Behavioral Activation Treatment Can Help Combat Veterans Suffering with PTSD
Comments (0) Today I came across a treatment that I was previously unaware of. I’m always excited when I find something new on PTSD treatment. Actually, the article I found was written by Matthew Tull, Ph.D. and published in November of 2008.
From the website http://www.about.com I learned that Behavioral Activation was originally developed for the treatment of depression. It is based on the idea that people with depression do not come into contact with positive or rewarding aspects of their environment.
For instance, a person may be too depressed to get out of bed. Yet, by staying in bed, the person does not have contact with friends and family. This type of self-isolating (my term) only helps the depression deepen and get worse. (I’ve been there, done that.)
So in behavioral activation, the main goals are to increase activity levels (and prevent avoidance behaviors.) The patient and therapist come up with a list of activities that the patient values, such as spending time with friends or exercising. They also look at any obstacles that may keep them from their goals.
Each week the patient sets goals for how many activities he or she, may want to complete. Then they track their progress in achieving those goals.
The information from the article is based on a study from researchers who provided 11 veterans with 16 weeks of individual behavioral activation therapy. The researchers looked at differences in the veterans’ PTSD symptoms, depression, and quality of life from the beginning to the end of treatment.
They found that:
- More than half of the veterans showed a reduction in PTSD symptoms.
- Four veterans had their depression reduced.
- Four veterans reported that their quality of life had improved.
Although the study was small, the findings were promising and showed that behavioral activation might be a useful way to treat PTSD.
I found the whole idea to make common sense. Sitting around staring at walls and feeling sorry for oneself, does no good. (I know. I’ve done that in the past. But when you know better, you can do better.)
Visit http://www.about.com for the rest of the article, and many more good ones on PTSD and other health issues. It’s an excellent resource.
Themocracy