1. Approach Individual Counseling
If you're suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, you'll likely be directed by a physician or mental-health professional to take part in individual therapy. Led by a experienced psychologist who specializes in treating PTSD, these sessions may use cognitive-behavior therapy, exposure therapy, implosive therapy or a combination of these to help you achieve symptom control.
If you have suffered a particularly horrifying trauma, you may have difficulty remembering the actual event. Since remembering, reliving and reprocessing the trauma is crucial to recovery, hypnosis or other guided-thought techniques may be used to recover suppressed memories. Another promising technique researchers use is called eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), which has shown even higher rates of success than traditional approaches in some control groups.
2. Support Groups Play Vital Roles in Recovery
Group-counseling can provide you with an understanding support network. You can find therapy groups that are informally structured, focusing solely on support and communication, as well as those that make concentrated use of psychological techniques in a more formal setting. Patients are assessed and placed in support groups following a clinical intake session in which a therapist or psychologist determines the severity of the symptoms. You can seek support groups dedicated to survivors of a certain type of trauma, such as rape, murder or combat trauma. These specialized groups can provide help and support from people who are facing the same challenges as you.
3. Involve Family and Loved Ones
Your family members and significant others may find coping difficult as you struggle with PTSD. They need education and professional guidance to help them understand what they can do to help you. All parties may need to make behavioral and lifestyle modifications to create a healthier recovery environment for you. Your family can get involved with your inpatient-care program or seek specialized PTSD family-therapy sessions.
