A Practical Guide To Ptsd Treatment

Developed under the auspices of the PTSD Treatment Guidelines Task Force of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, this tightly edited work is the definitive best-practice reference for practitioners caring for any trauma population. Leading clinical scientists thoroughly review the literature on widely used therapeutic approaches for both adults and children. Succinct treatment guidelines are presented that feature standardized ratings of the evidence for each approach. The book also offers insightful guidance to help clinicians select the most suitable therapy for particular patients and overcome frequently encountered obstacles.

More than 7 million Americans suffer from PTSD, as a consequence of physical or psychological trauma. Thankfully, today's mental health providers have developed increasingly sophisticated tools and techniques to meet this significant challenge, the most effective of which are medications and psychotherapy. Although considerable research in recent years has focused on both approaches to PTSD treatment, few have been able to synthesize that research in a way that is concise and practical, and useful to the wide range of practitioners who treat PTSD. In this handy clinical guide, authors Nancy Bernardy and Matt Friedman show how pharmacological approaches can be integrated with traditional psychotherapy approaches to PTSD. They present common assessment tools and strategies, synthesize implications from research on all existing pharmacologic treatments for PTSD including antidepressants, anxiolytics, and antipsychotic medications, and present clear guidelines for related conditions such as insomnia and substance abuse. Treatment of older adults and others with complicated presentations is also emphasized. The book is suitable for psychologists and social workers who may be unfamiliar with pharmacological approaches to PTSD, as well as psychiatrists and other medical personnel who may be less familiar with the best empirically-validated forms of psychotherapy.

Reclaim yourself from childhood trauma--evidence-based strategies for healing complex PTSD Repetitive trauma during childhood can impact your emotional development, creating a ripple effect that carries into adulthood. Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) is a physical and psychological response to these repeated traumatic events. A Practical Guide to Complex PTSD contains research-based strategies, tools, and support for individuals working to heal from their childhood trauma. You don't have to be a prisoner of your past. Learn the skills necessary to improve your physical and mental health with practical strategies taken from the most effective therapeutic methods, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and somatic psychology. When appropriately addressed, the wounds of your past no longer need to interfere with your ability to live a meaningful and satisfying life. This book includes: Understand C-PTSD--Get an in-depth explanation of complex PTSD, including its symptoms, its treatment through various therapies, and more. Address the symptoms--Discover evidence-based strategies for healing the symptoms of complex PTSD, like avoidance, depression, emotional dysregulation, and hopelessness. Real stories--Relate to others' experiences with complex PTSD with multiple real-life examples included in each chapter. Start letting go of the pain from your past--A Practical Guide to Complex PTSD can help show you how.

This book offers an evidence based guide for clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists and other clinicians working with trauma survivors in various settings. It provides easily digestible, up-to-date information on the basic principles of traumatic stress research and practice, including psychological and sociological theories as well as epidemiological, psychopathological, and neurobiological findings. However, as therapists are primarily interested in how to best treat their traumatized patients, the core focus of the book is on evidence based psychological treatments for trauma-related mental disorders. Importantly, the full range of trauma and stress related disorders is covered, including Acute Stress Reaction, Complex PTSD and Prolonged Grief Disorder, reflecting important anticipated developments in diagnostic classification. Each of the treatment chapters begins with a short summary of the theoretical underpinnings of the approach, presents a case illustrating the treatment protocol, addresses special challenges typically encountered in implementing this treatment, and ends with an overview of related outcomes and other research findings. Additional chapters are devoted to the treatment of comorbidities, special populations and special treatment modalities and to pharmacological treatments for trauma-related disorders. The book concludes by addressing the fundamental question of how to treat whom, and when.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can present with a number of symptoms, including anxiety, depression, flashbacks, and trouble sleeping. If your partner has PTSD, you may want to help, but find yourself at a loss. The simple truth is that PTSD can be extremely debilitating—not just for the person who has experienced trauma first-hand, but for their partners as well. And while there are many books written for those suffering from PTSD, there are few written for the people who love them. In Loving Someone with PTSD, renowned trauma expert and author of I Can’t Get Over It!, Aphrodite Matsakis, presents concrete skills and strategies for the partners of those with PTSD. With this informative and practical book, you will increase your understanding of the signs and symptoms of PTSD, improve your communication skills with your loved one, set realistic expectations, and work to create a healthy environment for the both of you. In addition, you will learn to manage your own grief, helplessness, and fear regarding your partner’s condition. PTSD is a manageable disability. While it isn’t your responsibility to rescue your partner or act as his or her therapist, this book will help you be supportive and implement strategies for lessening the negative impact of PTSD—not just for your partner, but for your relationship, and, importantly, for yourself.

A practical step-by-step guide and follow-up companion to Healing Developmental Trauma--presenting one of the first comprehensive models for addressing complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) The NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM) is an integrated mind-body framework that focuses on relational, attachment, developmental, cultural, and intergenerational trauma. NARM helps clients resolve C-PTSD, recover from adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and facilitate post-traumatic growth. Inspired by cutting-edge trauma-informed research on attachment, developmental psychology, and interpersonal neurobiology, The Practical Guide for Healing Developmental Trauma provides counselors, psychotherapists, psychologists, social workers, and trauma-sensitive helping professionals with the theoretical background and practical skills they need to help clients transform complex trauma. It explains: The four pillars of the NARM therapeutic model Cultural and transgenerational trauma Shock vs. developmental trauma How to effectively address ACEs and support relational health How to differentiate NARM from other approaches to trauma treatment NARM's organizing principles and how to integrate the program into your clinical practice

In the United States, about 60 percent of men and 50 percent of women experience, witness, or are affected by a traumatic event in their lifetimes. Many of them (8 percent of men and 20 percent of women) may develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)--a life-altering anxiety disorder. Once connected mainly with veterans of war, PTSD is now being diagnosed in many situations that cause extreme trauma such as rape, physical attacks or abuse, accidents, terrorist incidents, or natural disasters. The millions of family members of those who have PTSD also suffer, not knowing how to help their loved one recover from the pain. Shock Waves is a practical, user-friendly guide for those who love someone suffering from this often debilitating anxiety disorder, whether that person is a survivor of war or of another harrowing situation or event. Through her own experience, extensive research, advice from mental health professionals, and interviews with those working through PTSD and their families, Cynthia Orange shows readers how to identify what PTSD symptoms look like in real life, respond to substance abuse and other co-occurring disorders, manage their reactions to a loved one's violence and rage, find effective professional help, and prevent their children from experiencing secondary trauma. Each section of Shock Waves includes questions and exercises to help readers incorporate the book's lessons into their daily lives and interactions with their traumatized loved ones.

The research base on complex psychological trauma has grown significantly in recent years. Yet even with the development of more effective techniques for treating complex trauma survivors, therapists often struggle to build strong relationships with these severely distressed clients. In this guide, the authors present an approach for helping adult clients move through the three phases of posttraumatic recovery -- and for managing the inevitable roadblocks and relationship issues that occur. The introductory chapters explore how complex trauma emerges from chronic victimization and the disruption of attachment bonds in childhood or adulthood and review diagnostic considerations. Two extended case examples highlight clinical issues that arise with this population and, running throughout the chapters, show how to use a secure therapeutic alliance as a foundation for utilizing evidence-based treatment strategies. The authors demonstrate ways to weave together elements of cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, relational, and systemic therapies, along with other proven approaches, in the service of working toward clearly defined therapeutic goals. In Phase 1, the emphasis is basic safety and personal stabilization. Phases 2 and 3 address trauma processing and the challenges of creating a new, more satisfying life. Strategies for tailoring interventions to each individual's needs and strengths, aided by ongoing assessment, are detailed. Applications in group, couple, and family therapy are also discussed.