1. Explore Troubling Reactions
One of the best ways to diminish PTSD symptoms is to debrief the victim immediately after the trauma occurs. Crisis counselors are adept at minimizing the shock soldiers experience when returning from battle and at helping terrorist-attack survivors to find security and stability after the strike. Unfortunately, many victims go untreated, allowing the stress to develop into Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. When this is the case, a counselor must assess the person's symptoms and identify the initial disturbance.
2. Treat Comorbid Disorders
In addition to its own crippling symptoms, PTSD has a tendency to trigger psychological disorders with similar characteristics. After-effects include a spiral into depression, the emergence of debilitating anxiety, night terrors, suicidal thoughts and the abuse of alcohol or drugs as a means of self-medicating. Ethically, the practitioner's first responsibility is protecting the individual so they cannot harm themselves or others. Once potential suicide is averted, Beck's Cognitive approach would likely be used to diminish any depressive episodes. Having alleviated all simultaneous disorders, attention would then be given to the treatment of PTSD.
3. Use Medication for Severe Intrusion Symptoms
If the victim is experiencing intense symptoms, it may be necessary to control these reactions with medication before psychological therapy can begin. To avoid potentially harmful drug interactions, MAOIs should not be used if the victim is abusing illegal substances. Once the cycle of drug addiction is broken, a prescription of phenelzine would help to ease flashbacks and nightmares. A typical remedy for insomnia is trazodone, whereas carbamazepine helps to reduce irritability in patients struggling with extreme aggression.
4. Employ Cognitive Therapy
Cognitive therapy focuses on how thoughts affect behavior and emotions. Counselors work as colleagues along with the victim, helping them to solve problems, develop coping skills and understand their symptoms. Victims of combat-related trauma may have distorted views about the traumatic event and its repercussions for their lives. These faulty beliefs, in turn, affect the victim's emotions and behavior, contributing to irrational fear, shame, anger or remorse. By restructuring the victim's negative thought patterns, therapists help patients with PTSD redirect the course of their lives and find meaning despite personal tragedy.
5. Draw on Group Therapy
It is not uncommon for trauma victims to reject professional therapists and instead accept support only from those who have experienced similar trauma. Although the belief that "only fellow sufferers can understand" is inaccurate, such notions are a natural reaction to the extreme events that precede PTSD. In this case, counselors gather persons with shared experiences into groups, and then moderate group sessions by helping members to share their difficulties with others, overcome isolation and find understanding. Once victims begin to invest themselves in this growing social support system, new opportunities for treatment and healing emerge.
