Effective Methods to Treat PTSD

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Do you long for hope amid mental, emotional, or everyday struggles?

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Join life coach,

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author,

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and trauma survivor Tammy Kennington on From Hardship to Hope,

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the podcast for Christian women navigating the intersection of motherhood,

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mental health,

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and matters of faith.

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If you need biblical support, encouragement, and actionable tips, this show is for you.

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Welcome.

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I'm your host, Tammy Kennington.

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In today's episode, we'll explore effective methods to treat PTSD.

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We did in the last episode consider one of those methods when we spoke with Sally

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Miller about inner healing prayer.

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And I'll put a link in today's episode if you haven't yet listened.

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That's a very valuable and helpful episode.

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But there are other methods.

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that are commonly used to treat people who struggle with PTSD and or complex

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post-traumatic stress disorder.

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And that's our focus today.

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The three types of intervention and healing methods I want for us to consider are

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cognitive behavioral therapy,

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eye movement desensitization and reprocessing,

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and then prolonged exposure for PTSD.

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So I've done a little bit of research about these.

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I personally never attempted to integrate or reintegrate parts or deal with any of

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my PTSD symptoms using prolonged exposure therapy,

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but I do know people who have used it very effectively and have been in counseling

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sessions on a regular basis with that particular method.

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I did, as I've mentioned before,

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begin utilizing EMDR or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing as one

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technique to help me deal with my symptoms.

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And of course,

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cognitive behavioral therapy has been around the longest,

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and that was the first type of therapy I ever was introduced to in my journey for healing.

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So let's get started.

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If you have not yet visited any of our earlier episodes and aren't familiar with

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the common characteristics,

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definition,

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symptoms,

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and causes of post-traumatic stress disorder or complex post-traumatic stress disorder,

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I'll place a link in this episode.

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You can just hop over to episode one, Hope for Those Who Live with PTSD, and

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and learn a little bit more about all of those areas and really what PTSD actually is.

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Today, let's start with discussing EMDR.

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Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing always makes my tongue trip,

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but that is a type of psychotherapy that helps people heal from those traumatic

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memories and distressing experiences.

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And by

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either moving their eyes back and forth or listening to a rhythmic sound.

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So in my situation,

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my therapist held two clickers,

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one in each hand,

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and each of them had a light and I was to follow as she clicked.

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Her approach incorporated both the sound and a visual representation.

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The idea is that bilateral stimulation in the brain helps process a memory in conjunction with

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the emotion and helps us to connect those.

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The research seems to indicate that people who are dealing with PTSD were not able

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to initially connect that cognitive process of the trauma with that emotional

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process and that the two need to really be able to meld in order to heal.

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Research does suggest that this is one very highly effective means of healing in

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treating trauma across age groups.

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One study, for instance, found that EMDR was

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equally effective whether it was administered weekly in one-on-one sessions or

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in intensive 10-day group sessions.

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Some studies that I've read also reveal that up to six sessions can really help

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mitigate those symptoms that people with which they're struggling.

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So it is recognized as an effective treatment by the American Psychiatric Association and

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and the Department of Defense,

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which is interesting because many of our soldiers who've gone to the battlefield

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repeatedly also struggle with PTSD.

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Let's then consider prolonged exposure therapy.

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This is a therapy in which people with PTSD

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are exposed,

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as one might suspect,

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to the feelings and situations that actually inhibit them from recovering.

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It helps us, in other words, to face our fears.

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As we've learned, avoidance is one of the key ways

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Hallmarks of PTSD,

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avoidance of symptoms,

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rather avoidance of those feelings,

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avoidance of memories and so forth.

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So by talking about details of the event or events and by confronting safe

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situations that you've been avoiding,

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you can minimize those symptoms and really gain more control over

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your life.

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This is also a type of therapy that's used to help people, for example, who struggle with OCD.

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It helps them deal with those areas that they tend to avoid.

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And it really helps us get to know more about

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about what is motivating us.

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According to the research I've been able to uncover,

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you're often taught some breathing techniques to help manage anxiety.

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And then you may even create a list of places,

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people,

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or things that cause or trigger those PTSD symptoms and those that you've stayed

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away from.

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Then you delve into

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each one of those areas you've listed or noted within each session.

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So you might tackle one at a time and slowly begin to increase that exposure to

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that thought and be able then to recognize that there is control that you have and

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that you will end up having fewer memories,

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unwanted memories when you don't want to.

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Then

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Cognitive behavioral therapy, as we've mentioned, is very common.

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It's a longstanding way for people to deal with any number of traumatic events.

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And it helps to create safety for someone who struggles with PTSD symptoms.

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And it really must happen with someone that you trust, with someone in a place that feels safe.

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so that you can begin to heal.

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The idea is that it helps us to clearly or objectively think about the trauma and

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our lives before we were impacted by trauma,

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if possible.

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So it focuses on problem-solving skills that can help change our emotional and

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physical reactions when we're triggered.

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And that's really the biggest goal.

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So we want to promote self-control,

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a sense of control and trust,

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develop healthier ways to respond to those times when we're triggered,

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and then learn how to calm those emotions.

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anxious-laden responses that our body has when we feel triggered.

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So that is just a quick overview of each of those types of therapy.

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There are other types that some people find very healing,

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art therapy,

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equine therapy,

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having a pet,

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a dog,

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for example,

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to help serve as a support for

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Many times a support dog can help a person recognize when they're starting to become triggered.

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So you might want to consider looking into those types of therapy as well.

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I would like to talk for a minute about healing and therapy.

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why our faith and ways in which our faith can really build those keys of resilience in our lives.

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And I do talk a little bit about resilience in episode three, Moving Beyond Trauma's Wasteland.

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And again, I'll link to that episode because we do learn more about other keys to resilience.

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But one of those keys that research shows is very important is faith.

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We know and have discussed the range of experiences David had,

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the traumatic experiences with which he dealt.

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We know trauma is not unfamiliar to people in Scripture.

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It's been a part of the human experience since the fall.

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Everyone from Cain and Abel to Joseph to Jesus died.

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experienced some level of trauma and we are no different in this fallen world but

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with our god we can live healthy lives we can move beyond the pain of trauma and

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ptsd into a life as a whole functioning person who experiences joy and fulfillment

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that's really my goal and hope and prayer for you

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So let's talk a little bit about healthy coping mechanisms.

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I mentioned deep breathing and how in exposure therapy,

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many of those therapists will discuss the importance of deep breathing.

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We know that deep breathing calms the portions of our brain that are impacted by

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trauma that get triggered and take our prefrontal cortex away.

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off of, it takes it out of commission when we're triggered.

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And that's the part of our brain that we use for executive functioning skills that

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helps us really process and think about situations from a cognitive standpoint.

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But when our emotions are triggered,

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when we feel all those feels in our body,

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that's when the amygdala and the hippocampus and just the base of our neck,

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our very base sorts of functions kick into gear

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And it becomes difficult for us to think clearly.

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So when we breathe deeply,

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when we learn how to breathe during those moments,

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it can help us calm down those areas of our brains.

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and reconnect with that prefrontal cortex so that we start to engage again in thought.

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And that's one of our key steps toward becoming healthy and whole.

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So there are several kinds of breathing techniques.

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Some are very simple that we can employ.

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Anytime we feel that anxiety racing down our arms or our spines or our heart rate

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increases or anger starts to take over,

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One of these methods is the flower candle method.

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And I teach this to my little students in elementary classrooms because it's effective for anybody.

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So the way to do it is to breathe in for a count of four as if you're inhaling the

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scent of a flower that's your favorite.

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You might want to think of maybe coffee.

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Maybe you're a coffee drinker.

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Something that you imagine inhaling for a count of four.

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And then you blow it out slowly as though you're breathing or blowing out a candle

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on a birthday cake,

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again,

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for a count of four.

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And you do this for a series of four times.

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That kind of breathing technique will really help calm the body's response.

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Other ways that we can incorporate healthy coping mechanisms are journaling and reading.

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Journaling can be an incredibly healing way to put our thoughts down on paper,

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to begin to connect with not just the event itself,

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but to recognize the emotions that we felt,

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the way our bodies were impacted.

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And in fact, one of my writer friends, authors named Katie Lee has a great nonprofit called

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in Salt Lake City called Story Haven Writers.

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And she is investing in other women who are sharing their trauma stories by writing.

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So you might want to check out Story Haven Writers and even study how to journal your story.

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Or if that's something you already do, just

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Just dive in.

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Even in those moments when you're feeling triggered,

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it can really release a lot of that pain and help us cope.

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So far, we've talked a little bit about journaling as well as breathing.

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And of course, we know the role of social support and community is a really important piece for healing.

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And we did talk about that in our discussion earlier.

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when we learned more about those factors that really foster resilience.

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So I encourage you just to search out that social support and community.

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And then finally,

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I encourage that you have self-compassion,

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that you have patience for yourself in the healing process.

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We know it can be a long and arduous journey.

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It's again like getting through that desert of

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before you reach that promised land.

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So just a few keys to self-care and growth.

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I would like to share a little bit

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from verses that could really have encouraged me.

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Psalm 34, 17 reads,

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Again, that's Psalm 34, 17.

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And then Isaiah 43, 2.

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When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.

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When you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.

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When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned.

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The flames will not set you ablaze.

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So I just encourage you,

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friend,

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if you are walking through this journey,

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that you would consider one of these types of therapy if you aren't already

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practicing

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meeting with anybody.

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If you don't yet have a counselor, you can hop over to Focus on the Family.

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They have a long and extensive list of counselors at their website.

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And you can even just Google psychiatrists or counselors in your area.

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And I do encourage you, if you haven't already, to perhaps seek out a support group in your area or

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Reach out to Crystal Sutherland at Journey to Heal.

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She has online groups and groups in person.

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It's a great ministry, and there are even groups for men.

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So if you know a man who might benefit from support in a community,

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then I suggest that you share this episode with them.

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So if you don't mind, I'd just like to offer a prayer for you.

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Jesus, I thank you that you are the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.

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We know you do comfort us in all our troubles.

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We know, Jesus, that you suffered.

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You know what abuse is, and you recognize our need for you to fill up our hurting spaces with your love.

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Father God, I just pray healing over each woman listening today.

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and ask that you would guide her to the community she needs, to the counselor who will help her to heal.

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And we thank you that you don't leave us alone,

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God,

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but that you have professionals who can really support us,

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and friends and family and church and community members who also want to help us

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walk through our pain.

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God, I ask that your healing hand would be on each woman listening today.

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In your name I pray, amen.

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Thank you for listening to From Hardship to Hope.

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You can find the show notes for this episode, including links at TammyKennington.substack.

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And if this show was a help to you,

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I invite you to hop over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify and search from Hardship to Hope.

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I'll also provide links there in Substack.

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And if you would do me the kindness of providing a review,

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that would help other people find out more about the show and to receive the

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encouragement they need.

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Thank you again for listening.

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Until next time.

Reads and Resources

Journey to Heal Ministries (Crystal Sutherland)