HELP FOR POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS
A trauma is a stressful event that overwhelms your ability to cope. Traumas are events that do not occur as a normal part of living. A parent dying of old age, for example, can be overwhelming, but it is not considered a trauma, because it occurs commonly as a normal life developmental challenge The death of a son or daughter, however, is considered a trauma.
Other examples of traumas include being a victim of a violent crime, living in a war-torn community, combat, and being a victim of a terrorist incident or natural disaster.
Some people cope better with trauma than others. Some people show extreme signs of stress during and immediately after the trauma (called “acute stress”), but recover quickly. Other people are haunted by traumas and are unable to recover without help.
If you suffer from post-traumatic stress, you are, in a sense, stuck in the time-period when the trauma occurred, unable to move on. You may suffer from nightmares or flashbacks. You may ruminate about the trauma, and you may avoid situations that remind you of the event and trigger upsetting feelings. Discussing the trauma may create overwhelming emotions, and you may feel like you are re-living the incident when you think about it.
Post-traumatic stress causes other associated problems. You may get depressed. You might abuse drugs or alcohol. And you may find yourself employing creative strategies to numb yourself to the painful feelings associated with the traumatic event.
What Helps?
Exposure therapy is a procedure well supported by research in which the therapist teaches you a set of anxiety reduction techniques to manage trauma related anxiety. As you master these techniques, the therapist guides you gradually and in small steps, helping you to face the fears associated with your trauma. You will learn to practice your anxiety reduction techniques as you confront these fears.
People with post-traumatic stress are afraid of the thoughts associated with the trauma, particularly the most upsetting, charged thoughts (called “hot thoughts”). They are also afraid of situations and events that trigger unpleasant emotions associated with the trauma. During exposure therapy, you will be guided through a series of structured exercises that help you talk about the traumatic event. You may only talk superficially about it at first, and move forward to “hotter” thoughts at a pace you can manage. Your therapist may make tapes for you to listen to. You will also learn to gradually face the situations that remind you of the trauma. As you learn to face these thoughts and situational triggers over and over, the anxiety will start to decrease. It is important to perform these exposure exercises under the supervision of a professional.
Exposure can be difficult, but progress usually occurs quickly if you practice consistently. If you practice the exposure exercises repeatedly, the sense of terror will lose its grip over you.
Cognitive Therapy
Cognitive therapy is very effective when used in conjunction with exposure therapy. You will learn to appreciate the profound impact thoughts have in creating anxiety and other unpleasant emotions associated with the trauma. You will learn how to change the anxiety-producing thought process and change your perspective on the original trauma. Cognitive therapy will offer you a whole new way of looking at the traumatic event.
Other Coping Techniques
You will learn a number of other techniques to help you cope effectively. These procedures have been given a variety of names, including “stress inoculation training” and “applied relaxation.”
A procedure called “eye movement desensitization and reprocessing” or “EMDR” has received a lot of attention, yielding impressive anecdotes and some research support. EMDR is worth a try if proven methods fail. For more information about EMDR, go to
www.emdria.org.
Finding A Qualified Therapist
Only therapists with the proper training know how to offer cognitive-behavior therapy for post-traumatic stress. To find a qualified specialist in your area, visit
http://www.adaa.org. Do not assume therapists who claim to be qualified have had the appropriate training. When interviewing a therapist on the phone, ask the following questions:
1) Can you describe how you help people with post-traumatic stress? Can you explain exposure therapy to me?
2) Could you describe how you were trained to help people with post-traumatic stress?
3) Approximately how many people suffering with post-traumatic stress have you worked with?
4) What is your success rate?