Does it feel like fear and guilt are always looming in the background of your life? Does sudden sadness take over sometimes with no warning?
If so, you might be living with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – a condition connected to traumatic experiences from one’s past. PTSD can make the world feel like a distant place, with loved ones feeling unreachable and everyday tasks unattainable. It is an unrelenting condition that gives its sufferers no escape from its barrage of unbearable symptoms. Thankfully, therapy is a great option for anyone looking to gain control of their lives again.
Let’s explore how therapy can help individuals suffering from PTSD.
How Do I Know If I’m Suffering From PTSD?
PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, has become more common as awareness grows
around it. But, how can you be sure if PTSD is what’s driving your inner-turmoil?
Symptoms of PTSD can range from mild to severe and can begin immediately after a traumatic event or show up months later. Signs such as difficulty in relationships, nightmares, panic attacks and avoidance behaviors towards certain places or activities may all indicate that PTSD is impacting your life.
However, the only way to be certain if PTSD is the underlying cause is to consult a mental health professional who can evaluate your symptoms and help create a personalized treatment plan if necessary. Don’t suffer in silence – understanding PTSD starts with consulting someone who can help.
What Is Therapy?
Therapy is an incredibly important tool that can help individuals in many different ways. It
provides a safe, non-judgemental environment where someone can explore parts of
themselves, find emotional resolution, and make meaningful changes to their life.
It is often described as a collaborative process between the therapist and the client.
The therapist helps the client to draw on their own resources and insights by posing thoughtful questions and offering strategies for addressing challenges in their lives.
Ultimately, therapy is an essential part of growth that can provide new perspectives and cultivate personal understanding.
What Are The Different Types Of Trauma Therapy?
PTSD therapies come in many shapes and sizes, so finding the right one for you is key.
Psychotherapy can include cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps individuals understand their PTSD better, as well as counseling that allows individuals to work through any underlying trauma or mental health problems.
For those looking for a more physical approach, neurological techniques such as Neurofeedback Training are also available. This focuses on measuring and regulating brain activity with advanced EEG monitoring systems in order to help PTSD sufferers regain control of their thoughts and emotions.
No matter which type of PTSD therapy is chosen, the main goal remains the same – to manage symptoms and allow those with PTSD to return to a healthy life.
Psychotherapy: Cognitive Processing Therapy
PTSD can have a huge impact on someone’s life, and cognitive reprocessing therapy is a greatoption to help manage it.This specific form of psychotherapy focuses on helping individuals reframe the thoughts and memories that trigger PTSD symptoms. It helps people in distress reassess their traumatic experiences so they can move past them without reliving the trauma each time.
It’s also effective for working through why certain situations evoke strong responses and how to better cope, making it an invaluable PTSD therapy choice for anyone looking for relief.
Psychotherapy: Prolonged Exposure Therapy
Prolonged exposure therapy is a PTSD therapy that, rather than avoiding the memories of
traumatic events, helps individuals confront them through detailed re-telling of the situation and related management of fear.
It has been found to be one of the most successful PTSD therapies, which is perhaps why it is long-term—individuals can benefit from it spread over an extended period. Sessions are tailored to each participant’s traumas, allowing for personalised treatment so that
recovery can begin as soon as possible. It is a safe and effective way to aid those suffering from PTSD in recovery, but also has been used by people who experienced other traumas such as single event trauma or bullying.
Neurological: Eye Movement Desensitization and Response
EMDR works by connecting cognitive information with biologic trauma reactions and allowing the patient to process the traumatic event in a safe environment.
It involves having the person track bilateral stimulation, such as alternating sounds or
side-to-side eye motions, to help decrease activation of trauma memories.
EMDR offers PTSD victims an innovative and effective approach to treating their condition, thus providing them with greater psychological freedom and life satisfaction.
Neurological: Emotional Freedom Technique
The premise of EFT is that a person will talk through their traumatic experience while physically tapping on acupuncture points around the body.
This practice serves to desensitize a person from their PTSD triggers, creating more neural
pathways in their brain and ultimately allowing them to develop more control over their
emotions.
While the efficacy of this type of PTSD therapy is yet to be conclusively proven, many
proponents believe that it could provide an empowering alternative in PTSD treatment.
What Is The Best Treatment For PTSD?
When it comes to how to treat PTSD, every psychiatrist has their own favorite flavor of therapy. Some like to babble on psychoanalytically about the root cause, some swear by specific treatments, and others just rely on time for emotional healing.
But if there’s one thing that far outshines the rest when it comes to treating PTSD, it’s targeted trauma-focused therapy. Trauma therapy programs work swiftly and effectively in helping PTSD sufferers break free from the chains of trauma, allowing them to begin the process of healing in a healthier, more meaningful way.
So if you’re looking for the very best kind of therapy to help you cope with your post-traumatic stress disorder – you may want to consider it!
The Benefits of Trying Therapy For PTSD:
PTSD can cause us to feel disconnected from ourselves and the people who love us, as we try to make sense of PTSD’s effects on our lives. But PTSD is also treatable, and therapy is an important part of that process.
A few ways therapy can help you overcome your PTSD:
- Relief from symptoms:
Many people who suffer from PTSD find that their symptoms
improve after starting therapy. This can include a decrease in flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, and depression. - Improved relationships:
PTSD can often strain relationships with family, friends, and
partners. Therapy can help to improve communication and build trust. - Greater self-awareness:
Therapy can help you to understand your triggers and how to cope
with them. This can lead to greater self-awareness and control over your emotions. - Coping skills:
Therapy can teach you healthy coping mechanisms to deal with your PTSD
symptoms. This can include relaxation techniques, journaling, and exposure therapy. - Hope:
For many people suffering from PTSD, therapy offers hope for a better future. It can
help you to see that your symptoms are manageable and that you can live a happy and fulfilling life despite your diagnosis.
Is Therapy The Key To Unlocking Your PTSD?
PTSD can be an incredibly difficult disorder to live with, but, if you live in Maryland, Gemini
Health can guide you in beginning the journey of recovery. While the process is often hard and lengthy, there are many people who have turned to PTSD therapy and have found it to be the best choice they make for themselves.
Through PTSD therapy, people find a safe haven to talk with a professional and share their stories without fear of judgment or consequence. Sessions often provide individuals with fresh perspectives and new ways of thinking about how to cope with their PTSD symptoms. PTSD therapy offers benefits that no other form of treatment can provide: true healing from the inside out. With PTSD therapy, many individuals gain confidence, security, and even a newfound purpose in life.
For these reasons and more, pursuing PTSD therapy is almost always worth it—and most
who try it don’t regret their decision!
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/ptsd-treatment#neurological-therapies
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd-and-complex-ptsd/symptoms/
https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/treatments/prolonged-exposure
https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/treatments/eye-movement-reprocessing
https://www.reliasmedia.com/articles/142914-emotional-freedom-technique-and-post-traumatic stress disorder