Effective Methods to Treat PTSD

(00:00:21): Do you long for hope amid mental, emotional, or everyday struggles? (00:00:26): Join life coach, (00:00:27): author, (00:00:27): and trauma survivor Tammy Kennington on From Hardship to Hope, (00:00:31): the podcast for Christian women navigating the intersection of motherhood, (00:00:35): mental health, (00:00:36): and matters of faith. (00:00:38): If you need biblical support, encouragement, and actionable tips, this show is for you. (00:00:43): Welcome. (00:00:44): I'm your host, Tammy Kennington. (00:00:46): In today's episode, we'll explore effective methods to treat PTSD. (00:00:53): We did in the last episode consider one of those methods when we spoke with Sally (00:01:00): Miller about inner healing prayer. (00:01:03): And I'll put a link in today's episode if you haven't yet listened. (00:01:07): That's a very valuable and helpful episode. (00:01:11): But there are other methods. (00:01:14): that are commonly used to treat people who struggle with PTSD and or complex (00:01:21): post-traumatic stress disorder. (00:01:24): And that's our focus today. (00:01:26): The three types of intervention and healing methods I want for us to consider are (00:01:33): cognitive behavioral therapy, (00:01:35): eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, (00:01:39): and then prolonged exposure for PTSD. (00:01:44): So I've done a little bit of research about these. (00:01:47): I personally never attempted to integrate or reintegrate parts or deal with any of (00:01:54): my PTSD symptoms using prolonged exposure therapy, (00:01:58): but I do know people who have used it very effectively and have been in counseling (00:02:05): sessions on a regular basis with that particular method. (00:02:09): I did, as I've mentioned before, (00:02:13): begin utilizing EMDR or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing as one (00:02:20): technique to help me deal with my symptoms. (00:02:25): And of course, (00:02:27): cognitive behavioral therapy has been around the longest, (00:02:29): and that was the first type of therapy I ever was introduced to in my journey for healing. (00:02:38): So let's get started. (00:02:39): If you have not yet visited any of our earlier episodes and aren't familiar with (00:02:45): the common characteristics, (00:02:47): definition, (00:02:48): symptoms, (00:02:50): and causes of post-traumatic stress disorder or complex post-traumatic stress disorder, (00:02:56): I'll place a link in this episode. (00:02:58): You can just hop over to episode one, Hope for Those Who Live with PTSD, and (00:03:05): and learn a little bit more about all of those areas and really what PTSD actually is. (00:03:15): Today, let's start with discussing EMDR. (00:03:20): Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing always makes my tongue trip, (00:03:25): but that is a type of psychotherapy that helps people heal from those traumatic (00:03:30): memories and distressing experiences. (00:03:33): And by (00:03:36): either moving their eyes back and forth or listening to a rhythmic sound. (00:03:40): So in my situation, (00:03:43): my therapist held two clickers, (00:03:46): one in each hand, (00:03:48): and each of them had a light and I was to follow as she clicked. (00:03:54): Her approach incorporated both the sound and a visual representation. (00:03:58): The idea is that bilateral stimulation in the brain helps process a memory in conjunction with (00:04:08): the emotion and helps us to connect those. (00:04:13): The research seems to indicate that people who are dealing with PTSD were not able (00:04:20): to initially connect that cognitive process of the trauma with that emotional (00:04:27): process and that the two need to really be able to meld in order to heal. (00:04:33): Research does suggest that this is one very highly effective means of healing in (00:04:39): treating trauma across age groups. (00:04:42): One study, for instance, found that EMDR was (00:04:47): equally effective whether it was administered weekly in one-on-one sessions or (00:04:52): in intensive 10-day group sessions. (00:04:56): Some studies that I've read also reveal that up to six sessions can really help (00:05:03): mitigate those symptoms that people with which they're struggling. (00:05:08): So it is recognized as an effective treatment by the American Psychiatric Association and (00:05:15): and the Department of Defense, (00:05:17): which is interesting because many of our soldiers who've gone to the battlefield (00:05:24): repeatedly also struggle with PTSD. (00:05:29): Let's then consider prolonged exposure therapy. (00:05:33): This is a therapy in which people with PTSD (00:05:39): are exposed, (00:05:40): as one might suspect, (00:05:42): to the feelings and situations that actually inhibit them from recovering. (00:05:48): It helps us, in other words, to face our fears. (00:05:52): As we've learned, avoidance is one of the key ways (00:05:59): Hallmarks of PTSD, (00:06:00): avoidance of symptoms, (00:06:02): rather avoidance of those feelings, (00:06:04): avoidance of memories and so forth. (00:06:06): So by talking about details of the event or events and by confronting safe (00:06:12): situations that you've been avoiding, (00:06:15): you can minimize those symptoms and really gain more control over (00:06:20): your life. (00:06:21): This is also a type of therapy that's used to help people, for example, who struggle with OCD. (00:06:30): It helps them deal with those areas that they tend to avoid. (00:06:36): And it really helps us get to know more about (00:06:40): about what is motivating us. (00:06:44): According to the research I've been able to uncover, (00:06:49): you're often taught some breathing techniques to help manage anxiety. (00:06:53): And then you may even create a list of places, (00:06:57): people, (00:06:57): or things that cause or trigger those PTSD symptoms and those that you've stayed (00:07:03): away from. (00:07:05): Then you delve into (00:07:11): each one of those areas you've listed or noted within each session. (00:07:16): So you might tackle one at a time and slowly begin to increase that exposure to (00:07:22): that thought and be able then to recognize that there is control that you have and (00:07:28): that you will end up having fewer memories, (00:07:31): unwanted memories when you don't want to. (00:07:36): Then (00:07:38): Cognitive behavioral therapy, as we've mentioned, is very common. (00:07:44): It's a longstanding way for people to deal with any number of traumatic events. (00:07:50): And it helps to create safety for someone who struggles with PTSD symptoms. (00:07:57): And it really must happen with someone that you trust, with someone in a place that feels safe. (00:08:05): so that you can begin to heal. (00:08:07): The idea is that it helps us to clearly or objectively think about the trauma and (00:08:19): our lives before we were impacted by trauma, (00:08:21): if possible. (00:08:23): So it focuses on problem-solving skills that can help change our emotional and (00:08:28): physical reactions when we're triggered. (00:08:30): And that's really the biggest goal. (00:08:33): So we want to promote self-control, (00:08:36): a sense of control and trust, (00:08:38): develop healthier ways to respond to those times when we're triggered, (00:08:43): and then learn how to calm those emotions. (00:08:47): anxious-laden responses that our body has when we feel triggered. (00:08:53): So that is just a quick overview of each of those types of therapy. (00:08:58): There are other types that some people find very healing, (00:09:02): art therapy, (00:09:03): equine therapy, (00:09:06): having a pet, (00:09:08): a dog, (00:09:09): for example, (00:09:10): to help serve as a support for (00:09:16): Many times a support dog can help a person recognize when they're starting to become triggered. (00:09:21): So you might want to consider looking into those types of therapy as well. (00:09:28): I would like to talk for a minute about healing and therapy. (00:09:35): why our faith and ways in which our faith can really build those keys of resilience in our lives. (00:09:44): And I do talk a little bit about resilience in episode three, Moving Beyond Trauma's Wasteland. (00:09:51): This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tammykennington.substack.com/subscribe