PTSD
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, otherwise known as PTSD, is when an individual experiences an emotional response towards an object or event that reminds them of a traumatic moment (Mayo Clinic, 2018). Many individuals experience traumatic events and that can cause them difficulty in their everyday lives. A variety of factors can be triggering for the individual, which can therefore impair their coping mechanisms.
Common symptoms of PTSD include:
Nightmares
Severe anxiety
Flashbacks
Uncontrollable thoughts about the events
Overwhelming guilt or shame
Avoidance of external reminders
Withdrawal from family and friends
Hard time concentrating
Hard time falling asleep or staying asleep (CAMH, 2022)
There are various treatment options that are highly effective in treating individuals experiencing PTSD symptoms. Talk therapy has been proven to assist those with PTSD by developing healthy coping mechanisms and reducing symptoms. Among various modalities, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), as well as Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), both offered at our clinic by many qualified psychotherapists, are effective methods for treating PTSD (APA, 2020).
CBT seeks to reexamine and reconstruct a person’s erroneous beliefs about the trauma, oneself, others, and the world, which are resulted from the conflict between their original beliefs and new experience. For example, if a person previously believed that others could be trusted, then experienced an assault, they might come to believe “No one can be trusted,” which could be a maladaptive thought, as it might not be helpful for the person to adapt to their changed situation in life. In addition, when a new event counters a person’s prior belief, they might choose to retrieve information selectively, where they alters their perception of the new event to make it consistent with their prior belief. Our CBT therapists like Tara and Hyunbin, work with clients to identify and challenge these maladaptive thinking patterns and support them in generating more balanced and accurate cognitions about the trauma, themselves, others, and the world (Zalta, 2015).
CBT interprets PTSD as the result of “processing the trauma in a way that leads to a sense of current, serious threat” (Zalta, 2015). Therefore, our CBT therapists also help clients reconstruct their cognition of their past trauma and their current life situations, which includes identifying triggers for re-experiencing and differentiating the past and the present in order to help clients manage their sense of current threat. Besides, our therapists activate clients’ trauma memory through gradual imaginal exposures, process the clients’ emotional responses, and then help reduce our clients’ traumatic responses through repeated practices (Zalta, 2015; Waltkins, Sprang, & Rothbaum, 2018).
If you feel that you or someone you know could benefit from PTSD treatment, please feel free to reach out to our clinic at 6472679853, where we will match you with a therapist best fit to you!
References
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2018). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder PTSD. CAMH. (2022). Retrieved from
https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-illness-and-addiction-index/posttra
Watkins, L. E., Sprang, K. R., & Rothbaum, B. O. (2018). Treating PTSD: A review of evidence-based psychotherapy interventions. Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience, 12, 258.
What is posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? Psychiatry.org - What is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)? (2020). Retrieved from
https://psychiatry.org/patients-families/ptsd/what-is-ptsd
Zalta, A. K. (2015). Psychological mechanisms of effective cognitive–behavioral treatments for PTSD. Current psychiatry reports, 17(4), 1-8.