October 21, 2020
How Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Helps Veterans with PTSD
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It is well known that many of our military veterans are living with untreated post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There are various reasons why they have remained untreated for years. These include long V.A. wait times and the lack of support from family and friends.
For our former troops who are grappling with this problem, it’s easy to get discouraged and give up. With this mental health condition, they find it extremely difficult to readjust to life out of service. When they don’t feel emotionally disconnected and numb, they panic and explode or they constantly feel anxious or depressed.
Although there are several treatment options to address PTSD, no specific modality can claim to be a stand-alone treatment method. Nevertheless, according to research, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) presents the most promising results.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and PTSD
PTSD is a kind of mental disorder associated with exposure to extreme and traumatic events. The effectiveness of CBT has been one of the most widely studied treatment options to address the disease. Researchers have come up with various theories to explain CBT’s mechanism in stabilizing the symptoms of PTSD.
Before diving into the specifics of the relationship between CBT and PTSD, Veteran Car Donations gives you a brief background of this treatment.
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
CBT is a type of psychotherapy treatment that focuses on eliminating and changing the person’s behavior against their negative thoughts. It allows the person to think about their thoughts, feelings, behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs and how these affect their day-to-day living.
During the entire duration of the therapy session, the psychiatrist works closely with the patient to identify the problem. Their goal is to come up with clear strategies and techniques that will help the patient cope with their overwhelming emotions that surface during a PTSD attack. Moreover, the psychiatrist is also presented with different options that can be used to counteract the devastating effects of the trauma.
What makes CBT stand out from other treatment options is the fact that it produces immediate results. In most cases, patients claim significant improvement in their ability to control their PTSD symptoms after undergoing this type of therapy for 5 to 10 months. During these months, the patients meet with the psychiatrist once a week, with each session lasting for up to 50 minutes.
2 Effective CBT Strategies for Treating PTSD
Although different strategies are being utilized in CBT, only two of them have proven to be effective in relieving the symptoms of PTSD:
- Exposure therapy
In this type of therapy, patients are exposed to a stimulus that triggers the symptoms of PTSD. This can be in the form of imagery, writing, visits to specific places, or names and images of people that can trigger the memories leading to the trauma. Virtual reality can also be used where a specific environment is set up to create one that resembles the traumatic event.
The therapy gradually allows a person to be exposed to an environment that triggers a reaction. Through small exposures, they will be given a chance to find a way to face their problems instead of running away from them.
- Cognitive restructuring
People who have undergone severe trauma tend to have memories that are entirely different from what actually took place. Through cognitive restructuring, the psychiatrist helps the patient process the traumatic memory and examine the facts with the goal of developing a realistic perspective toward their bad memory.
Give Our Veterans a Chance to Heal
PTSD is an issue that should not be taken lightly. If left untreated, it can lead to depression and even death.
If you’re ready to join us in saving the lives of our nation’s heroes, consider donating any type of vehicle you no longer need or use to Veteran Car Donations. The proceeds from the sale of your donation will go straight to our nonprofit partners. Thanks to your donation, these IRS-approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations will be able to sustain and even expand their delivery of critical services to needy veterans and their families in your community.
As our donor, you’ll get free towing service wherever you are located in the United States. You’ll also get a hefty tax deduction in the next tax season.
For information about our donation process, check out our FAQs page. If you have questions and concerns, call us at 877-594-5822. You may also send us a quick message online.
Donate a Vehicle Today!
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Give back to the brave men and women who put their lives on the line to protect us and defend our freedom. Call us at 877-594-5822 or fill out our online donation form to make your vehicle donation now!
Last Updated: August 24th, 2023