Case Study: The Healthy Minds Through Therapy Project

As we learn more about the cause and effect of PTSD we can better equip ourselves to help those in need. It is a process that has a clear beginning but an unclear ending. A person who can function normally for many years after seeing combat may find it increasingly difficult to sit in a classroom day after day. With raising awareness on not only the severity but the scope of impact of mental health disorders it can eliminate the stigma of weakness and get these men and women who have put themselves second much of their lives the help they

Soldiers going into their 2nd tour/war enter into it with a at least 5% of them being depressed; leading symptoms in PTSD. With P.T.S.D coming up that is becoming very bad but it can be helping people at the same depending on what treatment that they take. P.T.S.D in veterans is very serious but it can also be cured by the multiple resources. The topic of P.T.S.D possesses a multitude of causes, which negatively impact the victim, his or her family and the society in which the victim lives; nevertheless, many treatments or solutions are provided for the victim to lessen that impact on the future of his or her life.

Evidence points to CPT’s efficacy as a psychological treatment for PTSD and has demonstrated potential to decrease symptoms of depression and guilt. Although more research is needed to determine the effectiveness of CPT with various populations, both the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs are recommending CPT as an evidence-based treatment for PTSD. A major benefit of CPT the gains are noticeable in a very short period. The rapid response to treatment is particularly important to military and active-duty populations for whom time may be limited (Keane TM, Marshall AD, Taft

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can result from any form of trauma a person may experience throughout their life, such as war or combat, physical or sexual assault, natural disasters, mental abuse, ect. It is also something that effects more people than commonly thought, “7.8 percent of Americans will experience PTSD at some point in their lives”. If not treated, the symptoms of PTSD can follow an individual their entire life, this potentially includes “reliving” traumatic memories in addition to many other emotional issues. Although it may be helpful, PTSD treatment can be very difficult for an individual to participate in. In order for someone to work through a traumatic experience, it is necessary that the individual reflects on many

To effectively treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD in combat Veterans and service members, therapists use different techniques, which are preceded by addressing any underlying pain associated with the disorder. In their research, Chard et al. (2011) reported significant modifications to the CPT protocol for use with patients in a TBI-PTSD residential treatment facility, including increasing the number of sessions per week, combining group and individual therapy, and augmenting the treatment with cognitive rehabilitation. However, their research was marred with the use of few participants which provides doubts regarding the outcome of the proposed treatment procedures. Moreover, the researchers do not state with certainty as to the

An existing initiative helping veterans to overcome debilitating symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is The Headstrong Project. It was created in 2012 by a Marine Corp veteran who discovered his fellow veterans were struggling with lack of access to mental health services and difficulty dealing with stress. In order to provide veterans with knowledgeable and competent mental health professionals, The Headstrong Project partnered with the Weill Cornell Medical Center. This allowed them to develop comprehensive treatment programs specifically tailored to fit the individual experiencing symptoms of PTSD, a wide range of other mental health issues as well as grief and loss counseling and anger management. Additionally, this meant resources within the medical center could be utilized to provide services instead of building brick and mortar facilities, which increase operating costs. This, in turn, means that the majority of the profits raised goes directly into the hands of the

The United States has many people living among one another all with a different kind of mentality. Varying from a weak to strong mind depending on life events and how they have managed to deal with them. For most the way they react to their surroundings can seem like an easy task but for others it can be the hardest and most difficult of tasks. To further explain this point, one can look into the many possibilities of how one’s surrounding and life events can interfere with their mind creating psychological problems. One of the most common to take into consideration is the mind of a soldier who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.

The following provides a brief overview and critique of the intervention video. The video provides a visual of a therapeutic session using cognitive processing therapy (CPT) with a veteran diagnosed with post-traumatic disorder (PTSD). There is significant evidence that distinguishes CPT as an effective intervention model for PTSD.

During the first session clinicians educate participants on chronic pain and PTSD. In this first session participants are asked to generate three reasonable goals they desire to achieve through therapy. Weekly goal completion is examined before each session occurs. The second session is where clinicians guide participants in making sense of the chronic pain and PTSD they have endured. The third session allows participants to discuss their thoughts and feelings towards their understanding of chronic pain and PTSD. The fourth session clinicians employ cognitive reconstructing by identifying negative thoughts and giving participants the opportunity to change these thoughts into positive ones. The fifth session involves participants learning diaphragmatic breathing and progressive muscle relaxation. The sixth session, clinicians discuss avoidance and implement interoceptive exposure. The seventh session involves participants finding pleasant activities to enjoy. The eighth session is dedicated to education on sleep hygiene. The ninth session works with veterans safety and trust issues. The tenth session is where veterans learn about their own power, control, and anger. The eleventh session works on veteran’s esteem and intimacy. The final session is reserved for relapse prevention and planning for the future. Clinicians administered a pre and post treatment assessments as follows: The Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), PTSD Checklist

Our nation has spent nearly over 20 years now fighting for terrorism. Men and women in uniform have returned home. Many of them have returned broken- broken, not just physically but more so mentally, emotionally and psychologically. At one point taking PTSD as a serious mental health issue was bandied. Alongside with this was the reality that people who are going through it are in denial of what is really happening with them and would just choose to keep the real struggle that go with having it. However, PTSD is not just common in the military. Studies show that PTSD affects about 8 million American adults, and can happen at any age, including childhood. Often, PTSD is accompanied by depression, substance abuse, or anxiety disorders, As one

Group interventions for trauma-related psychoeducation and social support may also provide a benefit (Defense Centers of Excellence, 2015). The first line of treatment for PTSD should include an evidence-based psychotherapy (i.e., talk therapy) and/or psychopharmacology (the study of drug-induced changes in mood, thinking, and behavior). The psychotherapies with the most evidence typically include one or more of several productive therapeutic approaches including exposure to traumatic memories, stimuli or situations; cognitive restructuring of trauma-related beliefs; and stress reduction techniques. “The table below summarizes effective PTSD psychotherapy approaches detailed in Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense (VA/DoD) clinical practice guidelines. These treatments should be considered the first line of treatment for patients with PTSD” (Defense Centers of Excellence, 2015)

The article Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Relationship to Traumatic Brain Injury and Approach to Treatment Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, characterizes PTSD as, “a specific clinical syndrome including re-experiencing symptoms, avoidance, and alterations in arousal, cognition, and mood, resulting from exposure to severe traumatic events” (Howlett, Stein). In the world today around 70% or 223.4 million people have experienced some kind of terrible or disturbing event at least once in their lives (“PTSD: National Center for PTSD”). However, out of these 223.4 million people only 20% or 44.7 million people experiencing a traumatic event will develop PTSD (“PTSD: National Center for PTSD”). Anyone is able to develop the illness of PTSD: victims

Another method of treatment utilized to address PTSD symptomology is cognitive behavioral conjoint therapy assessed in a study conducted by Macdonald, Pukay-Martin, Wagner, Fredman and Monson (2016). A critical aspect of this method of therapy is that it addresses the familial dysfunctions associated with the experimentation conducted by Tsai, Harpaz-Rotem, Pietrzak and Southwick (2012). Specifically, one of the main objectives of cognitive behavioral

In order to better serve those diagnosed and seek service important issues needs to be addressed such as, appropriate diagnoses, side of effects of medications, accessible healthcare, and special services provided to family’s members. Let’s start with appropriate diagnoses of conduct disorder. In a previous paper this student social worker argued about concerns of youth being label with conduct disordered when in reality the child suffered from trauma-related disorders. For that reason, it is imperative that all individual not matter ethnicity or financial capability should receive a thorough evaluation of individual internal and external history before diagnoses be made. Secondly, after diagnoses have been proven to be the primary disorder

In a nutshell, EFT involves tapping on specific points on the body with one’s fingertips, in a particular sequence, while simultaneously recalling and verbalising a trauma. Once all the emotion is cleared, we then proceed to incorporate positive affirmations to replace the negative thoughts. If EFT is a tool, there must be a ‘correct’ way of using it, right? Well, yes and no. I like to think of EFT as a Swiss army knife. It’s adaptable, and can be as delicate as a scalpel, or as forceful as a hammer.