Trauma Treatment

There are three phases to working through post-traumatic disorders:

1. Stabilizing the person seeking treatment
2. Working through the traumatic experience
3. Returning to daily life and routine

The ultimate purpose of  treatment is to help free the individual from the bonds of trauma and to help him or her begin to live in the here and now, based on a feeling of control and personal responsibility. In order to achieve this several treatment methods have evolved, each suitable to the individual's personality and the unique situation they are in. On this page we will give an overview of the methods found to have been most effective in dealing with post-traumatic disorders and supported by current evidence based research. 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
As the name implies, this method deals with the person’s thoughts and beliefs as well as with their behavior patterns. The method is based on two main techniques:

• Cognitive Therapy -- This method focuses on thoughts and beliefs, as well as the behaviors they cause. We all have automatic thought patterns that we are usually unaware of. These patterns may interfere with our ability to see reality clearly and thus cause distress. For example: many people hurt in traffic accidents are afraid of driving their car again, because of the feeling of "it will surely happen to me again". When we analyze this feeling, it becomes clear that in the event that the driver is careful, the chances of this happening again are not great. Cognitive therapy identifies these thought patterns, analyzes them and offers alternative ways of thinking that are more realistic and positive. In this example, the person hurt in an accident recognizes the improbability of the scenario he has created and is able to construct a more realistic estimate of the risk.
• Exposure Therapy -- The second technique employed in CBT is exposure. Brave and direct confrontation with the trauma is undertaken through exposure. The person visualizes the event, talks about it and exposes himself, gradually, to stimuli which remind him of the trauma. This is repeated several times under the therapist's supervision and in safe surroundings. Initially this will bring up strong emotions but at a certain stage the person will become 'accustomed' to these thoughts and they lose their power over him. At this point, the traumatic memory, which was so horrific at the start of treatment, becomes a regular memory. We are all familiar with this phenomenon in our daily lives, when we need to take a test or have an interview. Initially we may be anxious and afraid, but over time -- the more often we go through this -- we discover that it isn't so bad and we can deal with this experience without fear.
  The difference between the exposure method and the phenomenon of recurring memories that exist in post-traumatic disorders is the degree of control. During exposure the person is the one who initiates the remembering of the painful event. In this way control replaces helplessness, in the memory itself. 

Additional information:
New York Institute for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies

EMDR -- Eye Movement Desensitization Retraining
Many people, when remembering a traumatic event, feel as though it is happening again before their eyes. They feel as if they are continuously trapped in that moment and unable to break free. EMDR uses bi-lateral eye movements (or other bi-lateral stimulation such as tapping) to help heal trauma.  The client is asked to think of a picture, emotion or thought relating to the trauma, and at the same time watch the therapist's finger, which is moving back and forth before his eyes. It is difficult to know what factor is responsible for the efficiency of this method, but it seems that the eye movements simulate information processing that occurs naturally during sleep, and is related to memory processing responsible for the way we handle trauma. This well researched method has proven both effective and efficient for dealing with traumatic memories.

Additional information: EMDR Institute.

SE (Somatic Experiencing)
Animals in nature live under constant threat of predators, yet despite that they don’t experience traumatic reactions. They probably use internal mechanisms in order to monitor and release high levels of arousal caused by behaviors such as escaping from a predator or hunter. These mechanisms provide a natural immunity to trauma and allow the animal to return to a state of equilibrium.
According to this approach, humans are also born with such mechanisms but they are inhibited by various thought processes. This situation prohibits the full release of survival energies after a traumatic event and so prevents a return to equilibrium. The energy remains in the body and the person is "stuck" in survival mode. The unavoidable result is the development of posttraumatic symptoms some of which are expressed by reliving the traumatic experience.
The Somatic Experiencing method focuses on the development of a new and deeper awareness of the body's feelings. By using this awareness, building physical resources and concentrating on the body's more delicate physical sensations, the person can reconnect to their internal immune system and release, in a gradual and controlled manner, the energies that have built up inside. This process provides significant relief from post traumatic symptoms and a better overall feeling within a relatively short period.  

Additional information: Foundation for Human Enrichment. 

Medical Treatment
No single medication has yet been discovered that can deal with all symptoms of posttraumatic disorders. There are several medications dealing with specific symptoms of the disorder, such as depression, anxiety or sleep disorders. Treatment with medication can often go hand in hand with other types of psychotherapy for most effective treatment.

Group Therapy
Group therapy provides support and encouragement for people who have gone through similar experiences. We sometimes feel as though society cannot understand what we have gone through, so that just be being with people who have gone through similar experiences and have been in our situation can be comforting, and eases the loneliness that some of us feel. There are groups that deal directly with trauma. In these groups each individual processes his personal story with the group. Other groups don't deal with trauma directly, but focus on giving their members support and ways of coping with the aftermath of trauma. 

Stress Management Techniques
After trauma, many people feel continuously stressed. For some of us this is expressed by overwhelming anxiety, and for others by outbursts of anger that occur over petty things. Stress may be expressed physically as well.  For example aching muscles, chronic tiredness, fast pulse and high alertness are some of the symptoms experienced. Treatment that focuses on stress management includes learning methods such as relaxation or guided imagery  in order to improve one's ability to handle pressure and overwhelming physical sensations. The purpose of these methods is to regain equilibrium in daily life, and to allow  both the body and the soul to regain strength. Generally, stress management techniques may be helpful but are not sufficient in helping the trauma survivor process the traumatic experience and overcome the posttraumatic symptoms. They are often used as an adjunct to some of the more specific trauma therapies listed on this page.

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