3 Main Types of Therapy That Yield Great Results for PTSD Sufferers
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) impacts many people who have suffered trauma in their lives and find themselves struggling to process what has happened to them.
It can be extremely challenging to confront and overcome the mental challenge of PTSD. It can be many years after a traumatic event that you are still experiencing feelings that take you right back to that moment.
If you search veteran PTSD, for instance, you will see that specific help is available for ex-military personnel. This is not a condition that only afflicts veterans who have been on the battlefield. PTSD is widely recognized as a disorder that can be triggered by a variety of tragic and traumatic circumstances and experiences.
Talking therapies tend to be considered one of the best ways to tackle PTSD, but specific medicinal help can also yield positive results. Here’s a look at the three main therapies deemed to be most effective in tackling the symptoms of PTSD.
CBT
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a so-called talking therapy. The fundamental principle and purpose of CBT is to show you a way to manage your psychological problems by altering the way you think and act to help you cope.
In particular, trauma-based CBT involves a range of different proven psychological techniques. This might involve getting you to describe your experience while getting professional support from your therapist.
The aim is to find a way to give you control of your fear by reshaping how you feel about what happened to you to trigger PTSD in the first place.
EMDR can reduce the symptoms of PTSD
Another popular therapy used regularly to combat the effects of PTSD is eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).
It works by getting the patient to recall the traumatic incident in detail while making specific eye movements as directed by your therapist.
Other forms of EMDR include playing sounds or tapping your finger. The idea behind this approach is to subtly retrain your brain to change negative thoughts and desensitize you from the trauma you experienced.
Medicines used to treat PTSD
There are certain medications that are considered effective for PTSD sufferers.
Paroxetine and Sertraline are both types of antidepressants that are widely known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). There are other medicines that might be suggested. However, it tends to be the case that medicines are only suggested if you fail to respond to the trauma-focused psychological therapies talked about already, namely CBT and EMDR.
It is strongly suggested that anyone suffering from PTSD should seek professional medical guidance and discuss their treatment options once a full evaluation of their psychological condition and circumstances has been discussed.
Talking therapies have a good track record for delivering positive results. It often helps to talk to a provider who has the specific experience and facilities to provide a treatment solution that finds a way to deal with such a challenging and complex mental health disorder as PTSD.
