Treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

PTSD self-help tip 1: Reach out to others for support
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can make you feel disconnected from others. You may be tempted to withdraw from social activities and your loved ones. But it’s important to stay connected to life and the people who care about you. Support from other people is vital to your recovery from PTSD, so ask your close friends and family members for their help during this tough time.
Also consider joining a support group for survivors of the same type of trauma you experienced. Support groups for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can help you feel less isolated and alone. They also provide invaluable information on how to cope with symptoms and work towards recovery. If you can’t find a support group in your area, look for an online group.
PTSD self-help tip 2: Avoid alcohol and drugs
When you’re struggling with difficult emotions and traumatic memories, you may be tempted to self-medicate with alcohol or drugs. But while alcohol or drugs may temporarily make you feel better, they make post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) worse in the long run. Substance use worsens many symptoms of PTSD, including emotional numbing, social isolation, anger, and depression. It also interferes with treatment and can add to problems at home and in your relationships.
PTSD self-help tip 3: Challenge your sense of helplessness
Overcoming your sense of helplessness is key to overcoming post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Trauma leaves you feeling powerless and vulnerable. It’s important to remind yourself that you have strengths and coping skills that can get you through tough times.
One of the best ways to reclaim your sense of power is by helping others: volunteer your time, give blood, reach out to a friend in need, or donate to your favorite charity. Taking positive action directly challenges the sense of helplessness that is a common symptom of PTSD.
Positive ways of coping with PTSD:
* Learn about trauma and PTSD
* Join a PTSD support group
• Practice relaxation techniques
• * Confide in a person you trust
* Spend time with positive people
• Avoid alcohol and drugs
Important
Cognitive behavioral treatments for PTSD have been found to be very successful in reducing peoples' symptoms and improving their quality of life.
Several different therapies would be considered "cognitive-behavioral" that are regularly used to treat PTSD:
* Exposure Therapy
* Stress-Inoculation Training
Each of these therapies will briefly be discussed below.
Exposure Therapy
Over time, people with PTSD may develop fears of reminders of their traumatic event. These reminders may be in the environment. For example, certain pictures, smells, or sounds may bring about thoughts and feelings connected with the traumatic event. These reminders may also be in the form of memories, nightmares, or intrusive thoughts. Because these reminders often bring about considerable distress, a person may fear and avoid them.
The goal of exposure therapy is to help reduce the level of fear and anxiety connected with these reminders, thereby also reducing avoidance. This is usually done by having the client confront (or be exposed to) the reminders that he fears without avoiding them. This may be done by actively exposing someone to reminders (for example, showing someone a picture that reminds him of his traumatic event) or through the use of imagination.
By dealing with the fear and anxiety, the patient can learn that anxiety and fear will lessen on its own, eventually reducing the extent with which these reminders are viewed as threatening and fearful. Exposure therapy is usually paired with teaching the patient different relaxation skills. That way the patient can better manage his anxiety and fear when it occurs (instead of avoiding).
Stress-Inoculation Training
The basic goal of Stress-Inoculation Training (SIT) is to help a patient gain confidence in his ability to cope with anxiety and fear stemming from trauma reminders.
In SIT, the therapist helps the client become more aware of what things are reminders (also referred to as “cues”) for fear and anxiety. In addition, clients learn a variety of coping skills that are useful in managing anxiety, such as muscle relaxation and deep breathing.
The therapist helps the patient learn how to detect and identify cues as soon as they appear so that the patient can put the newly learned coping skills into immediate action. In doing so, the patient can tackle the anxiety and stress early on before it gets out of control.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the family
If a loved one has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it’s essential that you take care of yourself and get extra support. PTSD can take a heavy toll on the family if you let it. It can be hard to understand why your loved one won’t open up to you—why he or she is less affectionate and more volatile. The symptoms of PTSD can also result in job loss, substance abuse, and other stressful problems.
Letting your family member’s PTSD dominate your life while ignoring your own needs is a surefire recipe for burnout. In order to take care of your loved one, you first need to take care of yourself. It’s also helpful to learn all you can about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The more you know about the symptoms and treatment options, the better equipped you'll be to help your loved one and keep things in perspective.
Helping a loved one with PTSD
* Be patient and understanding. Getting better takes time, even when a person is committed to treatment for PTSD. Be patient with the pace of recovery and offer a sympathetic ear. A person with PTSD may need to talk about the traumatic event over and over again. This is part of the healing process, so avoid the temptation to tell your loved one to stop rehashing the past and move on.
* Try to anticipate and prepare for PTSD triggers. Common triggers include people or places associated with the trauma; and certain sights, sounds, or smells. If you are aware of what triggers may cause an upsetting reaction, you’ll be in a better position to offer your support and help your loved one calm down.
* Don’t take the symptoms of PTSD personally. Common symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) include emotional numbness, anger, and withdrawal. If your loved one seems distant, irritable, or closed off, remember that this may not have anything to do with you or your relationship.
* Don’t pressure your loved one into talking. It is very difficult for people with PTSD to talk about their traumatic experiences. For some, it can even make things worse. Never try to force your loved one to open up. Let the person know, however, that you’re there when and if he or she wants to talk.
After a traumatic experience, it’s normal to feel frightened, sad, anxious, and disconnected. Usually, with time, the upset fades and you start to enjoy life again. But sometimes the trauma is so overwhelming that you find that you can’t move on. You feel stuck with a constant sense of danger and painful memories that don’t fade.
[Contributed by Dr. Ashila Wangdi]