Exposure Therapy And PTSD

PTSD is not easily treated. Sometimes people can not only suffer mentally but have physical impairments from the event as well. This can make it hard for them to obtain the treatment they need. A combination of medications and psychotherapy is usually recommended and is the most effect form of treatment for PTSD. The earlier a person seeks treatment for this disorder the better the outcome will be. The medications are used to help people cope with their emotions while the psychotherapy will help

The first method of treatment is trauma-focused cognitive-behavioural therapy. In this method, a patient is gradually but carefully exposed to feelings, thoughts, and situations that trigger memories of the trauma. By identifying the thoughts that make the patient remember the traumatic event, thoughts that had been irrational or distorted are replaced with a balanced picture. Another productive method is family therapy since the family of the patient is also affected by PTSD. Family therapy is aimed at helping those close to the patient understand what he/she is going through. This understanding will help in the establishment of appropriate communication and ways of curbing problems resulting from the symptoms (Smith & Segal, 2011).

Posttraumatic stress disorder can occur after someone experiences a traumatic event. Once the mind hits the coping threshold, it is imperative to seek professional help. The VA offers evidence-based treatments, individual, group treatments, and medications. Coping mechanisms range from individual to individual, hence the need for a diverse PTSD program. Under the evidence-based treatment there are two sections: prolonged exposure therapy and cognitive processing therapy. Prolonged exposure therapy is when someone continues to talk about their fears/trauma to gain control of feelings associated with those fears. The cognitive processing therapy is to understand the feelings associated with trauma and finding a way to replace negative feelings with positive

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is a mental health condition that is generally classified as an anxiety disorder. It is often caused by a traumatic events or emotional trauma in one’s life that leads to terrifying flashbacks, nightmares and extreme anxiety. The main cause of this disorder is the conscious and subconscious fear-memories that have developed. In essence the ‘fight or flight” response that we all have is severely damaged, even when not in a stressful or dangerous situation those suffering from PTSD may feel stressed and in danger.

The first type of Treatment is called Cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT. Research says that this is the best type of treatment and counseling for anyone diagnosed with PTSD. Cognitive behavioral therapy is used to help the veteran think differently about their thoughts or feelings from the past. The main goal by the therapist is to help the veteran find out what past events or flashbacks correlate with the veteran’s thoughts that make the symptoms of PTSD occur. Many times, the veterans will blame themselves for a decision they made but the therapist will walk them through on how it was not their fault. Cognitive Behavioral therapy can last for three to six months. Although to some people it may seem that CBT might be the best type of treatment, it does not always work. One reason why it might not work is because the therapist may like the experience and education. The therapist may be qualified but sometimes, the therapist may fail at connecting with patient. The connection that is missed by some therapists and patients can simply occur by the therapist not having all the knowledge about all the situations soldiers face when they go to war. Soldiers struggle with their therapy if they feel that the therapist who is helping them does not have the knowledge about the battlefield or the difficulties of war itself. The relationship of the therapist and veteran can also play a major role on the effectiveness of the therapy. Some soldiers may struggle with feeling comfortable with their therapist because they are sensitive and emotional. Sometimes veterans struggle with this therapy if they cannot develop a relationship with their therapist. Another factor that can affect the effectiveness of CBT is the timing. Sometimes three to six months is not enough to show long term effectiveness of the therapy. Another treatment option is exposure therapy.

“Treatment for PTSD is usually based on a combination of therapy and medication to manage symptoms”(SocialChoice). Some veterans may be embarrassed to get help. Group therapy is a good option for these people. During “group therapy members of the service talk about the trauma they have been through. They also learn skills to cope or manage their symptoms of PTSD”(military.com). Family and couples therapy is also an

This is where support groups and coaching comes into play and are very useful for recovery. PTSD survivors need to be heard and be able to talk about their feelings without and judgment or comparisons and to feel that they have a voice in what their pain is.

According to Tuerk, Yoder, Ruggiero, Gros & Acierno (2010), prolonged exposure therapy is a form of therapy treatment applied in posttraumatic stress disorders. Prolonged exposure treatment based on behavioral and cognitive levels of therapy, is a method used in treatment of trauma where the victim remembers the triggers of trauma rather than letting go, as it has been the case. Trained Social workers, psychologists and psychiatrist offer treatment to these conditions. What causes post traumatic stress disorders is not clearly known, but a mix of one's personality, inherited mental functionality risks, the way the brain releases chemicals in dealing with stress, and one's life experiences can be used to draw some insights (Powers, Halpern, Ferenschak, Gillihan & Foa, 2010).

The first treatment is psychotherapy where one is one on one talk with a psychiatrist and one can talk about one’s problems (nimh.nih.gov). Talk therapies also help people overcome PTSD by teaching about trauma and its effects, using relaxation and anger skills, and providing tips for better sleeping, eating, and exercise habits (nimh.nih.gov). Holden Caulfield uses this therapy when talking to the psychoanalyst at the end of the book. “A lot of people, especially this one psychoanalyst guy they have here, keeps asking me if I'm going apply myself when I go back to school next September” (114). There is also exposure therapy. Exposure therapy helps people face and control their fears by exposing them to the trauma in a safe way (nimh.nih.gov). Another treatment for PTSD is Cognitive restructuring. Cognitive restructuring helps people make sense of the bad memories (nimh.nih.gov). The final treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder is stress inoculation training. Stress inoculation training tries to reduce PTSD symptoms by teaching a person how to reduce anxiety (nimh.nih.gov). There is no cure for post-traumatic stress disorder but there are also medications that help such as sertraline and paroxetine which act as

The two main forms of treatment are medications and psychotherapy. The medications that are used are antidepressants. Antidepressants “may help control PTSD symptoms such as sadness, worry, anger, and feeling numb inside.” The form of treatment, psychotherapy, is referred to as “talk therapy.” Psychotherapy “lasts 6-12 weeks but can last longer.”

(Prehospital Emergency Care p.1146) When treating patients with PTSD you must treat each patient for their own issues, especially when it comes to veterans, there are 2 types of PTSD the vets; the ‘Era Vet” someone who trained for combat, but never went, and the “Combat Vet” someone that trained and went to war. When it comes to discovering this, properly worded questions are key to getting correct information along with not causing them to become stressed. There is no cure for PTSD, only symptom relief. (Prehospital Emergency Care p.1146-47) Since there are no known cure PTSD victims often find their own coping mechanisms. Because the Sympathetic Nervous System is in overdrive they are in a heightened state of awareness, they often choose drugs or alcohol to suppress it and slow the body down and make the person feel normal again. However, at some point they stop being an anesthesia and become and addiction. (Prehospital Emergency Care

Gary and Lolly Beikirch had some very recommendations to counselors who are engaging with PTSD sufferers of trauma. Lolly suggests, above everything else, always counsel people trusting in the Lord and allowing Him to direct their paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). The Lord is really the ONLY One who can instruct us on how He wants to bring healing to someone, so counselors must lean upon God guidance and direction even if it does not makes sense to our human understanding at times. Gary recommended to counselors to remember that God can heal despite of the biology, therapy, etc. He IS The Healer. Gary affirmed the devastating impact that PTSD can have on behaviors and psychologically but that must always be looked at through the “lenses” of the

People with PTSD also have to get a treatment called Exposure Therapy. The main goal of this exposure therapy is to lessen the fear of a person's memories of a traumatic event. The idea is used to help people who have to learn not to fear their thoughts and feelings that remind them of their past (“Treatment of PTSD”). A person that talks about their experience repeatedly with their therapist will give them the ability to control the thoughts and feelings about the trauma they have experienced. Being afraid of their memories won’t have any affect on them after they have been through this therapy (DeAngelis). It seems unusual to think about the stressful situations on purpose and this treatment seems like a hard task at first, but eventually

A little background: PTSD is a psychological disorder formed from traumatic experiences that involves physical harm or the threat of physical harm that make the person feel stressed or frightened when they are no longer in danger. Signs and symptoms of PTSD can be grouped into three categories: Re-experiencing symptoms, avoidance symptoms, and hyper arousal symptoms . The main treatment for this is psychotherapy or

Post-traumatic stress is caused by any event in a person’s life that involves violence, disaster or any event that is severely traumatic. Before any real studies are done on PTS, those who show signs of psychological distress are merely disregarded and labeled as sick. The way PTS is dealt with varies case by case, there are healthy ways of healing with it such as counseling or spiritual journeys. However there is a much more destructive way of coping through self-medication with drugs or alcohol.