Trauma is a horrible thing to live with, but you don’t have to struggle alone. Trauma counseling in Oklahoma City can help you overcome traumatic experiences and retake control of your life. In this article, we’ll explain how to recognize trauma and what you can do about it.
What Is Trauma?
Trauma refers to the emotional and psychological response people have to distressing or disturbing events. It occurs when someone is unable to process the event, leading to unresolved and lingering feelings of helplessness long after the event has passed.
There are different types of trauma:
- Acute Trauma – Trauma due to a single event, like a car wreck, natural disaster, or physical attack
- Chronic Trauma – Repeated exposure to distressing events over a long time period (ex, domestic violence, bullying, etc.)
- Complex Trauma – Exposure to multiple, different, and ongoing traumatic events (ex: child neglect)
- Vicarious Trauma – Trauma that develops from chronic exposure to trauma victims, as seen in first responders or therapists
Unresolved trauma can manifest in a variety of issues:
- Mental health issues like PTSD, anxiety, depression, dissociation, and sleep disorders
- Physical symptoms like headaches, fatigue, digestive issues, back pain, and weakened immune system
- Relationship issues when it comes to intimacy, trust, or emotional regulation
- Memory issues
- Substance abuse
When it comes to Oklahoma, unresolved trauma is a major problem. Almost a third of Oklahoma children have experienced two or more traumatic incidents, known in the literature as an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE). This gives Oklahoma the dubious honor of being the ninth-highest-ranking state for this issue.
Other trauma stats related to Oklahoma include:
- Oklahoma ranks 33rd in the nation for access to mental health treatment.
- Suicide is the second-highest cause of death for Oklahoma young people aged 10-24.
- Based on 2020 data, Oklahoma is ranked 5th nationally, with 25.6% of the population reporting suffering from a mental health issue
- Oklahoma’s percentage of addiction is 16.1% of the population
If you live in Oklahoma and are suffering from trauma, know that trauma counseling in Oklahoma City is available.
Get confidential help from our addiction treatment specialists in Orange County. Call to join our rehab program today!
Call 866-881-1184When Does Someone Need Trauma Counseling in Oklahoma City?
Trauma counseling in Oklahoma City is essential when someone is struggling to recover from an emotionally or psychologically traumatizing event.
Here are some key signs or symptoms to look for to determine the need for counseling:
- Intrusive Thoughts: If you’re experiencing involuntary thoughts or flashbacks, this may be a sign of unresolved trauma. This is especially the case if these thoughts interfere with your daily life.
- Avoidance of Certain Situations or Places: Trauma survivors will go out of their way to avoid people, places, or situations that remind them of their trauma. For example, a person who was once attacked by a dog as a child may have a fear of all dogs going forward. This sort of person may benefit from trauma counseling in Oklahoma City.
- Emotional Numbness: Feeling emotionally detached or disconnected from others, even loved ones, is a common symptom of trauma. It may become difficult to experience joy, love, or excitement, and people may feel “numb” or cut off from their emotions.
- Anxiety: A traumatized person may live in a state of constant “hypervigilance,” constantly on the lookout for threats. This can lead to trouble relaxing, sleeping, or concentrating, as well as trouble with interpersonal relationships.
- Overwhelming Guilt or Shame: Trauma survivors will often blame themselves for what happened, even if the event was out of their control. Persistent feelings of guilt, shame, or self-blame, especially without a coherent reason, signal a need for trauma counseling in Oklahoma City.
- Mood Swings or Irritability: Someone who experiences frequent, unexplained mood swings or intense irritability could be struggling with trauma. These emotional fluctuations may make it hard to function in daily life and often indicate the need for trauma-specific counseling.
- Substance Abuse: Turning to drugs, alcohol, or engaging in reckless behaviors (such as unsafe driving or aggressive confrontations) may be a way to cope with or escape trauma-related emotions. These behaviors are red flags for needing professional trauma counseling in Oklahoma City.
If you or someone you know is exhibiting any of the above signs or symptoms and these issues are impacting their daily life, relationships, or ability to function, it’s important to seek trauma counseling. South Coast Behavioral Health Oklahoma City has many trauma-focused mental health professionals who can help individuals work through their trauma using proven therapies. Early intervention is crucial to help prevent further emotional and psychological damage and to begin the healing process.
How Does a Trauma-Informed Counseling Center Help?
A trauma counseling center in Oklahoma City is a facility that specializes in the treatment of trauma. These centers employ a team of professionals, including psychiatrists, counselors, social workers, and case managers. These professionals are able to provide proven therapies like Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
What Happens If Someone Doesn’t Get Trauma Treatment and Counseling?
If trauma is left untreated, it will continue to interfere with a person’s life. The emotional numbness can undermine relationships, lead to the development of mental health issues like anxiety, increase the risk of addiction, and even lead to physical health problems like back pain.
The symptoms of trauma often don’t go away on their own and can worsen over time, leading to significant disruptions in everyday life. Getting trauma counseling in Oklahoma City is essential because it provides individuals with the tools and support they need to process and heal from their experiences. Without intervention, it can fester and lead to spiraling problems. A personalized treatment plan can help.
Looking for quality substance abuse treatment that’s also affordable? South Coast accepts most major insurance providers. Get a free insurance benefits check now.
Check Your CoverageTrauma-Informed Care in Oklahoma City at South Coast Behavioral Health
If you or a loved one are seeking trauma counseling in Oklahoma City, South Coast Behavioral Health is here to help. The first step in treating trauma will be therapy for trauma, coupled with medication if necessary. This means using drugs to manage any depression, anxiety, or other trauma symptoms.
If you are already dealing with dual-diagnosis drug issues, you’ll need to go through a medical detox. Our medical detox program is staffed by caring and compassionate professionals who can provide you with medications to manage your withdrawal symptoms.
At South Coast, we take pride in offering care that is closely tailored to specific issues. To that end, we offer gender-specific detox programs, with medical detox for men and medical detox for women.
After detoxing, proper treatment can begin.
Treatment for substance abuse takes place along an entire spectrum of care. Along that entire spectrum are various behavioral therapies, support groups, and the use of medically-assisted treatment (MAT).
These levels of treatment are, in order, as follows:
Residential Treatment in Oklahoma City
After successfully completing medical detox, you’ll receive inpatient treatment in Oklahoma City. There, you’ll receive medically-assisted treatment and dual diagnosis treatment to deal with any cravings or co-occurring mental health issues you may be battling.
We also offer residential treatment facilities in Costa Mesa, Irvine, and Huntington Beach for those who desire gender-specific treatment. There, patients get round-the-clock medical attention and monitoring while living at the institution full-time.
In addition to individual and group counseling and medication management, you’ll also have access to leisure activities and family support services.
Partial Hospitalization in Oklahoma City
Most clients start substance abuse or trauma therapies with South Coast in our residential treatment program. After completing that, many desire something that still provides structure and support but with extra space and time to oneself. For that, we offer Partial Hospitalization in Newport Beach.
A step down from inpatient care but with more structure than conventional outpatient programs, partial hospitalization offers a good balance for those looking to ease back into normal life. Clients can receive care five to seven days a week for a number of hours each day, returning back to their homes in the evening.
This way, they can recover without putting their daily lives completely on hold, receiving intense therapeutic interventions like group and individual therapy, skill development, and medication management as necessary.
Intensive Outpatient Treatment in Oklahoma City
For those leaving inpatient residential treatment or partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient programs (IOP) are yet another gradual step forward on the road to recovery.
With a focus on group therapy, individual counseling, and education, clients undergoing Intensive Outpatient Treatment in Newport Beach can meet three to five days a week. Each session lasts three hours.
This level of care requires the least amount of attendance at a treatment facility in Oklahoma.
Start Today
If you or a loved one are looking for a trauma therapist for counseling in Oklahoma City, OK, but wonder how long treatment takes or have other questions, call us at 866-881-1184 or contact us here. Our highly qualified staff will be happy to help you and give you an idea of what to expect.
- The state of Adverse Childhood Experiences scores in Oklahoma – MetroFamily Magazine
- Quantifying Adverse Childhood Experiences in Oklahoma With the Oklahoma Adversity Surveillance Index System (OASIS): Development and Cross-Sectional Study – PMC (nih.gov)
- Mental Health Crisis in Oklahoma | OU Health
- QUERY (odmhsas.org)
- Chronic Pain and PTSD: A Guide for Patients – PTSD: National Center for PTSD (va.gov)
