Putting The Past In The Past In this final article in the beyond trauma series I will be examining various treatment options, self help advice and how to choose the best therapist to assist with the recovery process. There are also many natural remedies that can aid the body and mind during this process. Treatment for PTSD has improved dramatically over the years, especially as medical science is able to investigate and understand more deeply exactly what is happening within the mind and body of those experiencing PTSD symptoms. This deeper understanding means that treatments can be adapted to be much more effective and avoid unnecessary re-traumatization. As well as the conventional treatment options, there are many holistic approaches that can be extremely effective and supportive during the healing and recovery process. The aim of all treatments for PTSD are to process and release the stress and trauma from the mind and body and move the live raw footage (in whatever form suppressed; visual, feelings, auditory) of traumatic event memories out of the fear part of the brain where they are being relived in the present and re-file them into the correct past memory part of the brain where the mind and body clearly understand the event or events are over and normal body and brain functioning can be accessed again allowing freedom from the chaotic array of PTSD symptoms so that internal balance can be restored and people can move on with their lives again. While in some cases it may be beneficial to be supported by medication or complementary supplements, there are many treatments available to assist in recovery. Self Help Although seeking professional help for PTSD is always advisable, there are certain measures that can be taken by the individual which can be helpful in reducing the worsening of symptoms and avoiding future additional problems. Recovery from any traumatic event takes time, it is a natural healing process and everyone heals at their own pace depending on how the effects of the event has impacted them individually. But there are actions that can be taken to support one’s self through the healing process of normal PTSD symptoms:
- Seek help early: the earlier the symptoms are addressed the better
- Learn more about post-traumatic stress, this understanding allows sufferers to feel less alone and be able to deal with symptoms better.
- Share your feelings and talk with someone you trust, whether it’s a friend or professional
- Don’t isolate yourself from others, socialise and join in with your normal activities as much as is possible.
- Regularly practise activities to relax and calm your mind, such as yoga/meditation/ being in nature
- Exercise helps to release stress from the body, increasing feel good chemicals.
- Avoid drugs and alcohol as these aggravate symptoms.
“Prevention is always better than cure.” First developed in the military setting for veterans, then later adapted for emergency workers, Critical Incident Debriefing is a form of adaptive intervention specifically for dealing with traumatic events and carried out by trained professionals. It is a highly structured process that is carried out directly after a traumatic event with the intention of diffusing and reducing the immediate effects of the traumatic event and providing referrals for further support and assistance if required to prevent the on-set of PTSD symptomology. All forms of critical incident management are a preventative measure rather than a treatment for PTSD. The aims are to integrate the event into the normal past memory storage of the brain instead of the fear part of the brain and to stabilize those affected by an incident allowing them to return to their normal daily life after the event with as little disruption as possible. This is achieved by confidentially sharing experiences of the event, while normalizing feelings, understanding reactions, releasing the stress and emotions as they come up and providing tools to deal with future stress.
There are pro’s and con’s for this. Firstly, it is not possible for everyone to have immediate access to a critical incident debrief as many events that trigger PTSD symptoms have happened too far in the past. Secondly, some recent research suggests that critical incident interventions can in some cases exacerbate symptoms and can cause too higher risk of re-traumatization, rendering it ineffective and, in some cases, harmful in treating PTSD, however these types of interventions usually process emotions too early in the process. I have found that debriefings can be very beneficial for some, preventing a much longer road of recovery, however they are not suitable for every person and situation. As with every industry, there are different types of critical incident professional trainings, therefore it is always important to choose a therapist wisely whose approach feels comfortable and right for you. All forms of critical incident management are a preventative measure rather than a treatment for PTSD.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
There is a lot of information about evidence based CBT for treating PTSD symptoms. CBT’s approach is to become aware of and change thoughts and behaviors. Trauma focused CBT techniques involve gentle repeated exposure of the event to become aware of and then, guided by the therapist, change the thoughts and feelings involved with the incident, such as anger, blame or shame, to assist in coming to terms with the traumatic event. The aim is to control the fear and distress by changing the thoughts and feelings about the experience as they arise, allowing the experiences to be integrated into the past and all the accompanying negative thoughts and emotions to be processed, released and replaced with more positive ones. There are many worksheets that can help give the sufferer a structure to focus on to help them overcome the symptoms and deal with them. There is a risk of re-traumatization through CBT through the exposure techniques, so it is not appropriate for everyone, however evidence suggests that, in many cases, although initial worsening of symptoms can occur, clients generally benefit from long term improvement. Again, it is important if choosing the CBT route to choose a CBT Trauma specialist and always gage how safe and comfortable you feel with your therapist before you commence any treatment.
EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is widely recognized as a successful treatment for PTSD with many clinical studies demonstrating high success rates in a reasonably low number of sessions. Its consists of eight phases which start with establishing calm and coping skills, followed by processing the incidents focusing on the image, negative thought, and body sensations related to the incident while simultaneously focusing on a form of external stimuli, such as a tone, tapping or, most commonly, moving their eyes back and forth across the field of vision for approximately 30 seconds. After distress levels have been alleviated, the final phases consist of replacing the old programmes with new positive ones and reinforcing them with the dual stimulation technique, followed by integration and testing the effectiveness of the changes over a specific time frame. After EMDR sessions, most clients report feeling that their emotional distress levels related to the memory have disappeared or decreased significantly allowing them to feel and behave more positively in all areas of their life.
EFT
Emotional Freedom Technique was discovered by Gary Craig and in studies carried out by the National Institute for Integrative Healthcare (NIIH) conducted of EFT on war veterans, eight out of ten veterans who completed six one hour sessions of EFT, no longer tested positive for PTSD whatsoever. EFT works by measuring distress levels, then gently tapping specific meridian points on the face, hands and torso whilst focusing on key words and phrases associated with the problem being addressed. EFT works very fast and allows clients freedom from their symptoms without having to re-live their experiences, it also gives clients a technique that they use themselves in-between sessions to overcome whatever negative emotions, panic or anxiety may occur, which can be very reassuring that they can have a tool to put them in control of symptoms until they have subsided completely.
NLP
Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) is proven to be highly effective in treating PTSD. It has a wide range of techniques available to help resolve flashbacks, nightmares, rage, grief, anxiety, hypervigilance and the internal critical voices and inner emotions that reinforce these symptoms. NLP has powerful disassociation methods available to assist in processing the ‘raw footage’ into a format that holds less emotional charge and fear. NLP is a process that uses the brain’s processes and language to change, reframe and remodel memories and feelings about experiences into more positive ones by creating new neural pathways in the brain. The brain codes and stores experiences and interpretations in a certain structure through the five senses of sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. These then act as triggers or reminders for all future similar experiences. Repetition strengthens neural pathways both in positive and negative ways. This means that for those suffering with PTSD the negative neural pathways are constantly being reinforced. NLP changes these pathways and replaces them with new positive ones by teaching people how to use their brains and the power of the subconscious mind and imagination to create lasting behavioural changes and therefore relief from PTSD.
Somatic Experiencing™
SE resolves and releases Trauma from the body and mind. It works on the premise that survival fight or flight energy got stuck during the incident. This can be gently and safely guided into completing so that the thwarted survival energy that has been bound in the body causing all the symptoms can be released. In this way, it directly addresses the root cause of symptoms and resets the nervous system. This is achieved by gently guiding clients to increase tolerance levels for difficult body sensations and suppressed emotions while safely under the guidance of a practitioner. This being said, SE does not require the person experiencing PTSD symptoms to re-experience the traumatic event. It offers a way to slowly and safely complete and resolve the body’s natural fight, flight or freeze responses allowing the ‘locked in’ feelings of anxiety, anger or depression to subside into peace, calm and safety.
Reiki
Reiki is a form of non-religious hands on healing that activates the body’s own natural healing systems on all levels; physical, mental and emotional. Studies have shown that, when receiving Reiki, clients always experience entering into an alpha brain wave state where the brain frequencies slow 8 Hz to 12 Hz. In this alpha brain wave state, the body’s natural healing is activated, thoughts slow down, breathing deepens, fear disappears and the mind and body experience a deep sense of peace, calm and relaxation. It works on a causal level at the recipients pace. Although Reiki does not have a methodology that works on specific PTSD symptoms, I have found it to be very beneficial in supporting clients through their recovery, either with or without additional therapies depending on the client. Reiki has the ability to create a sense of inner calm and safety that in the midst of PTSD symptomology can provide a welcome support structure and aid recovery.
Access Consciousness® Bars and Body Processes
Founded by Gary Douglas in 1990, this fairly new modality involves light touch of 32 points on the head, called the bars, because they form symmetrical bars through the head. Each point represents different aspects of life where all judgements, perceptions and conclusions are stored. When these points are lightly touched, it is like pressing empty on the brains computer recycle bin and all those judgements and upsets can be released. There are also body processes that allow the body to release whatever limitations and blocks it may have been holding onto, allowing more freedom from them. Although there is no scientific evidence that I am currently aware of for Access, I am dumfounded at the effects this Therapy seems to provide. Clients report feeling like a weight has lifted from them after each session, calmer and the ability to feel happy again seems to be the most common experience. Again, like Reiki, there is no need for verbalisation or visually revisiting previous events and this alternative option can play a supportive role alongside other more conventional therapies or in its own right depending on the client.
It is impossible for me to cover all the therapies that can benefit those experiencing the challenges of PTSD, however I have presented the main ones that I know to have been effective with many people.
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