PTSD Treatment in Sandy Springs, GA

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop after living through or witnessing something frightening or dangerous, such as combat, assault, a serious car crash, abuse, a medical emergency or the sudden loss of someone close. Most people have strong reactions after a traumatic event, and many recover naturally. For others, the reactions stay, or even grow, months or years later. That is not a sign of weakness. It is a recognized condition, and effective treatment exists.

Atlanta Outpatient Rehab by The Recovery Village offers trauma-informed outpatient care for PTSD at 325 Hammond Drive, Suite 103, in Sandy Springs. Many of the adults we work with also use alcohol or drugs to manage their symptoms, and our program is set up to treat both together. Call (855) 917-2011 to talk confidentially with our team.

Understanding PTSD

The National Institute of Mental Health groups PTSD symptoms into four broad areas:

• Re-experiencing: flashbacks, nightmares or intrusive memories that feel as if the event is happening again
• Avoidance: staying away from places, people, conversations or thoughts connected to the trauma
• Changes in mood and thinking: guilt, shame, numbness, loss of interest or feeling detached from others
• Arousal and reactivity: being easily startled, on edge, irritable, or having trouble sleeping and concentrating

Symptoms can affect work performance, relationships and physical health. A licensed clinician can assess whether what you are experiencing fits PTSD or another trauma-related condition, and that assessment is part of our intake process.

PTSD does not look the same in everyone. Some people seem calm on the surface while quietly avoiding anything that reminds them of what happened; others notice mostly anger, poor sleep or physical tension. Symptoms can also appear long after the event, sometimes set off by a new stressor, an anniversary or a change in routine.

The Connection Between PTSD and Addiction

Alcohol and drugs can temporarily blunt hypervigilance, dull painful memories or help someone fall asleep. Over time, though, substance use tends to worsen sleep, deepen depression and interfere with the emotional processing that recovery from trauma requires. The NIMH reports that mental health and substance use disorders commonly occur together, and treating them in a coordinated way usually works better than addressing one and ignoring the other.

Our clinicians look at how trauma symptoms and substance use feed each other, and build a plan that addresses both, starting with safety and stability.

Evidence-Based Treatment for PTSD

Trauma-focused psychotherapies, such as cognitive processing therapy and prolonged exposure, have strong research support for PTSD. Medication prescribed by a physician may also help some people. Our therapists provide trauma-informed care, which means sessions are paced carefully, you have a voice in your treatment, and the focus is on building safety before working through difficult memories. Your plan may include:

• Individual therapy using trauma-focused and cognitive behavioral approaches
• Skills groups drawing on DBT and ACT for grounding, emotion regulation and sleep
• Motivational interviewing if you have mixed feelings about changing substance use
• Relapse-prevention planning that accounts for trauma triggers
• Family education, when appropriate, to help loved ones understand PTSD

PTSD Treatment in Sandy Springs

Our intensive outpatient program includes at least nine hours of treatment per week, with morning and evening tracks and a typical length of around 12 weeks. Many clients fit sessions around jobs in Perimeter Center, Buckhead or downtown Atlanta, or around family commitments in Dunwoody, Roswell and Alpharetta. The office is on Hammond Drive near GA-400 and I-285, and MARTA’s Red Line serves the Perimeter area. We do not provide transportation.

If trauma symptoms or substance use make it hard to stay safe at home, a more structured setting may be the right start. If you need residential mental health care or medical detox first, our sister facility The Recovery Village Atlanta in Roswell provides those services, and you can transition to our Sandy Springs outpatient program when you are ready.

Veterans, first responders and anyone else considering care can have our admissions team check insurance benefits before treatment begins.

Begin Your Recovery Journey Today

Reaching out after trauma can feel risky, and you can go at your own pace. Call (855) 917-2011 to speak confidentially with our team, or read about what to expect when you begin. If you are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988; veterans can press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line. In an emergency, call 911.