There are many treatments available to address symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, clients sometimes avoid treatments that cause them to re-experience the traumatic events that brought them to therapy. Fear, anxiety, and depression often accompany PTSD, and conventional evidence-based treatments (EBT) have low rates of completion because of the emotional overwhelm experienced by clients. For this reason, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) strategies have been created. These include mindfulness-based approaches, meditation, and other more subtle forms of therapy that allow clients to skillfully manage their symptoms of trauma as they explore them. Many individuals who undergo EBT use CAM in conjunction with it in order to be able to navigate the often difficult waters of their pasts by regulating their psychological and biological responses. Although a large portion of the population uses CAM therapies for various emotional issues, little is known about the frequency at which CAM is used for clients with PTSD.
To get a better understanding of how often CAM is used for PTSD, Daniel J. Libby of the VA New England Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center in West Haven, Connecticut, reviewed data from 599 PTSD clients who were part of a larger survey. He found that nearly 40% of the clients used one of the 15 available CAM therapies during their treatment. The most commonly used types of CAM were exercise therapy and relaxation or meditation. He also discovered that the individuals who were most likely to use CAM were women, those with high levels of education, and older individuals. Participants who reported having another mental health issue in addition to PTSD were also among the most likely to use CAM techniques. The study showed that clients who used CAM in conjunction with EBT and exposure therapies had the highest rates of positive outcome. Libby added, “Thus, clinicians should encourage patients to adopt safe and effective CAM practices prior to and while undergoing the trauma-processing component of evidence-based PTSD treatments.”
Libby, D. J., Pilver, C. E., & Desai, R. (2012). Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Individuals With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1037/a0027082
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