PTSD Treatment Centers In Phoenix | The Embers

What Is PTSD?

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a serious mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. While it’s often associated with combat veterans, PTSD affects people of all backgrounds—including survivors of abuse, accidents, natural disasters, or sudden loss. The disorder occurs when the brain remains stuck in a state of hyperarousal, long after the threat has passed, preventing emotional recovery and disrupting daily life.

Common symptoms include intrusive memories, flashbacks, nightmares, and strong emotional or physical reactions to trauma reminders. Many individuals also experience emotional numbness, difficulty sleeping, or a deep sense of detachment from daily routines and relationships. Without treatment, PTSD can increase the risk of depression, substance use, and other mental health challenges.

PTSD doesn’t look the same for everyone. Some people feel overwhelmed by persistent fear and anxiety; others shut down emotionally and struggle to connect with loved ones. Everyday situations may feel unsafe, and familiar environments can become triggering. Over time, PTSD can change how a person sees themselves, others, and the world—impacting self-worth, trust, and overall well-being.

Addiction and PTSD

PTSD and addiction frequently co-occur, creating a cycle that’s hard to escape. Many individuals use drugs or alcohol to numb intrusive memories, manage anxiety, or escape emotional pain. While substances may offer short-term relief, they often make symptoms worse over time, reinforcing avoidance and emotional suppression.

This dual burden can lead to impulsive behavior, relationship struggles, and a deepening sense of isolation. The brain’s stress-response systems are affected by both trauma and addiction, meaning that lasting recovery often requires addressing both conditions together.

What Are the Main Symptoms of PTSD?

PTSD impacts both the mind and body, making it difficult to feel safe, even in non-threatening environments. Symptoms may emerge shortly after a traumatic event or be delayed for months or years. The condition is generally grouped into four primary categories:

• Intrusive Memories: Distressing flashbacks, nightmares, or emotional responses triggered by reminders of the trauma
• Avoidance: Deliberately steering clear of places, people, or conversations that bring up trauma-related thoughts or feelings
• Negative Changes in Thinking and Mood: Guilt, shame, emotional numbness, loss of interest in daily activities, and difficulty recalling aspects of the trauma
• Heightened Arousal and Reactivity: Being easily startled, irritability, hypervigilance, trouble sleeping, and concentration issues

PTSD symptoms can be disruptive and disorienting—but with the right support, healing is possible. At The Embers, we take an integrated, trauma-informed approach to help individuals move forward from trauma, reconnect with themselves and others, and build meaningful lives in recovery.

How Common is PTSD?

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects more people than many realize. While it’s often linked to military service, PTSD can develop after any deeply distressing event—such as assault, accidents, natural disasters, or prolonged emotional abuse. In the U.S., an estimated 6% of adults will experience PTSD at some point in their lives, with women being diagnosed at nearly twice the rate of men.

Many cases go undiagnosed or untreated due to lack of awareness or stigma surrounding mental health. PTSD is also more common among certain professions and communities—such as first responders, healthcare workers, and survivors of violence—due to repeated exposure to trauma. Factors like genetics, personal history, and the intensity of the traumatic event all influence how PTSD develops. Thankfully, growing awareness is helping more individuals seek the support they need to heal.

How We Treat PTSD and Addiction

At our Phoenix recovery center, we take a trauma-informed, evidence-based approach to treating PTSD and co-occurring addiction. Understanding the deep connection between trauma and substance use, we offer comprehensive care that promotes emotional regulation, develops real-world coping skills, and supports long-term recovery.

• Art Therapy: Provides a creative, nonverbal outlet for processing trauma and addiction-related emotions.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Helps clients recognize and reframe harmful thoughts tied to trauma and substance use.
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Teaches distress tolerance and emotional regulation—especially helpful for those with trauma-related mood swings.
• EMDR Therapy: Reduces the emotional intensity of traumatic memories using guided eye movements and bilateral stimulation.
• Experiential Therapy: Hands-on healing through activities like sauna, red light therapy, and movement-based practices that engage the body in recovery.
• Family Therapy: Repairs trust and strengthens the support system among loved ones impacted by trauma and addiction.
• Group Therapy: Builds community through shared experience, reducing isolation while encouraging accountability and healing.
• Hypnotherapy: Accesses the subconscious mind to help clients rewire beliefs, reduce anxiety, and reinforce new coping strategies.
• Individual Therapy: Offers personalized support for exploring trauma, identifying triggers, and building a plan for healing.
• Internal Family Systems (IFS): Helps clients identify parts of the self shaped by trauma, promoting inner balance and emotional resilience.
• Life Skills Development: Rebuilds daily functioning, self-sufficiency, and confidence in navigating life after trauma.
• Medication Management: Provides safe, structured support for managing PTSD symptoms, cravings, and co-occurring disorders.
• Mindfulness Coaching: Teaches techniques to remain present, reduce flashbacks, and stay grounded in the face of triggers.
• Neurofeedback: Retrains brainwave patterns to improve emotional regulation and reduce trauma-related reactivity.
• Trauma-Informed Care: Ensures all therapies are delivered with an understanding of how trauma affects behavior, perception, and healing.
• Yoga Therapy: Combines breathwork, movement, and meditation to regulate the nervous system and promote mind-body healing.

Whether through our Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), or ongoing therapeutic support, The Embers provides the tools individuals need to heal from trauma and overcome addiction—safely, compassionately, and effectively.