According to research, Cognitive Behavioral Theory is the most effective way to treat PTSD in the long and short term. In PTSD, CBT focuses on trauma, so the traumatic event is the front and center focus of treatment. In this case, treatment focuses on identifying, understanding, and changing the patient’s behavioral patterns. Traditionally, CBT treatment lasts 12-16 weeks. There are three specific CBT treatments for PTSD. The first is cognitive processing therapy, which is an adaptation of cognitive therapy. Her goal is cognitive restructuring by focusing on how people perceive themselves and their world after trauma. For example, people’s memories of trauma are often different from what they experienced because they don’t remember certain parts. It makes them feel ashamed and guilty when in fact it’s not their fault. CPT enables them to learn skills to assess whether facts support their ideas and better ways of thinking about trauma. This allows them to get a real sense of what happened during the trauma. A second form of CBT is prolonged exposure, which allows individuals to gradually approach trauma-related situations and memories (David, 2018). Most people avoid long-term harmful traumatic memories. This approach leaves them traumatized in a safe environment. Exposure can be in writing, it can be mental imagery, it can even be a visit to these places or a virtual image. As people are gradually exposed to trauma, they become less sensitive. The final form of CBT is stress inoculation training, which reduces anxiety associated with PTSD by teaching personal coping skills such as breath-holding, cognitive restructuring, and muscle relaxation (David, 2018).
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