In November of 2007, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) issued new post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) practice guidelines. Using a grading system from “A” to “E,” the guidelines label several PTSD treatments as “A” treatments based on their high degree of empirical support. They include: Prolonged-exposure therapy, Cognitive-processing therapy, Stress-inoculation training, Eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing, or EMDR, or Medications.
2.) Which treatments make the “A” list?
The VA consider two of the "A" treatments-prolonged exposure therapy and cognitive-processing therapy-that it is doing national rollouts of them within the VA, notes psychologist Antonette Zeiss, PhD, deputy chief consultant for mental health at the agency.
3.) Describe prolonged exposure therapy?
Exposure therapy is a type of therapy that helps you decrease distress about your trauma. This therapy works by helping you approach trauma-related thoughts, feelings, and situations that you have been avoiding due to the distress they cause. Repeated exposure to these thoughts, feelings, and situations helps reduce the power they have to cause distress.
4.) Describe eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing?
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a fairly new, nontraditional type of psychotherapy. It's growing in popularity, particularly for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD often occurs after experiences such as military combat, physical assault, rape, or car accidents. Although research continues, EMDR remains controversial among some health care professionals.
5.) Which two medications are approved by the FDA for PTSD?
Medications, specifically selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Two in particular-paroxetine (Paxil) and sertaline (Zoloft)-have been approved by the Food and Drug