Combat & Post Traumatic Stress Treatment
Recovery Zone
The Recovery Zone specializes in treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD, also known as Disorders of Extreme Stress Not Otherwise Specified (DESNOS), especially in the military population.
Complex PTSD occurs when an individual suffers significant trauma as a young person, and then experiences additional trauma later in life. The resulting behaviors may include the intrusive thoughts and nightmares of traditional PTSD, but there is an additional anti-social cluster of behavioral choices that repeatedly place the individual at significant risk, as well as and those around him or her. This manifestation often includes significant substance abuse, a loss of values, and hopelessness about the future.
Return to Duty with Honor:
- A Different War
- A Different Trauma
- A Different Warrior
- A Different Treatment
- We make the Difference
A Different War:
For the first time in the history of this great country, we are fighting a war to which we have deployed our service member repeatedly. Each time they return to the combat zone, the rules of war have changed, and it becomes more difficult to determine who the enemy is, and how best to identify them. We are in a new era of combat, one in five of returning soldiers are believed to be dealing with some type Combat Stress. At Cedar Springs, we have also indentified a different kind of trauma, referred to as Complex Post Traumatic Stress.
A Different Trauma:
Complex Post Traumatic Stress occurs when an individual suffers significant and repeated trauma. The resulting behaviors are not the typical intrusive thoughts of nightmares of traditional Post Traumatic Stress, but rather an additional anti-social cluster of behavioral choice that repeatedly alienate the individual from society and place him or her at significant risk, and those around them. This behavioral manifestation often includes significant substance abuse, aggression, and violence.
A Different Warrior:
The Warriors of this conflict include a generation accustomed to immediate gratification, rapid resolution of challenges and numerous chances to “do-over”. Additionally, the fighting force includes a greater number of citizen-soldiers, guardsmen, and reservist who stand ready to respond to the call of duty but who lead noncombat lives most of the time. Prolonged and repeated combat experience and time away from families places a tremendous stress on these individuals and Veterans.
A Different Treatment:
In the past, providing psychiatric care often denoted a purely biological approach to the individual. The Recover Zone is unique in its approach to the whole person. Warriors will have comprehensive assessment and treatment experience tailored to their individual needs. Treatment is of the whole person rather than symptoms.
We make the Difference:
No single treatment works for everyone, and we realize each individual has a different learning and processing style. The Recovery Zone offers several intervention options for Complex Post Traumatic Stress, based on the individual's learning style. Upon clinical assessment, Cedar Springs will offer therapeutic intervention grounded in the concepts of Prolonged Exposure Theory, Cognitive Processing Theory, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Massage Therapy, Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing and Virtual Reality. Within the program, emphasis is placed on resilience and reintegration, and includes:
- Emotional Stabilization and Reintegration
- Spiritual/Values and Changed Worldview
- Correcting Destructive Thoughts
- Interpersonal Relationships
- Restoring Sense of Self
- Foundations of Safety
- Physical Conditioning
- Self Regulation Skills
- Resilience Training
We strive to provide effective treatment to return service members back to duty with honor. The average length of stay is 6-8 weeks.