Living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can influence your life in many ways, but it doesn’t have to define it. Long-term recovery from PTSD is possible. Many people find that with the right support, their symptoms can become more manageable, allowing them to feel safer and more connected within their daily lives. Lightfully Behavioral Health offers clinical programs for people with PTSD and other mental health conditions. In this guide, we’ll walk you through some of the evidence-based approaches used to treat this disorder.

6 approaches to chronic PTSD treatment

Traumatic experiences can profoundly shape the ways you view yourself and the world around you. Trauma-informed care takes these unique experiences into account and adapts support to meet your personal needs, whether it’s in a group environment or one-on-one session. Here are six approaches your mental health provider may use to help you manage your PTSD long-term:

1. Cognitive processing therapy (CPT)

A type of cognitive behavioral therapy, CPT is a first-line, trauma-informed technique designed to help you shift the rigid, automatic beliefs that reinforce your PTSD symptoms and replace them with more objective, realistic perspectives. 

This usually involves a process called cognitive restructuring. The basic concept is that after identifying an irrational thought (cognitive distortion), you mentally challenge its accuracy, examine the evidence, and replace it with a more balanced or realistic idea. Essentially, it’s the difference between saying things like: 

• “I can’t trust anyone” vs. “Some people cause harm, but others are trustworthy.” 
• “This feeling means I’m experiencing trauma again” vs. “My body is reacting to a memory, but this event isn’t happening right now.”
• “If I get in the car, something bad will happen” vs. “There is risk, but I can take reasonable steps to stay safe.”

2. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

CBT is a type of treatment that helps you identify and change unhelpful thought and behavior patterns. During these sessions, a mental health professional will help you examine the thoughts and emotions triggered by those specific events and better understand how they influence your actions. They’ll also help you create a plan that offers practical coping skills to help you change those patterns.

3. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)

ACT is designed to help you acknowledge your relationship with your thoughts and feelings, instead of avoiding, denying or struggling with them. It helps you realize that even though you’re experiencing deep feelings related to certain situations, these are appropriate responses and shouldn’t affect your ability to move forward. 

The goal of ACT is greater psychological flexibility, and it’s based on six core processes:

• Accepting your emotions
• Distancing yourself from negative thoughts, letting them go without reacting
• Being present and focusing on how you feel in the moment
• Seeing yourself as someone who’s defined by more than their experiences alone
• Creating values and striving to live by those principles
• Taking steps toward specific goals that align with your values

4. Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)

DBT is based on cognitive behavioral therapy but is specifically designed for those who experience intense emotions or engage in self-destructive behaviors. Rather than focusing on changing certain thought patterns, DBT helps you experience and accept your emotions while learning healthier ways to cope with them. 

5. Somatic trauma therapy

Somatic therapy focuses on the mind-body connection, combining traditional psychotherapy and physical techniques to promote holistic healing. Through guided exercises, it helps you release the emotional pain stored within your body and become more aware of the physical sensations that often accompany highly stressful or traumatic experiences.

6. Compassion-focused therapy (CFT)

CFT is an approach that helps you deal with feelings of shame, anxiety or self-criticism by nurturing a stronger sense of self-compassion and kindness toward others. While it shares the core elements of CBT, this approach emphasizes techniques that foster a sense of self-respect and acceptance to better support positive emotions.

Learn about PTSD treatment at Lightfully

Managing chronic PTSD can be a journey, but it’s important to remember that healing isn’t always linear. The approaches highlighted offer several different pathways, and the right combination depends on your individual experiences and needs. With patience, support and professional guidance, it’s possible to take control of your symptoms and live a more balanced, meaningful life.

Lightfully takes a unique approach to treatment, which we call our Precision Care Model (PCM). Using the most effective aspects of evidence-based modalities, this personalized framework includes several of the methods described above to target the drivers behind mental health conditions, like PTSD, and help you work toward your wellness goals.

If you’re ready for support that truly sees you, we’re here. Take the first step with Lightfully’s evidence-based and deeply human approach to mental health care by getting in touch with our Admissions Concierge Team today.