What we know about treating PTSD
PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental health and nervous system problem that occurs in many people who have been exposed to a traumatic situation. Often, it was a situation in which their life or integrity was in danger or when they witnessed the threat to the life or integrity of another person. There are many different events that can lead to the development of PTSD, such as accidents, natural disasters, abuse and more, even if it is traditionally considered a problem that only or mainly affects war veterans.
For a long time, PTSD was not a well-known topic, but today it is increasingly being discussed openly, and there are many treatment approaches that focus specifically on trauma, such as Somatic Experiencing. Studies in recent years have shown that trauma is not always effectively treated with traditional talk therapy, because simply talking about a difficult event or reliving it without special precautions can be difficult and counterproductive.
Common Reactions to Trauma
If you have just experienced a traumatic event, it is quite normal to show reactions that reflect this. After a trauma, people may be shocked, have nightmares, feel intense negative emotions, and more. However, PTSD is usually diagnosed if this problem persists for a longer period of time and if symptoms worsen or persist.
Reacting to a difficult event with fear, anger, and other intense emotions is normal. However, if you find that the traumatic event continues to affect you for a long time or is limiting your life, it may be a good idea to continue with treatment.
Types of PTSD Therapy
The first line of treatment is specialized therapy. One common approach is trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy. This approach uses techniques to deal with traumatic memories and cope with the distress they bring, and changes the beliefs associated with this situation to more positive ones. CBT also encourages people to stop avoiding activities and to get back to doing things they may have stopped doing for a while.
An effective approach is EMDR, or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. This therapy requires the patient to recall the traumatic event while moving their eyes. This helps the brain reprocess the memory and reduces the negative impact and intensity associated with it.
Somatic Experiencing therapy is also very successful in long-term resolution of trauma, where in a safe environment with a therapist, one can feel and relive the traumatic event piece by piece and “work out” with themselves more pleasant feelings related to the traumatic event or realize that we are simply much stronger than we thought we were at the time the traumatic event occurred and that things don’t have to be as painful as they were then.
Medication and PTSD
Medication can help treat PTSD. Antidepressants are often prescribed. They are usually offered when there are severe symptoms of PTSD or when a person is not engaging in or tolerating psychotherapy well.
In general, PTSD usually responds well to treatment. A combination of strategies can help people reclaim their lives and improve their sleep, well-being, and emotional state, and begin to awaken forgotten potential. It is important to seek treatment because this disorder can have a significant negative impact on a person’s life and become very destructive.
*Keywords: PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder, body-based therapy, somatic experiencing, trauma, body psychotherapy
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