Trauma and PTSD

When a person experiences a traumatic event that has threatened their life or safety, or the safety of those around them, they can be left with intense feelings or fear and helplessness. This can trigger responses such as avoidance, intrusive thoughts and high reactivity. This is called post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.

A person may develop PTSD after a traumatic event such as a car crash, physical or sexual assault, war or torture, or natural disasters such as bushfires or floods.

Many people show symptoms of PTSD in the first few weeks after a traumatic event but recover on their own with the support of family and friends. Others may require treatment and support from health professionals.

Effective treatment for PTSD involves a mix of inpatient psychiatric care and outpatient psychological services.

How do we treat trauma and PTSD at Ramsay Clinic Macarthur?

Effective treatment for PTSD involves a mix of inpatient psychiatric care and outpatient psychological services. Ramsay Clinic Macarthur offers both inpatient care and day programs for the management of PTSD.

Inpatient

Our Clinic is staffed by a team of medical, nursing and allied health staff who are committed to providing a safe environment where people can receive treatment for their trauma-related mental health disorders.

The inpatient trauma program is evidence based, following a structured treatment approach. Patients participate in both individual and group therapies to gain a deeper understanding of PTSD and an awareness of their trauma symptoms and experiences.

When ready, patients will focus on addressing their trauma using structured and blended trauma focused treatment. With the support of trauma informed psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses and allied health staff, an individualised treatment plan helps patients develop positive and adaptive coping strategies to deal with their personal challenges. Treatment focuses on addressing the cause not just the symptoms.

Upon discharge from the intensive inpatient program, patients may continue to receive ongoing support through a specialised 12 week aftercare day program, if clinically appropriate.

Day Programs

Day Programs are structured, therapeutic group sessions – think of it as ‘group therapy’. We offer Trauma Day Programs, tailored to address the specific needs of the people we care for.

A compressive range of day programs is available to support people in the community, including:

Trauma Program
Anxiety Program
Mood Program
Mental Health Program
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

Run once a week, over a period of 8-12 weeks (excluding DBT, which runs over a year), you’ll work with our expert therapists on building life skills and managing symptoms.

The Trauma Day Programs can assist you to:

Gain an understanding of trauma and stress-related disorders and their symptoms
Identify personal stressors, triggers and early warning signs
Learn helpful ways to manage intrusive experiences
Learn about and gradually change the cycle of avoidance
Learn affect regulation and distress tolerance skills
Understand the impact of trauma on relationships and improve communication
Understand, challenge and re-evaluate the impact of trauma on beliefs about safety, trust, power/control, self-esteem and intimacy
Cultivate resilience and foster hope