Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Treatment
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an Anxiety Disorder that is the result of having experienced (or having been the witness of) an extreme situation or situations where the physical integrity of themselves or others was at stake. The person experienced at that time feelings of helplessness, horror or terror.
Frequent symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) include hyperstartle responses when exposed to a trigger of the trauma, recurrent nightmares, flashbacks (a sense of reliving the trauma), intrusive thoughts or images, difficulty concentrating, angry outbursts, etc. The person is likely to avoid any situations, feelings, thoughts and even people associated with the trauma. Symptoms may appear even years after the trauma occurred.
Traumatic events include having been the victim or a witness of a personal assault (e.g. mugging, sexual or physical attack), natural disasters, car or plane crashes, being diagnosed with a severe illness, etc. The most effective treatment for this disorder is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. This treatment modality created by Dr. Edna Foa includes techniques such as imaginal exposure, in vivo exposure, relaxation training, and cognitive restructuring.
