Introduction
Some events can leave a scarring effect on our lives. These events can be unpleasant, leave us distressed and confused, and give us lifetime stress—these events of trauma lead to PTSD, short for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
You repeat the memory repeatedly; fear overwhelms you as you recall something.
People with PTSD experience terrible impacts on their health, jobs, and relationships. Moving forward with untreated PTSD can seem impossible, even when it is physically safe.
With proper care, you can manage the PTSD symptoms. The National Center for PTSD analyzes scientific research and develops Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment Guidelines. This blog summarizes updated guidelines of the best treatment options for people with PTSD and medical professionals.
Diagnosis and Assessment
Healthcare experts diagnose Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) by considering these factors and suggesting the treatment plan accordingly:
- Symptoms reported by the individual
- Past medical history and life experiences
- Psychological tests and evaluations
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Treatments
Cognitive Behavioral Therapies:
CBT is the foremost in the guidelines for treating PTSD.
CBT achieves this by helping patients study their perceptions. How do their assumptions and beliefs about the trauma impact their symptoms and current life? It challenges irrational or unhelpful thoughts that often follow trauma. PE similarly exposes patients to memories of the traumatic event in a gradual, controlled manner.
Through talking or writing about the trauma, patients learn their anxiety and distress levels diminish over time as avoidance is reduced.
Numerous trials have found that 12-15 sessions of either CPT or PE are successful. When administered individually or in a group format, it successfully reduces PTSD symptoms in 60-80% of those who complete treatment.
Most people have a discernible decrease in symptoms after 8–15 therapy sessions.
Medications:
Medication is the second in the list of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment Guidelines.
Experts frequently recommend psychotherapy as the primary treatment for PTSD. They do, however, also take medication into account while developing a therapy strategy.
Usually, doctors start with minimal doses to look for any adverse effects. They progressively raise the dosage over four to six weeks if needed and well tolerated.
Medication alone without concurrent therapy is not as reliably effective long-term. However, some people who do not respond to frontline CBT alone need medications. Of course, for extra relief from intrusive thoughts and mood symptoms.
Antidepressants can help you deal with nightmares and make you sleep. But these drugs should be used cautiously long-term. Although it provides temporary relief from severe symptoms, it’s still better to look up to other methods of relief, too.
Overall, medication aids recovery when applied carefully alongside therapies can make things easier. Medications always require careful oversight from a doctor. Collaborate closely with a psychotherapist to maximize benefits and minimize risks.
Group Therapy
Next, in line with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment Guidelines, is Group Therapy. Group therapy can be used in addition to individual treatment. Speaking with people who have experienced comparable horrific circumstances might be empowering. It fosters a feeling of unity and mutual comprehension.
Integrative/Alternative Therapies:
It combines aspects of exposure therapy focused on trauma with methods like moving your eyes from side to side or gentle taps. Studies have found that EMDR can help reduce PTSD symptoms. It is seen in several controlled trials.
Preliminary research also suggests potential adjunct benefits from acupuncture therapy. Several RCTs have found acupuncture improved co-occurring depression and insomnia symptoms associated with PTSD when added to psychotherapy.
Other integrative modalities such as massage therapy, chiropractic care, and probiotic supplements have shown some potential for alleviating secondary issues like muscle tension, pain, or gastrointestinal distress in small pilot or case studies.
However, more rigorous large-scale clinical research is still needed before any of these alternative modalities can receive strong recommendations as stand-alone PTSD treatments.
Currently, psychotherapy in the form of CPT or PE remains the gold standard, evidence-based approach. Integrative therapies may provide adjunct support when delivered alongside frontline PTSD treatment.
Lifestyle and coping strategies
One of the healthy ways to cope with your PTSD is taking a full 8-hour sleep. This helps in stress management and makes you feel fresh every day. You must eat healthy and engage in exercise to get the best results.
Some healthcare professionals might recommend you meditate. Long-term recovery and holistic healing are encouraged through collaborative care involving medical professionals, therapists, and support systems.
Putting together a multimodal PTSD treatment plan
To achieve the most significant wellness outcomes, the guidelines recommend combining evidence-based psychotherapies like CPT or PE, medicine if needed, and additional strategies into an integrated multimodal treatment plan.
- Doing so draws from the strengths of each modality while reducing potential weaknesses or side effects from any single approach.
- The priority is establishing safety and developing effective strategies with a therapist’s guidance to manage trauma triggers and resulting distress.
- Simultaneous group therapy then fosters essential social support that counters the isolation many experiences post-trauma.
- Medication, if prescribed, aids symptom relief so clients can better engage with therapeutic exposures.
- Regular mind-body practices like yoga or meditation complementarily target anxiety and promote coping.
- With an individualized plan for a patient’s unique needs and preferences, the trauma-focused work done in counseling is powerfully supported.
Clients work closely with a therapist to apply techniques in everyday life through gradual “homework” challenges between sessions.
Ongoing follow-up care beyond the acute phase is also crucial to helping clients stabilize recovery gains, prevent relapses, and address any new stressors or issues that may arise or prolong symptoms.
Community and online support resources provide places to learn new skills. This, in turn, continually strategizes for long-term well-being.
This coordinated multimodal approach optimizes PTSD treatment outcomes. With proper plans and strategies, the multimodal approach is beneficial. It thereby promotes faster, fuller, and longer-lasting recovery.
FAQs
What are the early signs of PTSD?
A: Vivid Flashbacks, Disturbing Thoughts, Stress and Depression, Sweating, and Shivering are some of the early signs of PTSD.
Is PTSD curable?
A: Even while there is never a cure for PTSD, it can be effectively managed with the proper care and networks of support. It assists in improving your mental health.
Are there natural remedies for PTSD?
A: Natural treatments for PTSD symptoms, such as meditation and herbal supplements, help some people. It’s better to speak to your healthcare professional regarding it.
How long does PTSD treatment take place?
A: It can last for a few months or some years. It depends on the person’s severity of PTSD.
Can children develop PTSD?
A: Indeed, PTSD can strike kids and teens after experiencing terrible situations. Appropriate assistance and early intervention are crucial for their well-being.
A Psychoanalytic Perspective:
The review of this condition is quite exhaustive and mentions the benefit of CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) and PE (Prolonged Exposure) along with many ancillary treatments. The only aspect of this troubling disorder unaddressed is there is no systematic attempt to understand what the triggering events mean to the patient. Even in situations of wartime, auto accidents, or even terrorist events, all experiences are filtered through the fantasies and unconscious conflicts of the patient. A brother is accidentally killed, and the patient unconsciously feels he/she should somehow pay for or make amends for the tragedy. A soldier feels more horrified by his inability to save his fellow soldier than the horror of war, etc. These are personal, powerful, but only poorly conscious perspectives that can result in significant clinical improvement when processed in a psychodynamic treatment setting.
