How to Treat PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition an individual can develop after going through a traumatic experience. While fear is a normal emotion to experience after you have gone through something traumatic, people with PTSD experience a debilitating sense of anxiety and negative emotion that may start within a few months of the event. If you think that you have PTSD, it is essential to get a professional diagnosis and then treat your condition either through therapy, medication, or a combination of both.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Recognizing Signs of PTSD

  1. The only way that you can recover from PTSD is to come to terms with the fact that you have this condition. Otherwise, you will not seek treatment for it in the first place. If you are not sure whether or not you have PTSD, you should look out for four main categories of PTSD-related symptoms: [1]
    • Intrusive re-experiencing of emotions and images related to the traumatic event.
    • Feelings of avoidance, such as trying to avoid thinking about or talking about the negative event that occurred.
    • Hyper-arousal and sensitivity to things like loud noises.
    • Negative changes in thinking and feeling, such as emotional numbness, hopelessness about the future, and a lack of interest in activities once enjoyed.
  2. Symptoms of re-experiencing are those that bring the sufferer back, mentally, to the traumatic event and the emotions associated with it. Flashbacks can arouse negative emotions in the person living with PTSD. These flashbacks can completely override what is currently happening and replace the present context with thoughts that bring back memories of the past trauma. [2]
    • Re-experiencing can include flashbacks, nightmares, and irrational thoughts usually driven by fear.
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  3. Avoidance can mean intentionally blocking out specific parts of the traumatic experience. This may not just be simply forgetting the events that transpired through the ordeal but can involve an intentional blocking of details in the hopes that this can make it all go away. [3] [4]
    • Avoidance can also manifest as a refusal to go to the place where the event happened, see the people that were a part of the event, or be around items that remind you of the experience.
    • Avoidance can also manifest itself as the experience of emotional numbness; this is your mind shutting out the emotions you had during the traumatic event.
  4. Hyper-arousal symptoms are generally always present in a person with PTSD. Hyper-arousal can also be described as being constantly 'on edge.' On edge can mean being started by loud noises or sudden movements. It can also refer to emotional overreactions to minor events. [5]
    • Hyper-arousal can lead to difficulty sleeping. You might find that the softest noise wakes you up or that you feel like you are constantly half awake when you should be sleeping.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Treating PTSD Through Therapy

  1. During psychotherapy, you express your thoughts and feelings about the traumatic experience that has caused your PTSD. The most common psychotherapy is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT aims to help you overcome your negative thoughts about your experience and instead turn them into more positive or rational thoughts. [6]
    • Talk therapy usually lasts up to 12 weeks but, in many cases, the therapy continues until you feel like you have overcome your PTSD.
    • Psychotherapy can be done one on one or in a group, and it usually needs the support of the whole family for it to work. Ask your family to go to therapy with you if that is something you think you might benefit from.
  2. Psychotherapy, specifically CBT, works because it addresses psychological issues directly and also provides you with practical advice on how to manage your life in the shadow of PTSD. [7]
    • Therapy helps you to process what you are feeling—shame, anger, guilt—about the trauma you have experienced.
    • Talk therapy can help you to understand why you feel the way that you do and can give you the tools to overcome those feelings.
    • It will also provide you with ways to react in a healthy way to people, places, and things that remind you of the trauma you have experienced.
  3. This type of therapy falls under the category of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and focuses on facing your fears and memories head-on. It facilitates your confrontation with your fear by exposing you to the trauma once again (this time safety is guaranteed). The ultimate goal is to help you deal with your fear and to aid you in coping with the emotional distress you feel when the trauma comes back and haunts you. Through exposure therapy, you will learn how to control your memories and realize that they are nothing to be afraid of. [8]
    • Mental imagery (picturing the trauma in your mind), visiting the place where the traumatic event happened, and encouraging you to write about your ordeal is all common tools of exposure therapy.
  4. This is another CBT technique that can help you to find a more rational and logical take on what happened to you during the traumatic event. By doing this, you will be able to come to terms with the reality of what has happened and escape the guilt that people with PTSD commonly feel. People who suffer from PTSD feel shame and think that what happened is their fault; cognitive restructuring will help you to see that it is not your fault at all. [9]
    • There are some cognitive restructuring techniques you can try from home, such as tracking the accuracy of your negative thoughts. For example, if you find yourself ruminating, you can note when you ruminate and then note whether your ruminating helped you solve your problems or not. [10]
    • Or, you could try testing your thoughts through your actual behavior. For example, if you believe that you don't have any time to exercise, you could try exercising for 15 minutes and see whether you have less time for other important parts of your life. [11]
    • This sort of psychotherapy can help you to find closure and overcome negative feelings about yourself that the traumatic event caused.
  5. This type of therapy is another type of CBT and will teach you to control your anxiety. It goes a step beyond just restructuring your memories and will you to create a healthier mentality about your traumatic experience. [12]
    • The goal of this sort of therapy is to help you reshape the way you view the trauma you experienced before you developed anxiety or depression because of your PTSD.
  6. Group therapy, just like any other approach, works better for some people than for others. However, it may help you to overcome your symptoms because it will give you other people to relate to, who have gone through, or are going through, a situation similar to yours. Talking to others who have gone through a similar experience as you can help you to rationalize how you feel, realize you are not alone and feel more “normal.” [13] [14]
    • In group therapy, people talk about their experiences and the way those experiences have affected their lives and emotions. Hearing others tell their stories can help to ease feelings of shame, guilt, and anger that you might be experiencing because of your own traumatic event.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Treating PTSD with Medication

  1. It is important to keep in mind that taking medications without also participating in therapy will not be as effective as doing both or even just therapy alone. It is important to talk to someone about your experiences so that you can work through your PTSD and find a permanent solution. Medications, on the other hand, can treat the symptoms of PTSD, but may not permanently treat the issues you are experiencing. [15] [16]
    • Treating your PTSD symptoms without getting to the root of the problem through therapy might have negative side effects later. For instance, you might think that you have overcome your PTSD through taking medication, stop taking your meds, then re-experience the negative feelings the medication had been treating, leaving you right where you started.
    • In fact, cognitive behavioral therapy is so effective in treating PTSD that patients testing the efficacy of Zoloft were not allowed to begin therapy during the trial because it would have such a strong influence on the results. [17] It follows that, though medication can be beneficial, therapy is essential to treating PTSD.
    • Be aware that antidepressants may not work for everyone. They are often helpful in minimizing symptoms of PTSD, but may not fully eliminate them. This again highlights the importance of therapy, as symptoms may persist even with medication.
  2. 2
    Talk to your doctor about taking Paxil. This medication is an antidepressant that can also control symptoms that you experience when you have PTSD. Paxil is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), meaning it works by blocking the re-uptake of serotonin, effectively increasing levels of serotonin in certain parts of the brain. Studies [18] have shown that Paxil (which is more formally referred to as paroxetine) can help to improve symptoms of PTSD.
    • Paxil can help treat symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as difficulties with sleep and concentration. [19]
  3. Zoloft is also an SSRI, which means that it is an antidepressant that may work for people suffering from symptoms of PTSD. Zoloft and Paxil are the only two drugs FDA-approved to treat PTSD. [20] Zoloft (which is also referred to as sertraline) can help to improve symptoms of PTSD including:
    • Depression, anxiety, and sleep problems.
  4. While these medications can be very effective in improving your symptoms of PTSD, they can also create other side effects that you should be aware of. [21] [22] The side effects include: [23]
    • Nausea. This symptom often goes away in two to five days.
    • Headaches. Headaches are a common complaint of SSRI users. Generally, you will stop feeling headaches in a few days.
    • Anxiety. In other words, feeling jittery or agitated.
    • Drowsiness. Drowsiness is often a sign that the dose that was originally prescribed by the doctor is too much. Sometimes a simple change in the time of administering the drug can be enough to address this issue.
    • Insomnia. Insomnia can also be a problem with SSRI. Reducing the dose can often fix this problem.
    • Reduced sexual drive. SSRI's are known to cause sexual problems like reduced pleasure in lovemaking and reduced sex drive.
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      References

      1. ↑ Foa, E., Keane, T., Friedman, M., Cohen, J. Effective Treatments for PTSD. 2010
      2. ↑ http://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/posttraumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/symptoms
      3. ↑ Wilson, J., Friedman, M., Lindy, J. Treating Psychological Trauma and PTSD. 2012
      4. ↑ http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml
      5. ↑ http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/treatment/therapy-med/treatment-ptsd.asp
      6. ↑ http://www.helpguide.org/mental/post_traumatic_stress_disorder_symptoms_treatment.htm
      7. ↑ http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml#pub8
      8. ↑ http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml
      9. ↑ http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-practice/201301/cognitive-restructuring
      1. ↑ http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-practice/201301/cognitive-restructuring
      2. ↑ http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-practice/201301/cognitive-restructuring
      3. ↑ http://www.makingthemodernworld.org.uk/learning_modules/psychology/07.TU.09/?section=6
      4. ↑ Foa, E., Keane, T., Friedman, M., Cohen, J. Effective Treatments for PTSD. 2010
      5. ↑ http://www.rehab.research.va.gov/jour/2012/495/pdf/sloan495.pdf
      6. ↑ http://www.helpguide.org/articles/ptsd-trauma/post-traumatic-stress-disorder.htm#treatment
      7. ↑ http://psychcentral.com/lib/an-overview-of-treatment-of-ptsd/
      8. ↑ http://pro.psychcentral.com/ssris-for-ptsd-just-how-effective-are-they/001968.html#
      9. ↑ http://pro.psychcentral.com/2013/ssris-for-ptsd-just-how-effective-are-they/001968.html#
      10. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/basics/treatment/con-20022540
      11. ↑ http://pro.psychcentral.com/ssris-for-ptsd-just-how-effective-are-they/001968.html#
      12. ↑ Wilson, J., Friedman, M., Lindy, J. Treating Psychological Trauma and PTSD. 2012
      13. ↑ http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/SSRIs-%28selective-serotonin-reuptake-inhibitors%29/Pages/Side-effects.aspx
      14. ↑ http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml#pub9

      About this article

      Article Summary X

      To treat post-traumatic stress disorder, consider working with a therapist to help you overcome your negative thoughts by talking through them. Therapy can help you process the feelings you have about the trauma you’ve experienced by helping you understand why you have them and giving you tools for dealing with them. You can also try exposure therapy, which aims to help you control your fears by giving you practice confronting them. Additionally, consider attending group therapy, which can help you feel less alone and more understood. For more tips from our Mental Health co-author, like how to treat PTSD with medication, keep reading!

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