
Calls are answered by FHE Health admissions staff, 24 hours a day, and are confidential. They can answer questions about trauma treatment, check your insurance benefits and explain the next steps.
Sources
- National Institute of Mental Health: Traumatic Events and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- VA National Center for PTSD: PTSD Basics
- VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of PTSD, Quick Reference Guide (2023)
- VA National Center for PTSD: Substance Use and PTSD
- National Institute of Mental Health: Borderline Personality Disorder (description of dialectical behavior therapy)
- SAMHSA: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- Veterans Crisis Line