Many young adults have experienced something traumatic enough that can put them at high risk for PTSD. Especially with new adults given a bunch of freedom at once and do not know what to do with it. Many of these people can find themselves in a situation that they did not mean to get in but did. For example, a lot of young people may experience sexual assault at one point or know someone who has been sexually assaulted. Being sexually assaulted can put you at risk for PTSD. Going to therapy to treat PTSD symptoms can be and is effective and two therapies that can be effective are group therapy and psychodynamic therapy.
To be able be able to talk to someone or a group of people about what happened to you and how it made you feel can make you feel so much better. For example, “Group therapy can be very effective to help survivors focus on the present and share experiences with others in a safe and empathetic environment. According to one survey, over half of the women who experienced sexual assault within the previous five years never told anyone about their trauma. This silence can have an important impact on the development of PTSD, as the degree of support received can influence symptom severity” (Chivers-Wilson, 2006). Being able to sit down and speak up about what happened can make you feel heard and feel supported. Especially with group therapy, that is a small group of people there that have experienced something similar and can relate back to you. Being silent about the trauma you endured can eat at someone and cause a ton of mental stress and potentially PTSD symptoms. Group therapy is an effective treatment and can really help with symptoms of PTSD.
Another therapy is Psychodynamic therapy and that is; “Psychodynamic therapy focuses on the emotional conflicts caused by the trauma, especially as they pertain to early life experiences. This helps to develop self-esteem, effective ways of thinking and coping, and may be used to treat PTSD. As discussed earlier, focusing on the past is associated with poorer adjustment and present control should be encouraged. As such, psychodynamic therapy may be less effective than other therapies for assault victims” (Chivers-Wilson, 2006). Though this type of therapy may not be as effective it does take a way of looking at the past and the emotions that were felt during that time. It does re live the experience potentially which might be why it is not as effective. But this therapy uses a lot of self-reflection and self-examination which can open the patient’s eye to why they are having the problems they are having.
In conclusion, group therapy and psychodynamic therapy can be effective when treating PTSD. Group therapy is talking about your experience to a group of people who all have a similar experience to you. Which has been found to be effective, it makes the victim feel heard and able to relate to peers also. Another therapy is Psychodynamic therapy that involves a lot of self-examination with a therapist one on one. Therapy options and what can be effective is all dependent on the individual, sometimes one on one is more effective than a group. Being in a group can make someone feel like they aren’t being heard and the same thing could be with one-on-one therapy too. PTSD is a complex disorder and can affect a lot of people and most do not seek help but for those who do should have options on what can be effective for them.
References
Chivers-Wilson K. A. (2006). Sexual assault and posttraumatic stress disorder: a review of the biological, psychological and sociological factors and treatments. McGill journal of medicine : MJM : an international forum for the advancement of medical sciences by students, 9(2), 111–118.
I really enjoyed reading this blog post as I am someone who has been directly effected by PTSD symptoms. My father spent 8 years in the military and was stationed in Afghanistan multiple times. He has experienced the awful symptoms of PTSD and struggles with it everyday. It really can be debilitating but with proper treatment, both medical and therapeutic, there is light at the end of that very dark tunnel! Thank you for bringing light to this disorder in your blog post this week!