PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF PTSD
Prevention is broadly defined as measures taken to avoid the
occurrence of disease or “interventions that are applied
before the onset of a clinically diagnosable disorder with the
aim of reducing the number of new cases of that disorder”
Prevention of PTSD is provided via programs focus
on reducing the risk of exposure to traumatic events.
Other prevention efforts seek to detect and treat
disorder in its early stages (for example, treat those who
meet the criteria for acute stress disorder [ASD]) often before
it presents clinically as chronic PTSD.
Several studies have demonstrated that early
interventions for ASD result in significant reductions of ASD
symptoms and the prevention of the onset of PTSD in the
majority of individuals treated.
Prophylactic interventions (A prophylactic is a
treatment designed and used to prevent a disease from
occurring) can be implemented immediately after a trauma
(within 48 hours) or during the acute period (within weeks)
to prevent full onset of PTSD symptoms although the efficacy
of this approach is unknown. And prevention may refer to
measures taken to mitigate the consequences of existing
symptoms by improving functioning and reducing
complications.
The latter type of PTSD prevention includes
interventions in patients who have sub-threshold PTSD
symptoms, ASD, and ancillary problems; it provides
treatment for clinical PTSD and recurrence prevention
through rehabilitation programs.
Prevention is considered here in three phases:
1. Interventions that are applied to an entire population
before a traumatic event and regardless of the potential
for exposure. These are often called primary or universal
interventions.
2. Interventions that are applied to individuals who are
known to have been exposed to a traumatic event and
thus to be at risk for PTSD and who may or may not be
showing symptoms of stress. These are called secondary
or selective interventions.
3. Interventions aimed at individuals who are displaying
symptoms of or have received a diagnosis of PTSD with
the goals of preventing worsening of the symptoms and
improving functioning. These are called tertiary or
indicated interventions.
Psychological debriefing
Trauma-exposed individuals often receive treatment
called psychological debriefing in an effort to prevent PTSD,
which consists of interviews that are meant to allow
individuals to directly confront the event and share their
feelings with the counsellor and to help structure their
memories of the event. However, several meta-analyses find
that psychological debriefing is unhelpful and is potentially
harmful. This is true for both single-session debriefing and
multiple session interventions.
Risk-targeted interventions
Risk-targeted interventions are those that attempt to
mitigate specific formative information or events. It can
target modelling normal behaviours, instruction on a task, or
giving information on the event.
The symptoms of PTSD can be hard on your body so it’s
important to take care of yourself and develop some healthy
lifestyle habits.
Take time to relax. Relaxation techniques such as
meditation, deep breathing, massage, or yoga can activate
the body’s relaxation response and ease symptoms of PTSD.
Avoid alcohol and drugs. When you’re struggling with
difficult emotions and traumatic memories, you may be
tempted to self-medicate with alcohol or drugs. But
substance use worsens many symptoms of PTSD, interferes
with treatment, and can add to problems in your
relationships.
Eat a healthy diet. Start your day right with breakfast, and
keep your energy up and your mind clear with balanced,
nutritious meals throughout the day. Omega-3s play a vital
role in emotional health so incorporate foods such as fatty
fish, flaxseed, and walnuts into your diet. Limit processed
food, fried food, refined starches, and sugars, which can
exacerbate mood swings and cause fluctuations in your
energy.
Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can trigger anger,
irritability, and moodiness. Aim for somewhere between 7 to
9 hours of sleep each night. Develop a relaxing bedtime ritual
(listen to calming music, watch a funny show, or read
something light) and make your bedroom as quiet, dark, and
soothing as possible.
TREATMENT
Treatment for PTSD can relieve symptoms by helping you
deal with the trauma you’ve experienced. A doctor or
therapist will encourage you to recall and process the
emotions you felt during the original event in order to reduce
the powerful hold the memory has on your life.
During treatment you’ll also explore your thoughts and
feelings about the trauma, work through feelings of guilt and
mistrust, learn how to cope with intrusive memories, and
address the problems PTSD has caused in your life and
relationships.
The types of treatment available for PTSD include:
Trauma-focused cognitive-behavioural therapy involves
gradually “exposing” yourself to feelings and situations that
remind you of the trauma, and replacing distorted and
irrational thoughts about the experience with a more
balanced picture.
Family therapy can help your loved ones understand what
you’re going through and help you work through relationship
problems together as a family.
Medication is sometimes prescribed to people with PTSD to
relieve secondary symptoms of depression or anxiety,
although they do not treat the causes of PTSD.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and
Reprocessing) incorporates elements of cognitive-behavioral
therapy with eye movements or other forms of rhythmic,
left-right stimulation, such as hand taps or sounds. These
techniques work by “unfreezing” the brain’s information
processing system, which is interrupted in times of extreme
stress.
