Tell Me More About Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
8. Can PTSD be cured?
The nature of PTSD is the symptoms can disappear and reappear for no apparent reason.
Studies indicate certain rules of thumb in the likelihood of recovery from PTSD:
a) Those who remain ill beyond one year are less likely to recover completely.
b) Severity of sleep disturbance.
c) Chronic pain may slow recovery, complicate care and increase the risk of adverse side effects from medications.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can eliminate many of the phobic symptoms associated with PTSD. Successful confrontation of fears usually predicts success with other over-all symptoms of PTSD.
References:
Solomon SD and Johnson DM: Psychosocial treatment of PTSD: a practice-friendly review of outcome research. J Clin Psychology, 58;8:947-59, 2002.
Freedman SA, Brandes D and Shalev PT: Predictors of chronic post traumatic stress disorder. A prospective study. Br. J Psychiatry, 174:353-9, 1999.
Arnon KD, Lavie P and Klein E: Sleep complaints as early predictors of PTSD: a 1-year prospective study of injured survivors of motor vehicle accidents. Am J Psychiatry 159;5:855-7,2002.
Asmundson GJG, Coons M, Taylor S and Katz J. PTSD and the experience of pain. Can J Psychiatry 2002;47:930-937.
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