More than 8 million Americans over the age of 18 have developed PTSD and 3.6% of adults have struggled with PTSD in the last year. Those who have experienced prior traumatic episodes are more likely to develop PTSD than others and mass violence has caused 67% of the people exposed to it to have PTSD. Childhood traumas also contribute to the number of people experiencing this painful disorder. A PTSD treatment center can help give you the counseling you need and begin the process of dealing with the shame and guilt associated with re-experiencing trauma.
Psychotherapy, also referred to as talk therapy, is the main method of confronting and eventually overcoming PTSD. There are a number of therapies that fall under the umbrella of psychotherapy and included on this list is cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT). Two of the main components of CBT are exposure therapy and cognitive restructuring. Three forms of CBT that can be utilized are cognitive processing therapy (CPT), prolonged exposure (PE), and stress inoculation training (SIT). Those therapies used that do not belong to the CBT family are eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and present-centered therapy (PCT).
Types of Therapy for PTSD
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is the most effective treatment for PTSD. It is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on the traumatic events that caused PTSD. By identifying, understanding, and altering behavior and thinking patterns clients can come to terms with their traumatic experiences.
Exposure Therapy
The client is exposed to the traumatic memory through writing, mental imagery, or by revisiting people and places that are related to the trauma. A new technique uses virtual reality to pace the client in a virtual reimagining of the traumatic event. By reevaluating the traumatic episode in a virtual setting the client can safely relive it and better understand its continued presence in their life.
Cognitive Restructuring
Cognitive restructuring is an attempt to confront the disturbing memories and make sense of them. Often people remember things differently than how they happened and cognitive restructuring allows the client to gauge this memory from a new perspective.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
People see themselves differently than how others view them and traumatic events can skew this even further. This is of particular help for people who blame themselves for what happened.
Prolonged Exposure (PE)
This is focused on getting the client to stop exposing themselves to trauma reminders. A reimagining of the traumatic event is viewed from different angles. This therapy uses imaginal exposures, which recounts the details of the events surrounding the trauma, and in vivo exposures, which have the client confront people or situations related to the traumatic event that they have been avoiding.
Stress Inoculation Training (SIT)
SIT teaches coping skills to reduce anxiety and prompt a different reaction to their symptoms.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
By paying attention to the therapist’s use of sounds and back and forth movements while thinking about the traumatic memory, the client can disengage from negative thoughts, feelings, and emotions associated with the trauma and try to replace it with positive thinking.
Present Centered Therapy (PCT)
PCT takes the focus away from the trauma and puts it on current issues. This therapy measures the impact of trauma on the client’s life and teaches problem-solving methods to overcome stress.
Reach Out to Virtues Behavioral Health Today
PTSD treatment is varied but centers around cognitive-behavioral therapy. For each related therapy, there is a different approach to analyzing and treating our clients’ PTSD. Psychotherapy offers the chance to investigate your thoughts and feelings related to your traumatic experiences and attempt to manage them in the context of living a productive life, even though the trauma will always be there. But now you will have the skill set to tackle it. At Virtues Behavioral Health in Los Angeles, California we provide comfortable private therapy spaces, lounge areas with games, modern group session rooms, and coffee, tea, and refreshments. We are located in West Los Angeles and provide a warm and welcoming space to attend to your recovery and rejuvenation. We can be reached online or at 855.579.8599 for you to take the first step on your journey to wellness and recovery.
Virtues Behavioral Health is a substance abuse treatment center in Los Angeles, California. We offer addiction and mental health treatment at our outpatient rehab center. Our substance abuse treatment programs help clients avoid relapse and rebuild their lives. Contact our Los Angeles addiction treatment center at 855.265.7710