Treatment and Prevention
Treatment can be effective for PTSD and involves psychological intervention as well as medications.
The main psychological treatment to treating PTSD is cognitive-behavioral therapy. This means examining the thought processes associated with the trauma, the way memories return, and how people react to them. PTSD often fades over time, even without treatment, and the goal of therapy is to accelerate that natural healing process.
Because the horror may fade over time, being confronted with memories of the trauma when in a safe situation may help a person over time to become less frightened or depressed by those memories. This is called desensitization, which is often combined with cognitive behavioral therapy. Psychological treatments are particularly helpful for the "re-experiencing symptoms" and any social or vocational impairment caused by PTSD.
Medications used in treatment are serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRIs). Most people with PTSD will benefit from taking antidepressant medications, whether or not they have clinical depression accompanying their PTSD. These medications are particularly helpful in treating the avoidance and arousal symptoms as well as any anxiety and depression. Other medications (e.g., those that help balance mood and reduce mood swings, or antipyschotics) may also help to relieve symptoms.
Paul Ballas, DO, Attending Psychiatrist, Friends Hospital, Philadelphia PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.