Effective treatments for PTSD exist. Learn about treatment options and care after trauma.
PTSD Treatment Basics
Talk Therapies
Studies show that certain talk therapies (psychotherapies) work best. The talk therapies with the most research support are trauma focused. “Trauma-focused” means that the treatment focuses on the traumatic event and what it means to you. The talk therapies that work best are: Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Prolonged Exposure (PE).
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on the relationships among thoughts, feelings and behaviors; targets current problems and symptoms; and focuses on changing patterns of behaviors, thoughts and feelings that lead to difficulties in functioning.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Cognitive processing therapy is a specific type of cognitive behavioral therapy that helps patients learn how to modify and challenge unhelpful beliefs related to the trauma.
In these talk therapies, you’ll learn ways to work through your trauma, by visualizing, talking or thinking about the traumatic event until it becomes less upsetting. Or you will focus on changing unhelpful beliefs about the trauma or since the trauma happened. These talk therapies usually last about 8-16 sessions. There are other options that have less research support but may be good options for you.
Medication
There are medications that are helpful for treating PTSD symptoms. Your best options are those with the most evidence. Over time, you will work with your provider to check on your response to the medication, discuss side effects, and change the dose, if needed. The benefits of medications take time to work and end after you stop taking them. Research is ongoing to learn about medication-assisted therapy that may help more people with PTSD have a better response to treatment. And there are some medications that are not helpful for PTSD.
Four medications were suggested for use in the treatment of PTSD (listed alphabetically): fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline, and venlafaxine.
Other Approaches:
Practices that support whole person health may be used with conventional treatments for mental health care, including for PTSD. These “complementary” approaches may be integrated into your treatment plan.
Prolonged Exposure
Prolonged exposure is a specific type of cognitive behavioral therapy that teaches individuals to gradually approach trauma-related memories, feelings and situations. By facing what has been avoided, a person presumably learns that the trauma-related memories and cues are not dangerous and do not need to be avoided.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy
A structured therapy that encourages the patient to briefly focus on the trauma memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements), which is associated with a reduction in the vividness and emotion associated with the trauma memories.
Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET)
Narrative exposure therapy helps individuals establish a coherent life narrative in which to contextualize traumatic experiences.
Please get help!
Source: apa.org©
Photo credit: shutterstock_2159210529 (1)
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