Overview
Topic Overview
The following treatments are considered evidence based to help people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD):
- Cognitive-behavioural therapy (prolonged exposure therapy and cognitive processing therapy).
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).
- SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which are medicines).
There are other kids of counselling that may be helpful in your recovery, but more evidence is needed to support their use for people with PTSD.
Group therapy
Many people want to talk about their trauma with others who have had similar experiences.
In group therapy, you work with others who have also been through trauma to learn coping skills and build feelings of connection. While you may share parts of your story, you don't have to share all the details. Instead, you will focus on how your trauma impacts you, which can help you learn to cope with trauma symptoms, memories, and other parts of your life.
Group therapy helps you build relationships with others who understand what you've been through. You learn to deal with emotions such as shame, guilt, anger, rage, and fear. Sharing with the group can also help you build self-confidence and trust. You'll learn to focus on your present life, rather than feeling overwhelmed by the past.
Family therapy
PTSD can impact your whole family. Your kids or your partner may not understand your emotions, or why you're under so much stress. They may feel scared, guilty, or even angry about your condition.
Family therapy is a type of counselling that involves your whole family. A therapist helps you and your family communicate, maintain good relationships, and cope with tough emotions. Family therapy can also help your family learn more about PTSD and how it is treated.
In family therapy, each person can express their fears and concerns. It's important to be honest about your feelings and to listen to others. You can talk about your PTSD symptoms and what triggers them. You also can discuss the important parts of your treatment and recovery, and how your family can help. By doing this, your family will be better prepared to help you.
You may consider having individual therapy for your PTSD symptoms and family therapy to help you with your relationships.
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is an evidence-based treatment for PTSD. Like other kinds of counselling, it can help change how you better manage the symptoms and memories related to your trauma.
EMDR involves focusing on the thoughts, feelings, and physical (body) sensations of your trauma while using things like eye movements, hand taps, and sounds (bilateral stimulation) to help you process. For example, your therapist will move their hand near your face, and you'll follow this movement with your eyes while focusing on a detail of your trauma. You'll also learn skills to help you relax and handle emotional distress.
Over time, focusing on hand movements or sounds while you talk about the traumatic event may help to:
- Change how you react to memories of your trauma.
- Lower your body's reactions to your trauma.
- Make your thought patterns more flexible.
EMDR has been shown to lower PTSD symptoms, and experts are continuing to learn more about it and how it works.
EMDR may not be available at all clinics or hospitals. Only therapists with specialized training can offer EMDR.
For more information, see the topic Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
