When our War Heroes come home from service, to our country, often times the transition can be very difficult for them. The comradery and support from friends that have been through the same experiences soon dissipates as they transition back to civilian life. Many of our patriots are left feeling the sense of abandonment when dealing with PTSD. This disorder in not to be taken lightly and needs to be addressed so we can help our vets return to us whole. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is not limited to our military personnel but the general public also, not as wide spread, but equally important.
Having PTSD can trigger other behavioral problems including, but not limited to depression, addiction to drugs or alcohol, panic disorders, and anxiety. The treatment that we have listed below can help deal with all the related conditions as well as the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. For best treatment results all the problems associated with PTSD, treatment should be handled at the same time to help speed up the recovery process.
Understanding PTSD Treatment
There have been some advances in the treatment for PTSD. When a person has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, trying to deal with the past can be very difficult. When trying to cope with these issues, some people keep their feelings suppressed, instead of telling others how they feel. Talking with a therapist can help with this condition.
CBT is one of the types of counseling and therapy that centers use for treating PTSD. Research has proven that this is the most effective treatment and counseling for PTSD. The VA is now offering a few different treatment for this disorder, CPT – cognitive process therapy, PE therapy – Prolonged exposure therapy. Medications and EMRD ( Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) have been shown to be effective in the treatment for PTSD along with serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI), also used in the treatment for depression.
PTSD therapy: How long does it last?
PTSD treatment in most facilities last anywhere from 3 to 6 months. Other treatment types have a longer treatment periods, up to 2 years.
What will be worked on while in Therapy?
While in treatment, you and the therapist will discuss options as to the type of treatment that is available to you and what your goals are that you hope to reach.
Reducing your symptoms
Learning how to cope with these symptoms, teaching you how to feel less guilt or sadness associated with PTSD, improving relationships at work and at home is a key to success. Not everyone that has PTSD has the same goals that they want to achieve and some may take longer than others. There is no treatment plan that works for everyone, so it is important to lay out the plan so your individualized program can cover all your concerns. Your therapist will help you decide what goals are most important to you and work on these first.
What can I expect from my therapist or counselor?
When sitting down with a therapist, they should discuss the different types of treatment available to you and work out a plan, that you both agree on. This is the best course of action to take to achieve the goals you have set for treatment. You should also come to an agreement as to what to do if the treatment does not seem to be working: an alternate plan for treatment.
Make sure that you are comfortable with your therapist as you will be working as a team to help with your problems. It is difficult for most people to talk about painful situations, traumatic experiences, that you have had. This is why we stress the importance of feeling comfortable with your therapist, because you will be talking to them about, often times, painful or traumatic experiences that you have seen or been through in your life. During therapy, feelings can emerge and often times be very extreme, and challenging.
If you do not have a connection with your therapist or feel that they are not helping, talk to another therapist to see if changing your counselor or seeking another option for treatment is the right choice. You should always let your therapist know when you are seeking a second opinion.
Other types of treatment may include but not limited to:
Group therapy
We talk and share with people that have very similar experiences and trauma’s. Sharing your experiences with others may make you feel that you are not alone in this fight against PTSD. Some people feel more comfortable sharing their stories only with people that have been through similar experiences. You will learn to deal with your emotions such as anger, guilt, rage, and shame. Learning to put the past behind us so that we can work on the present and the future is the key.
Psycho-dynamic Therapy
This is a type of therapy that teaches us how to deal with emotional conflicts caused by trauma. This therapy helps in the understanding of past events and how we react to those events.
Your counselor will help you:
Locate and identify what triggers the memories and other symptoms
Raise your self esteem
Find ways and activities to help with the coping of these intense feelings and emotions.
Become more aware of thought and feelings, so you can change reactions to these thoughts.
What is EDMR?
EDMR is a fairly new treatment for PTSD and there have been discussions and disagreements as to the effectiveness of such treatment.
While thinking of talking about stressful memories, the therapist helps you focus on other stimuli, hand taps, eye movements, and sounds. They take your focus off of the event by distracting and having you follow hand movements or listen to random sounds. In treatment as the individual attention is taken off of the event on on to other stimulus, has shown promise in helping to change reactions to such memories.
We now understand that Chemicals in your brain affect the way we feel. When you feel depressed this can be linked to a lack of serotonin in your brain, SSRI’s include Paroxetine (paxil), Sertaline (zoloft) Citalopram (Celexia). There are other drugs that have been know to help with this condition. Please talk to your doctor to discuss medications in the treatment for PTSD.
PTSD can effect your family and friends. When the feeling that no one can possible understand why you get angry, depressed, it can appear that you are under so much stress. Family can often feel scared, withdrawn, and often times guilty due to them not understanding the condition.
A key component of therapy includes family sessions, either through conference calling or at the center. While in family sessions, it is very important to be honest about your feelings and concerns and listen to others. Talking about PTSD symptoms and triggers can help the family or friends understand what brings the condition to the surface.
