Anyone who experiences traumatic events can have Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, veterans are at a higher risk as their jobs expose them to violent and stressful situations almost daily. Although this mental health condition can affect victims to a point where they cannot complete simple tasks, the good news is that it can be managed. This article highlights PTSD treatment options among veterans to ensure they get the help they need.
Treatment for PTSD
If you’re living with PTSD, it’s important to get treatment to ensure you enjoy a normal life. Treatment helps you cope with the condition much better and prevents problems at work or in your relationships. However, one can’t overlook the fact that quality treatment will cost you.
Veterans rely on their VA disability benefits to cover treatment. Unfortunately, the process of filing a VA disability claim isn’t always easy, and sometimes your claim can be denied. If that happens, go online and look for a veteran disability lawyer near me to find professional help.
The attorney will help link your PTSD disability to the time you served and fight for you to get fair compensation. With that compensation, you can cover treatments and improve your quality of life. The treatment options for PTSD are highlighted below.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is one of the most effective types of therapy used to manage mental and behavioral conditions. The therapist, counselor, or psychologist helps victims uncover negative thoughts that lead to destructive actions. For example, anger about what happened to you while serving can cause you to engage in harmful behavior like self-medicating with drugs and alcohol.
CBT aims to challenge those unhealthy emotions and thinking patterns associated with your trauma. This helps you acknowledge the reality of what you went through. It also empowers you with healthy ways to manage those emotions when they come up.
Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy is a behavioral treatment that targets the avoidance behavior people engage in, in response to memories, thoughts, or situations considered traumatic. For instance, a vet may avoid going to areas with loud noises as they can trigger memories of the time they served. The goal of exposure therapy is to help victims face their fears and anxiety and to eliminate avoidance behavior.
Stress Inoculation Training (SIT)
Stress inoculation training is a form of talk therapy almost similar to cognitive behavioral therapy. This type of therapy helps you identify negative or incorrect thoughts that influence destructive behavior. It’s like a vaccination against PTSD in that it prepares you to defend yourself against PTSD symptoms like fear and anxiety.
Stress inoculation training techniques help you become more aware of what triggers your trauma. In addition, your therapist can teach you coping skills for those triggers, such as:
- Deep breathing exercises
- Talk to yourself calmly
- Muscle relaxation techniques
Present-Centered Therapy (PCT)
PCT is a form of therapy that focuses on current experiences and situations to help victims understand themselves better. This trauma-focused therapy helps you identify and cope with the thoughts, emotions, memories, and physical reactions associated with PTSD. In some cases, it’s used alongside Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
PCT encourages individuals to focus on the present moment. This allows you to face trauma-related thoughts and emotions without allowing them to overwhelm you. This strategy is effective in reducing anxiety, depression, and fear associated with PTSD. Because this form of treatment isn’t intense, it might not be the best for individuals exhibiting extreme symptoms of PTSD. If the symptoms appear visit Jackson Heights urgent care center immediately.
If PTSD goes untreated, the symptoms are likely to worsen over time to the point of increasing suicidal thoughts. To avoid that, veterans who have PTSD should look for resources available to help them cope with this mental health condition.
