Different Treatment Methods for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

There are a couple of effective treatments available for PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder. Dealing with bygone traumatic experiences can be hard and there are instances that you just want to keep the feelings to yourself instead of sharing it to someone else. Keep in mind that sharing it to your loved ones or talking with a counselor can be useful.

Treatments for PTSD typically involve a combination of psychotherapy and medication. By combining different treatments, your symptoms will likely improve while you learn to utilize different coping methods to deal with past traumatic events and its impact to your life.

There are three psychotherapy methods used in treating PTSD.

1. Cognitive Therapy

In this kind of therapy, the therapist will help you discover thought patterns that have something to do with your trauma and help you recognize and challenge means of thinking that cause you to stress which disturbs your way of living. In addition, the therapist will help you replenish your limiting thoughts with thoughts that are less upsetting. You will also learn methods on how to cope up with feelings such as anger, guilt, and fear.

After a stressful experience, you tend to put all the blame to yourself and feel guilty on something that you have no control over with. Cognitive therapy will help you know and understand your thoughts and viewpoint of the event, decreasing pointless feelings of remorse.

2. Group Therapy

Talking your fears to other people who share the same experiences as you do can sometimes be helpful. In a group therapy, you are asked to talk to others who have been through traumatic experiences and have PTSD as well. Sharing your experiences and creating relationships will help you manage your emotions, memories, and other symptoms associated with PTSD. With this, you are able to build self-confidence and trust.

3. Medication

There are a lot of medications that can be used to manage PTSD. They are effective in reducing sorrow and sadness. Every time you feel depressed, the serotonin level of your body is low. SSRIs or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, are antidepressant medications which are capable of increasing the level of serotonin in your brain. There are also other medications that have been proven to greatly improve serotonin levels. Consult your doctor about this one for you to obtain the right medication and dose.