Therapist's Guide to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Intervention (Practical Resources for the Mental Health Professional) by Sharon L. Johnson.
Table of contents
- What is PTSD?
- Editorial Reviews
- PTSD: Symptoms, Self-Help, and Treatment Alternatives
- Treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder
Group therapy is a means of delivering PTSD treatment. While we still need more research in this area, attending well managed group cognitive behavioural therapy CBT can be an effective way to get help for PTSD. Progressive engagement with exposure tasks need to be monitored and adjusted to maximise recovery.
As well as getting help and professional treatment, and aiming to do regular exercise and lead a healthy lifestyle, there are other things you can try to help yourself. There are several very effective de-arousal strategies that you can practice to help with PTSD, such as:. Relaxation techniques can involve gradual and deliberate muscle relaxation, visualising a calm place, and breathing techniques. Studies show that relaxation techniques are effective for many anxiety related mental health problems. You can teach yourself relaxation techniques by looking online, or by seeing a professional.
See our handout on relaxation techniques. Yoga is an ancient Indian exercise philosophy that provides a gentle form of exercise and stress management. It consists of postures or 'asanas' that are held for a period of time and are often synchronised with the breathing. Yoga is very helpful for reducing stress and anxiety. More studies are being done into how it can help with PTSD.
A number of studies have shown that yoga breathing exercises are beneficial for anxiety and depression.
What is PTSD?
One of the most important aspects of getting help for PTSD is facing the memories of the trauma rather than pushing them away. Thinking about them hurts and brings back extreme fear and anxiety. Avoiding thoughts of trauma can stop us recovering. It makes it hard to come to terms with what has happened, and can affect other parts of our lives.
Your health professional should help you manage any distress you feel as you challenge these memories and situations. Your health professional should give you information about practical help and support. They should tailor your treatment for your individual condition, and work together with you, your family, and other health professionals to help recovery. Treatment can be painful and you need to work hard. Remember that with effective treatment, you can get better.
Things they might ask about:. Your GP will probably ask you some initial screening questions to check on whether you might have PTSD or another mental health condition. You will not be required to give too much detail of the trauma initially, just a brief description of the type of event that you experienced. They may also refer you to another health professional. For example, your GP might refer you to a psychologist. You should feel comfortable talking to your health professionals and confident in their ability to treat you. When someone you care about has been through a trauma, you might notice changes in their emotions and behaviour.
They might become angry and irritable, or seem distant and down. They might even shut you out and stop doing things they used to enjoy. You might be extremely worried about their wellbeing and about seeing their distress. Remember that this behaviour is part of the symptoms of PTSD. When we go through a traumatic event, we can feel fear, anger, sadness, guilt or grief.
Mostly, these feelings resolve on their own and with the support of our family and friends we gradually recover. Always know you can ask for help if things are too hard. Start by talking to your General Practitioner GP. Your GP has good resources and knows other health professionals who can help too. Find out more about seeking help for PTSD. Whilst routine psychological debriefing is no longer recommended straight after a traumatic event, the Phoenix Guidelines, developed specifically for PTSD in Australia, recommends practical steps to help someone following a potentially traumatic event.
Its aim is to assist our natural resilience and coping abilities. For more information visit the Phoenix Australia website. Skip to side navigation Skip to content. Treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder. You need a thorough check from a health professional before treatment is prescribed.
Psychological therapies and medication are the most established ways to treat PTSD. New evidence shows that exercise and mindfulness are very useful for PTSD.
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They can be used together with physical and psychological treatments. Exercise helps other conditions that can occur with PTSD, like depression, anxiety, sleep problems, cardiovascular disease and obesity. There are three broad categories of treatment for PTSD: Often, a combination of treatments works best. Find the best treatment for you Everybody has a different experience. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy Cognitive behaviour therapy CBT aims to show us how our thinking affects our mood. CBT is also successfully used in treating depression and anxiety.
When cognitive behavioural therapy is used for PTSD it has two main parts: A cognitive component that challenges and modifies our distorted thoughts about the trauma, ourselves and the world around us that have arisen because of a traumatic experience. What can I expect from trauma-focused CBT? Trauma-focused CBT can involve: How long does trauma-focused CBT take? Cognitive processing therapy Cognitive processing therapy is designed specifically for treating PTSD. PTSD education symptom management exposure cognitive reappraisal homework prevention and resilience exercises.
Features of e-mental health programs e-Mental health programs are online mental health treatments and support options. Recommended e-mental health programs The e-mental health programs we recommend have been researched, developed and tested in Australia.
PTSD can occur with other problems like: People with PTSD may also experience higher levels of: Having other health conditions can affect your treatment Your doctor should also assess your general health, check for chronic pain, and consider lifestyle conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
Other physical treatments for PTSD Acupuncture Acupuncture may be used as an additional treatment for PTSD for people who have not responded to trauma-focused psychological therapy, medication or exercise. Seek out local organizations that offer outdoor recreation or teambuilding opportunities. PTSD can make you feel disconnected from others.
You may be tempted to withdraw from social activities and your loved ones. Reach out to someone you can connect with for an uninterrupted period of time, someone who will listen when you want to talk without judging, criticizing, or continually being distracted. That person may be your significant other, a family member, a friend, or professional therapist. Or you could try:. Volunteering your time or reaching out to a friend in need. This is not only a great way to connect to others, but can also help you reclaim your sense of control.
Joining a PTSD support group. This can help you feel less isolated and alone and also provide invaluable information on how to cope with symptoms and work towards recovery. Before meeting with a friend, either exercise or move around. Jump up and down, swing your arms and legs, or just flail around. As strange as it sounds, vocal toning is also a great way to open up your nervous system to social engagement—as well as lower stress hormones.
Try sneaking off to a quiet place before chatting with friends. Change the pitch and volume until you experience a pleasant vibration in your face. Practice for a few minutes and notice if the vibration spreads to your heart and stomach. Take time to relax.
Editorial Reviews
Avoid alcohol and drugs. But substance use worsens many symptoms of PTSD, interferes with treatment, and can add to problems in your relationships. Omega-3s play a vital role in emotional health so incorporate foods such as fatty fish, flaxseed, and walnuts into your diet. Limit processed food, fried food, refined starches, and sugars, which can exacerbate mood swings and cause fluctuations in your energy. Sleep deprivation can trigger anger, irritability, and moodiness.
Develop a relaxing bedtime ritual listen to calming music, watch a funny show, or read something light and make your bedroom as quiet, dark, and soothing as possible. The sooner PTSD is treated, the easier it is to overcome. This process is much easier with the guidance and support of an experienced therapist or doctor. But if you try to numb yourself and push your memories away, PTSD will only get worse.
The avoidance will ultimately harm your relationships, your ability to function, and the quality of your life. Early treatment is better. Symptoms of PTSD may get worse.
PTSD: Symptoms, Self-Help, and Treatment Alternatives
Dealing with them now might help stop them from getting worse in the future. Finding out more about what treatments work, where to look for help, and what kind of questions to ask can make it easier to get help and lead to better outcomes. PTSD symptoms can change family life. PTSD symptoms can get in the way of your family life. You may find that you pull away from loved ones, are not able to get along with people, or that you are angry or even violent. Getting help for your PTSD can help improve your family life. PTSD can be related to other health problems. PTSD symptoms can make physical health problems worse.
For example, studies have shown a relationship between PTSD and heart trouble. Sponsored Products are advertisements for products sold by merchants on Amazon. When you click on a Sponsored Product ad, you will be taken to an Amazon detail page where you can learn more about the product and purchase it. To learn more about Amazon Sponsored Products, click here. Sharon Johnson is a psychologist in private practice. She has participated as a committee member and chair of a Utilization Management Committee for a managed care company.
Would you like to tell us about a lower price? If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support? Learn more about Amazon Prime. Sharon Johnson is the author of the best selling Therapist's Guide to Clinical Intervention now in its second edition. The book begins with a summary information on PTSD definition, and prevalence, assessment, and the evidence basis behind different treatment options.
The book offers adjunctive skill building resources to supplement traditional therapy choices as well as forms for use in clinical practice. This clinician's guide to diagnosing and treating PTSD is written in a concise format with much of the material in outline or bullet point format, allowing easy understanding of complex material for the busy therapist. The book includes a definition of the disorder, diagnostic criteria, the neurobiology of the disorder, tools and information for diagnosing clients, information on functional impairment, interventions, treatment planning, skill building, and additional clinician resources.
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Treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder
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