PTSD Treatment
Post-traumatic stress disorder can keep you trapped in the past, and substances often become a way to cope. At New Wave in Salisbury, MA, we treat PTSD alongside addiction with trauma-informed therapy and daily holistic care that helps you feel safe again.
Understanding PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder can develop after experiencing or witnessing something deeply frightening or painful. It can bring flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, emotional numbness, and a constant sense of being on edge. PTSD is not weakness; it is the mind and body’s response to overwhelming experience, and it is treatable.
Trauma and substance use are profoundly linked. Many people turn to alcohol or drugs to quiet the symptoms of PTSD, to sleep, to numb, to feel safe, but substances ultimately deepen the trauma and trap the cycle in place. Healing means treating the trauma itself, with care and safety.
What Causes PTSD?
PTSD develops after overwhelming experiences, and it is a normal response to abnormal events.
PTSD can develop after experiencing or witnessing something deeply frightening, dangerous, or painful, combat, assault, abuse, accidents, loss, or prolonged stress. During trauma, the brain’s survival systems go into overdrive, and sometimes they stay there long after the danger has passed. This is not weakness; it is the mind and body’s protective response getting stuck in the on position.
Not everyone who experiences trauma develops PTSD. Factors like the severity of the event, prior trauma, lack of support afterward, and individual biology all play a role. Whatever led to it, PTSD is treatable, and the nervous system can learn to feel safe again.
Signs and Symptoms of PTSD
PTSD can keep you feeling stuck in the past or constantly on guard. Common signs include:
- Flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive memories
- Avoiding people, places, or reminders of the trauma
- Feeling constantly on edge or easily startled (hypervigilance)
- Emotional numbness or feeling disconnected
- Trouble sleeping or concentrating
- Irritability, guilt, or overwhelming fear
If these symptoms are affecting your life, trauma-informed treatment can help you feel safe and whole again.
How Addiction Influences PTSD
Trauma and substance use are profoundly connected, often inseparably.
Substance use and PTSD go hand in hand. Many people turn to alcohol or drugs to quiet the symptoms of trauma, to sleep without nightmares, to numb the hypervigilance, to feel something other than fear. The relief is temporary, and substances ultimately deepen the trauma, disrupt healing, and add addiction to the burden already being carried.
Because trauma so often underlies substance use, treating one without the other rarely works. At New Wave, we treat PTSD and addiction together, in a trauma-informed way, at a pace that always prioritizes your safety. As the trauma heals, the need to numb it fades. Our addiction treatment is fully integrated with trauma care.
Therapies That Work Best for PTSD
PTSD treatment at New Wave is trauma-informed at every step, prioritizing safety and pace.
The approaches we find most effective for PTSD include:
Trauma-informed individual therapy to process memories safely
CBT to reframe trauma-related thoughts and beliefs
DBT for grounding and managing overwhelm
Yoga and mindfulness to rebuild safety in the body
Animal therapy for comfort and reconnection
Group therapy with others who understand
You move at your own pace, with the same trauma-informed therapist throughout.
Coping Skills for PTSD
Grounding and safety skills help you stay present when trauma resurfaces.
Skills that help with PTSD include:
- Grounding techniques to stay anchored during flashbacks
- Slow breathing to calm the body's alarm response
- Identifying and gently working with triggers
- Mindfulness to rebuild a felt sense of safety
- Reaching out for support instead of numbing or isolating
- Gentle movement and yoga to release stored tension
These tools help you feel safe in the present, even as you heal the past.
How We Treat PTSD
Trauma-informed care that rebuilds safety, in the mind and the body.
At New Wave, PTSD treatment is trauma-informed at every step, meaning we move at your pace and prioritize safety. Evidence-based therapies help you process traumatic memories and reduce their grip, while DBT and holistic practices like yoga, mindfulness, and animal therapy help calm a nervous system stuck in survival mode and rebuild a felt sense of safety.
Because trauma so often underlies substance use, we treat both together. Working with the same trauma-informed therapist over time, you can begin to process what happened from a place of safety, and discover that you no longer need substances to survive the memories.
Your Path Through Treatment
We meet you at the right level of care and adjust as you grow stronger, with the same therapist throughout and holistic healing every day.
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Step 1: Detox
We connect you with a trusted detox partner, then welcome you back.
Co-Occurring Conditions We Treat
We treat mental health conditions alongside substance use. Explore the co-occurring conditions we treat:
PTSD
Trauma-informed dual-diagnosis care.
You are here
Care that feels different
We were founded by people in long-term recovery, so the way we treat you comes from having been where you are. That shows up in everything we do.
Founded by people in recovery
When you call New Wave, you talk to someone who has walked this path, not a call center. This is personal for us.
The same therapist throughout
You keep your private therapist as you move between levels of care, so your progress is never interrupted and you never start over.
Holistic care, every day
Reiki, yoga, sound healing, and mindfulness are woven into daily treatment alongside evidence-based therapy, not offered once in a while.
Meet the People Behind Your Recovery
Our licensed clinicians and team, many in long-term recovery themselves, are who you will work with at New Wave.
Angela Faccone
Co-Founder & Program Director
Charles Draleau
Executive Director
Melanie Draleau
Co-Founder & Reiki Practitioner
Ryan SmithBratton
Co-Founder & Director of Community Outreach
Danielle Visone
Mental Health Counselor & Clinical Director
Recovery That People Remember
PTSD Treatment FAQs
Want to talk to a real person? Call us, someone in recovery will answer.
Do you treat PTSD in Massachusetts?
How are PTSD and addiction connected?
What does trauma-informed treatment mean?
What therapies help with PTSD?
Can you treat PTSD and addiction together?
Is PTSD treatment covered by insurance?
Keep Learning
Helpful, judgment-free articles on recovery, treatment, and supporting the people you love.
In-Network Coverage Varies by Plan. Let's See If Yours Is a Match
We’ll verify your benefits and have an honest conversation about whether our program is the best match for your stage of recovery. And if we’re not the right fit for your journey, we won’t leave you guessing. We’ll help you find the place that is. Because we’ve been where you are, our only goal is getting you to the care that works.
Take the First Step Today
You do not have to stay trapped in the past. Call and talk to someone who understands.
If you or someone you love is in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911.
- 100% Confidential
- Free Assessment
- No Commitment
- You'll talk to someone in recovery
In a crisis? If you or someone you love is in immediate danger, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or call 911.