Traumatic experiences (such as assaults, serious accidents, fires, and natural disasters) can happen to anyone.

Up to 20% of people who have been exposed to a traumatic event go on to develop a problem called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

People who suffer from PTSD relive the traumatic experience through nightmares and flashbacks, feel detached from family and friends, avoid situations that remind them of the event, and their bodies tend to be on alert much of the time.

The exact nature of PTSD can differ from person to person. Symptoms may vary in intensity and can be very disabling. A few people develop PTSD months or even years after experiencing a trauma.

Whilst it is certainly true that the higher the ‘dose’ of trauma the greater the risk of developing PTSD, there are other reasons to explain why some people develop PTSD and others do not.

Below are some of the factors that may make the difference:

• How controllable the traumatic event was thought to be at the time.
• Having already been exposed to an earlier traumatic event, particularly in childhood.
• Not having reasonable levels of social support in the community.
• Feeling responsible, ashamed, or guilty for the occurrence of the traumatic event.

About half of those who experience PTSD recover without help in the first year after a traumatic event.

A few people who were without symptoms initially go on to develop PTSD later in their lives, but most people get symptoms straight away.

The more severe the symptoms are initially, the more likely it is that they will become chronic.

Sometimes the severity of the symptoms fluctuates over time. Initially mild symptoms can become more severe after big life changes like retirement or physical illness, for example.

Symptoms often get worse for a short period around the anniversary of the trauma.

Trauma focused Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) has been found to be effective for people with PTSD.

If you have had no earlier traumatic event in your life, and you have no significant prior mental health problems, the likelihood that you will get better with treatment is around 70 – 80%.

People who have been exposed to more than one traumatic event, particularly those who have also been traumatised in childhood, can and often do get a lot better, but not always completely.

An assessment will include a detailed assessment so that we can come to a comprehensive and shared understanding of the problem and associated difficulties to determine if trauma focused CBT would be helpful at this point.

We offer expert assessment and evidence-based trauma focused CBT treatment for PTSD in standard weekly and intensive formats to suit an individual’s needs. Treatment aims to help you to:

• Manage symptoms and reduce the negative effects that PTSD has on your life.
• Process the trauma memories so that you can remember the events and their consequences without reliving them.
• Deal with unhelpful ways of thinking and behaving in ways that will reduce your sense of threat and strong emotions like guilt, shame, and anger.
• Plan activities that improve your sense of satisfaction and achievement, and allow you to restart a fuller, less restricted life.

CBT at OHSPIC includes:

• Establishing a strong, collaborative relationship between the person experiencing PTSD and the therapist.
• Developing a shared understanding of the problem.
• Collaboratively establishing goals for treatment.
• Exploring beliefs about what happened and what it means (and doesn’t mean).
• Talking about what happened so that events can be processed and are no longer reexperienced.
• Working to reduce any nightmares.
• Finding ways not to be limited or held back by what happened.
• Engaging the person in gaining support and rebuilding their life in line with their values.
• Planning how to maintain progress and work towards longer term goals.