Experiencing Trauma and How to Get “Un-Stuck.” Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD
By: Ashley Saltzman, LCPC, NCC, Board Approved Supervisor, CPT Approved Provider
Today is Patriot Day, and September 11, 2022. My fellow millennials and elders can probably recall where we were when we first heard the news on that devastating day 21 years ago. I want you to think back to that day in 2001. Does it bring up any emotions or sensations in your body? Remember this feeling and we’ll talk about this a little more later.
I was in middle school on September 11, 2001 and many of my peers were being picked up early from school. I heard the teachers talking about an airplane crashing into a building. As a pre-teen at the time, I was confused, scared, and didn’t understand how serious this was for our nation. I came home that day and watched the news on TV with my grandmother. I did not experience this trauma directly, but for many Americans, they did. Many people and families had their worlds shattered on this day and experienced lasting effects and symptoms. But here’s the thing about trauma; you don’t have to experience it directly for it to impact you and the symptoms do not have to be a life-sentence.
Trauma symptoms can be experienced in various ways it can affect several aspects of a person’s life and functioning. In clinical terms, we view a traumatic experience as a person being exposed to death, threatened death, actual or treated serious injury, or actual or threatened sexual violence. Trauma also doesn’t have to happen directly to you to affect you. In addition to a direct exposure, an individual can also be exposed to trauma when witnessing an event, learning that a relative or close friend was exposed to a trauma, and indirect exposure to aversive details of the trauma, usually in the course of professional duties such as first responders or medics.
In addition, trauma exposure by itself will not lead diagnosable disorder. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops when a we aren’t able to process and heal, leaving the individual feel “stuck” in how their views of the trauma relates to their view of themselves, others, and the world around them. Some symptoms can include intrusive unwanted memories, nightmares, flashbacks, avoidance, negative thoughts or feelings that began or worsened after the trauma, increased irritability or aggression, heightened startle reaction, difficulty concentrating, and difficulty sleeping. Trauma symptoms can also impact our daily functioning at home, work, school, and in our interpersonal relationships.
Now think back to my earlier question about your memory from September 11, 2001. Did it bring up certain feelings or a bodily response for you? Events in history, our own memories, or even TV or movies can bring up strong emotions for us as humans. Do these thoughts or feelings interfere with your daily life? Do you avoid thoughts or feelings to get through the day? Maybe you or someone you know was impacted directly this day, served in the military for our country, or experienced another type of trauma. Therapy can help.
There are several therapeutic approaches to treating PTSD, trauma, and other stressor-related disorders. Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) is a cognitive behavioral evidenced-based approach used to directly treat and address the symptoms and ways of thinking that keep an individual “stuck” in their unhelpful and unrealistic beliefs after a traumatic experience. CPT can help improve one’s understanding of trauma and PTSD, reduce distress about memories of the trauma, improve ability to feel feelings, reduce avoidance of trauma reminder, reduce feelings of being on edge, decrease depression, anxiety, guilt/shame, and improve daily living. CPT can also help to explore the meaning of the traumatic event or events, identify of thoughts and feelings, and examine issues of trust, safety, power and control, esteem, and intimacy.
Earlier, I discussed that symptoms of trauma should not be a life-sentence. Neither should therapy. CPT is 12 sessions. We all deserve to feel and function at our best. A consultation with one our therapists at By Your Side Counseling Services, LLC can help you determine if CPT is right for you.