Behavior therapy may play a useful role by helping modify the way a patient acts and reducing avoidance behavior. Behavior therapy is often combined with cognitive therapy, which is intended to change underlying thought patterns. These approaches may be used in a group or in an individual setting. Family therapy can help close relatives understand and cope with the illness. Through such counseling, family members can learn that any apparent rejection by a relative with PTSD is the result of the disorder.
Family counseling can repair communications and help restore normal interaction.
Support groups of individuals who experience PTSD can show victims that their reactions to trauma are shared by many. By discussing common experiences and emotions, groups of survivors can help each other rebuild confidence. Medication can be a valuable complement to other treatment by relieving many of the most debilitating symptoms, and enabling other therapy to go forward. The use of medication may be required only for a few weeks, but in severe cases it may be needed for several years. We do not offer a self-help program for PTSD, primarily because of the complexity of the disorder.