Healing PTSD: Trauma-Based Treatment for Veterans

Therapies for Healing Trauma

When it comes to healing trauma, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, a variety of evidence-based therapies offer veterans options to address their unique experiences. Common trauma therapy techniques include:

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
  EMDR helps you process traumatic memories and emotions. During EMDR sessions, a therapist will help you recall distressing memories while engaging in bilateral stimulation. For example, following the therapist’s hand movements or listening to alternating sounds. This process helps rewire the brain’s response to trauma, reducing the emotional charge associated with traumatic memories and promoting healing.
• Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  CBT is a widely used therapy that focuses on identifying and changing negative thought patterns and behaviors associated with trauma. Through structured exercises, you learn to challenge distorted beliefs about themselves and the world, develop effective coping strategies, and gradually confront their fears.
• Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE)
  PE sessions repeatedly expose you to reminders of the traumatic event, such as recounting the memory aloud or revisiting locations associated with the trauma. Over time, this exposure reduces the emotional distress associated with it.
• Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
  CPT helps you challenge and reframe negative beliefs about yourself and the world around you that resulted from the trauma. Through structured exercises and discussions, you learn to identify and challenge unhelpful thought patterns and develop new perspectives.
• Group Therapy
  Group therapy gives veterans a supportive environment to connect with others who have experienced similar traumas, share their experiences, and learn from one another.
• Veteran Addiction Therapy
  Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is the most common addiction among veterans. Veteran addiction therapy is particularly helpful for those dealing with co-occurring disorders.

In addition to individual therapy, vets may participate in activities like mindfulness exercises or art therapy.

Are Medications Used to Treat Trauma?

While trauma therapy remains the heart of treatment, medications can help manage symptoms and improve overall functioning, making therapy more effective.

Common Medications for Trauma

• Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs): SSRIs are a class of antidepressant medications commonly prescribed to treat PTSD. These medications, which include sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil), and fluoxetine (Prozac), increase serotonin in the brain, thereby improving mood, reducing anxiety, and reliving symptoms of PTSD.
• Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs): SNRIs, such as venlafaxine (Effexor) and duloxetine (Cymbalta) increase levels of serotonin in the brain while also targeting norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter involved in stress response. This dual action helps regulate mood and reduce symptoms of PTSD.
• Prazosin: Prazosin is a medication primarily used to treat high blood pressure, but it has also been shown to reduce nightmares and improve sleep quality in PTSD sufferers. By blocking the effects of adrenaline, prazosin helps reduce the frequency and intensity of nightmares associated with trauma.
• Atypical Antipsychotics: In some cases, atypical antipsychotic medications, such as quetiapine (Seroquel) or risperidone (Risperdal), may be prescribed to address agitation, irritability, or dissociation associated with PTSD.
• Benzodiazepines: While benzodiazepines, such as alprazolam (Xanax) or clonazepam (Klonopin), may provide short-term relief from anxiety symptoms, they are generally not recommended for long-term use in PTSD. Benzodiazepines carry a risk of dependence, tolerance, and worsening of PTSD symptoms over time, making them less suitable for long-term treatment.