Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Cognitive behavioural therapy is a combination of behavioural strategies and cognitive therapy (Zayfert, 2006). Aaron T. Beck was the founder of cognitive behavioural therapy in 1963, initially his work focused on depression. The basic principles of cognitive behavioural therapy are people’s thoughts, emotions and behaviours and all work together in a unified system (Curwen.B, 2000). B. Curwen states:
“That thoughts can lead to emotions and behaviour; and that emotional disorders arise from negatively biased thinking (which lead to unhelpful emotions and behaviours); and that emotional disorders can be helped by changing such thinking” (Curwen.B, 2000).
Amy’s problems started with a ‘near-miss’ car accident which caused Amy to suffer Post traumatic stress disorder. Cognitive behavioural therapy is used to post traumatic stress disorder and its aim is to educate the client to think rationally about her life (Zayfert, C.2006). Post traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder which develops when a person is exposed to a traumatic experience, which would be classed as life threatening to others and themselves (Horner et al, 2002). Amy experienced a ‘near-miss’ car accident as a passenger, this caused Amy to suffer anxiety.
It’s important to provide help for post traumatic stress disorder sufferers to reduce anxiety levels; this is done by educating the client to identify their problem and how to help themselves resolve it. This whole process is called Psycho education (Zayfert, C.2006). Amy needs to be educated to reduce her negative thoughts and turn them in to positive thoughts to reduce her anxiety. Negative automatic thoughts are thoughts and images which occur involuntarily in our conscious mind (Curwen, B.2000). Negative automatic thoughts for anxiety sufferers cause clients to fear physical danger to them and loved ones (Colledge, R.2002). Negative automatic thoughts produce negative emotions such as feeling unsafe, unloved and an
“That thoughts can lead to emotions and behaviour; and that emotional disorders arise from negatively biased thinking (which lead to unhelpful emotions and behaviours); and that emotional disorders can be helped by changing such thinking” (Curwen.B, 2000).
Amy’s problems started with a ‘near-miss’ car accident which caused Amy to suffer Post traumatic stress disorder. Cognitive behavioural therapy is used to post traumatic stress disorder and its aim is to educate the client to think rationally about her life (Zayfert, C.2006). Post traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder which develops when a person is exposed to a traumatic experience, which would be classed as life threatening to others and themselves (Horner et al, 2002). Amy experienced a ‘near-miss’ car accident as a passenger, this caused Amy to suffer anxiety.
It’s important to provide help for post traumatic stress disorder sufferers to reduce anxiety levels; this is done by educating the client to identify their problem and how to help themselves resolve it. This whole process is called Psycho education (Zayfert, C.2006). Amy needs to be educated to reduce her negative thoughts and turn them in to positive thoughts to reduce her anxiety. Negative automatic thoughts are thoughts and images which occur involuntarily in our conscious mind (Curwen, B.2000). Negative automatic thoughts for anxiety sufferers cause clients to fear physical danger to them and loved ones (Colledge, R.2002). Negative automatic thoughts produce negative emotions such as feeling unsafe, unloved and an