Holistic PTSD Treatment Center

Holistic Trauma and PTSD Treatment Center

We understand that at times, it can feel as if PTSD is something you’ll have to live with forever. Know that it doesn’t need to be that way.

At The Sanctuary at Sedona, we believe wholeheartedly in your ability to heal from past traumas — we’ve seen it happen for so many of our clients. By “heal,” we mean really addressing the root of your issues so that eventually, you no longer suffer from PTSD.

Healing starts with understanding where your trauma comes from and confronting the false beliefs and coping strategies you’ve built over time. Ultimately, it results in releasing the trauma and transforming yourself as a result.

But before doing deeper work, it’s helpful to understand PTSD and the trauma associated with it.

What Is It Like to Live With PTSD?

Living with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is like being followed by an invisible shadow. Situations are overwhelming to cope with. Waves of panic engulf your being. This overpowering feeling can present itself at any moment.

It’s difficult to find safe spaces, both mentally and physically, when you have PTSD. You’re in a heightened state of alarm. For some, this is exacerbated by restless nights and bouts of insomnia. Though you try to live as normally as you can, many days present a challenge.

It’s possible to experience few or no symptoms for months or years. But you still feel that shadow stalking you. If another traumatizing event re-triggers PTSD, symptoms and feelings that you thought were shelved away can show themselves again. You feel caught in this overwhelming spiral.

Kelley Alexander JD. Program Director of The Sanctuary at Sedona discusses Holistic
Post-traumatic stress disorder treatment.

What Is Trauma Associated With PTSD?

Anything that interferes with your ability to process information, live life and feel good is classified as trauma. Most adults have been through some form of trauma, with 70% of adults in the U.S. reporting having experienced trauma at one point in their lives.

Trauma won’t impact two people in the same way. That’s because our experiences are very much individual. One person might find an event too overwhelming to cope with while someone else barely notices it at all. The severity of symptoms that show up after a traumatic event also varies from person to person. Of those who reported experiencing trauma, 20% go on to develop PTSD.

Understanding Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

PTSD is a set of symptoms that develop after a traumatizing event that leaves you overwhelmed and unable to cope. Not all traumatic events that lead to PTSD are “large-T” traumas — overt events like abuse or combat, for instance. An accumulation of “small-t” traumas, less pronounced yet distressing events, can also develop into PTSD. Examples of these include divorce, financial stress and family conflict, to name a few.

We understand that the thought of revisiting past trauma is intimidating. At The Sanctuary, we place a huge focus on making sure you feel like you’re in a safe environment throughout treatment. Once you’re in a fully relaxed state, you’re better prepared to work on yourself.

Who Is at Risk of Forming PTSD Related to Extreme Trauma?

There’s a common notion that PTSD arises primarily from combat-related trauma. But the truth is, anyone who’s experienced trauma can develop PTSD. Post-traumatic stress disorder can stem from childhood trauma, emotional abuse or a traumatic event in your adult years.

Certain situations may put individuals at a higher risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder. These include:

Ongoing stress
A history of trauma or abuse
A family history of mental health issues or addiction
Lack of support network

It’s important to remember that PTSD is not a character flaw. It’s our body’s way of protecting us from deep wounds. PTSD occurs when you are too overwhelmed to cope with trauma – and when symptoms that result from feeling overwhelmed show up for certain amounts of time.

What Are the Common Signs Associated With PTSD Caused by Trauma?

The symptoms and severity of PTSD look different for each person, but often include:

Flashbacks
Recurring memories
Nightmares
Social isolation and withdrawal
Lack of emotion or numbness
Feeling of hopelessness
Memory loss
Concentration loss
Irritability
Insomnia
Heightened alert
Hypervigilance
Muscle tension
Overwhelming guilt or shame

You’re considered to have post-traumatic stress disorder if one or more of these symptoms last over a month following a traumatic event. In long-term PTSD, these symptoms will show up regularly for over a month or become more severe.

Another form of post-traumatic stress disorder is known as complex PTSD. This related condition has many of the same traits of PTSD along with some additional symptoms, including:

Depression
Difficulty controlling intense emotions
Anger or distrust toward the world
Feeling permanently damaged or worthless
Seeing yourself as different than others
The belief that nobody can understand what’s happened to you
Severe physical symptoms, including headaches, chest pain or stomach issues
Suicidal feelings

How to Treat PTSD

Standard PTSD treatments focus on symptom management or learning skills that can help you cope with the impact trauma has had on your life. Modern clinicians provide numerous treatment options for helping clients address post-traumatic stress disorder. Here are just a few interventions that have helped many people find relief from their PTSD symptoms:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): This therapeutic modality focuses on the relationship between thoughts and feelings and subsequent behaviors. It targets current symptoms and problems and seeks to help clients change negative patterns that make it difficult to function.
Prolonged exposure: This type of CBT helps clients gradually approach the memories and feelings surrounding past trauma and face what’s been avoided. The goal is to help individuals learn that trauma-related memories and cues are not dangerous.
EMDR for PTSD: Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy encourages clients to briefly focus on past trauma while also engaging in bilateral stimulation, such as using their eyes to track the clinician’s hand. This technique can potentially reduce the vividness and emotion associated with traumatic memories.
Medications: Antidepressant medications are often prescribed to those with PTSD.
Ketamine for PTSD: There is growing evidence that ketamine may be more effective than standard medications at easing PTSD symptoms. It can have a positive impact on trauma-related memories and physical symptoms. Ketamine can also be used with talk therapy to help clients speak about trauma or release blocked emotions.

Most people receive PTSD treatment in an outpatient setting, such as from a licensed therapist. However, at The Sanctuary, we offer residential PTSD rehab, which allows our clients to heal from past trauma in an environment of care and safety. Our holistic approach to PTSD treatment blends the best of modern, science-based techniques with alternative treatment modalities.

Other Treatment Options: Holistic Alternative Non-12 Step Treatment for Trauma and PTSD

At The Sanctuary, we believe there is a different way to address the emotional, spiritual and physical pain associated with post-traumatic stress disorder. We take an integrative approach that sees you as a whole person — body, mind, soul and spirit. While we may utilize some of the science-based treatment options outlined above, our non-12 Step treatment program for PTSD is more holistic. That means:

We look at the complete picture of your health and well-being: Trauma affects more than the mind — other parts of yourself also feel its impact. We place equal importance on the clinical, scientific, physical, energetic and nutritional aspects of trauma recovery, leaving no part ignored.
Our program is integrative: Each component of our integrative programs comes together to create an organized and powerful experience that guides you through all stages of healing.
Our team has intimate knowledge of holistic perspectives: Our licensed clinicians are able to integrate these perspectives into your treatment program. This ensures your experience is highly coordinated, with all parts of your recovery journey incorporated.

Why do we take a holistic, non-12 Step approach to PTSD treatment? Trauma tends to bury itself deep. While trauma does impact our mind, it also goes beyond that. It can be remembered in both conscious and subconscious ways.

Body: Our body remembers trauma — past traumatic events leave physical imprints on our cells.
Mind: Our thoughts surrounding a traumatic experience are often disempowering. We hold on to these false beliefs, and they continue to build over time.
Soul: When you experience trauma, you disconnect from the parts of yourself that used to feel joy, love and belonging. You experience a soul-loss.
Spirit: Our spirit, or electromagnetic energy field, affects our nervous system. When trauma disrupts our electromagnetic energy field, it ultimately puts us in a state of hypervigilance.

Our holistic treatment for PTSD addresses all parts of your being impacted by trauma with therapeutic modalities that are both conventional and alternative. This complete picture approach allows you to heal from the inside out and create a powerful life change.

When Standard Treatment Does Not Work: How to Move Forward With Alternative Holistic Treatment for PTSD

Conventional PTSD treatment places emphasis on symptom management — but we go beyond that. Rather than mitigating behaviors that keep you feeling stuck, we get underneath it all. The root of trauma lives in this deeper place. When we confront our trauma in that space, we can release it from our being and create a life truly free from it.

Here’s an idea of what the healing process at The Sanctuary looks like:

We begin by calming down your nervous system. Our serene Sedona landscapes, comfortable living spaces, talk therapies, daily mindfulness practice, organic superfoods program and more help with the calming process. Once you’re brought out of a heightened state and are fully relaxed, we can start to get to work.

Our program guides you through four distinct, powerful stages of healing:

Identify disempowering beliefs and trauma that you’re holding onto, plus the coping strategies you’ve used to feel better.
Shed light on parts of yourself that have been hidden from your view.
Recover positive parts of yourself that you’ve lost along the way, and empower yourself to envision a new future.
Implement what you’ve learned with us to create powerful changes and live out your life’s purpose.

We take you from one stage of the healing journey to the next at a pace you’re comfortable with. We want to make sure that you’re absorbing important information without feeling overwhelmed.

Why Choose Non-12 Step Holistic Treatment for Trauma-Related PTSD

At The Sanctuary, we see your inner strength and help you see it, too. This makes us fundamentally different from conventional trauma-related PTSD treatment programs, which are based more on symptom management. We believe in your ability to fully heal from PTSD. When you shed limiting beliefs, the room for new possibilities is endless.

Within the comfort and safety of our luxury PTSD residential treatment center, you’re empowered to embark on your healing journey. We notice a fundamental, positive shift in our clients’ recovery as we see them take back their power. When you believe you can, the rest tends to follow.

Your ability to fully heal is backed by the science of neurogenesis and neuroplasticity. These point to your brain’s capacity to create new neural pathways throughout your lifetime. Post-traumatic stress disorder initially alters your hormone levels and neural pathways. But you can change how your brain functions and correct previous disruptions to your neural system.

Many people struggling with PTSD use substances to numb the painful symptoms and quiet traumatic memories. If you’ve fallen prey to drug or alcohol misuse, we offer PTSD treatment and addiction help, treating each of these co-occurring conditions as their own diagnosis during your time with us.

Take Action and Get Treatment Today

Post-traumatic stress disorder can stalk people for a long time. But you no longer need to live in its shadows. It is possible to get to the core of your trauma and finally release it from your being.

You can heal from post-traumatic stress disorder. Our holistic program helps guide you towards a powerful new life free from the grips of trauma. That’s why we’re considered one of the best PTSD and addiction inpatient treatment centers in Arizona and beyond.