Getting Unstuck from PTSD
“How to heal from PTSD on your own”
“How to recover from PTSD on your own”
“How to heal from trauma without therapy”
There’s a sense of solidarity you can find in Google searches when you go to look something up and see that millions of people before you have asked the same question. There are many reasons why you might ask these questions as opposed to searching for a therapist, such as concerns surrounding the cost, finding it difficult to commit to weekly sessions or the continued stigma you might experience in your life about getting help. Whatever reason makes up the ‘why’ behind the search, the question remains the same: “Is there anything I can do to get better on my own?”
Answers to Your Questions
Getting Unstuck from PTSD: Using Cognitive Processing Therapy to Guide your Recovery by Patricia Resick, Ph.D., Shannon Wiltsey Stirman, Ph.D., and Sefanie LoSavio, Ph.D., is a recently published self-help book providing direction if you find yourself asking this question. Based on the treatment model of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) used by therapists to help people struggling with symptoms of PTSD, Getting Unstuck follows a step-by-step process that breaks down the healing process, mirroring work one would do with a therapist. As a therapist with experience in the treatment and exploration of PTSD, I would like to recommend this book to anyone unable to commit to ongoing trauma therapy, or those who want to try on their own before giving therapy a shot.
What Is Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)?
As I review Getting Unstuck, it feels relevant to explain key elements of the theory of CPT. CPT is most effective in working with individuals who are stuck in experiencing trauma symptoms over a month after experiencing a traumatic event. One of the important things to look out for after you have experienced a traumatic event is avoidance. Avoidance can take many forms but can look like avoiding triggers or situations that bring up memories of the experience, trying not to think about what happened, or using substances to help avoid some of the emotions associated with the trauma. Trauma has a way of burying itself under the sand like a crab hiding when you walk close by it. A sizable chunk of clients that I’ve met struggle to really define their experiences as trauma. “Yeah, but others have had it worse” or “It’s not that bad” or (another favorite) “It is what it is”. All of these beliefs seek to downplay the impact as if you can make what happened small enough, it might disappear, and you can finally move forward.
A Focus on Cognitions Related to Trauma
Instead of avoiding, CPT focuses on the C or cognitions about trauma. This means by not avoiding, we get a chance to look at some of what you’ve been saying to yourself about the experience, and how these cognitions might be also responsible for “stuckness”. Having a clear look at your interpretations of your experience of trauma can allow you to understand how some of those interpretations may actually be hurting you and responsible for the intense negative feelings you might be stuck with, such as guilt or shame. Not only do we have to contend with the memories of the experience, but to add fuel to the fire we can have beliefs about what happened, such as “It was my fault it happened because…” or “I should’ve done something differently”. By not avoiding and recognizing that we have these heavy thoughts about what happened, we can begin to challenge them to allow for a more balanced view of the experience that actually helps us connect with natural feelings about the trauma instead of adding to our troubles. While these types of thoughts may be so deeply ingrained that it feels impossible to see them any other way, Getting Unstuck provides an avenue for you to begin to think about them from a different perspective that allows you to begin to move forward.
An Interactive Book
Getting Unstuck is an interactive book with plenty of room to write, and includes a link to download virtual copies of the worksheets for those who prefer to complete it digitally. Throughout each of the chapters, you will find multiple examples that help you understand how to apply each skill, and each chapter has a section at the end for “troubleshooting” with some of the more common questions that occur for each section. While the process can be intimidating to begin, each chapter has a PTSD checklist that allows you to rate the symptoms of PTSD in your past week before moving forward to the next step. This allows you to chart your progress over time; seeing the results for yourself can be a very rewarding part of the experience!
One Chapter Per Week
Pacing yourself throughout the completion of the book is an important consideration when working in the book. Generally, in CPT with a therapist, you’d be moving through the equivalent of one chapter per week in the book across 12 weeks. The book is set up similarly, encouraging a little bit of practice and application each day so that you’re able to move through about a chapter a week while giving yourself time to practice each skill, but the book encourages you to work at your own pace as long as you’re consistently working.
Accompanying Videos Can Assist in Learning
One caution in working through the book is that it can be a little text heavy. While all the information in it is valuable, it can be a bit daunting. If you’re more of a visual person, when working through the exercises, the book recommends videos hosted on the CPTforPTSD.com website to guide you through completing the exercises, along with some examples to give you an idea of how they might be applied.
Real-World Applications to the Impacts of Trauma on Your Life
As a therapist who works with people who suffer from PTSD and other related issues after experiencing trauma, what always impacts me is the cost of PTSD in people’s lives. Sleeping 7 hours across a whole week because you continue to have nightmares. Having to drop out of school because intrusive thoughts and triggers keep you on such high alert that concentrating on how to solve a math problem feels like climbing Mt. Everest. Have a strong reaction to your partner and then immediately after regretting it and ask yourself “Why did I do that?” Feel like your life is passing you by as you see everyone change around you, but you feel stuck in the past. For that reason, I get so excited about the possibilities in Getting Unstuck. Most of the people I see in therapy have been desperately trying whatever might be helpful to deal with the effects of trauma.
Those things might currently be unhelpful, such as self-harm or substance use, but they usually represent how much people try whatever is in their power to cope. When you understand some of the things that would seem helpful actually contribute to you getting stuck, and when you get the chance to learn what actually works in helping you move forward, recovery begins to feel possible. Being able to stop feeling like you’re treading water and begin to feel like you’re moving towards your own life is such a meaningful experience that everyone struggling with PTSD symptoms deserves to feel.
Getting Unstuck From PTSD is a Great Starting Point to Begin Healing
So, if you find yourself making the same Google search, “Getting Unstuck from PTSD” might be a good starting point. If you’re intrigued by the potential benefit of the book, but are the type of person who likes to get a sense of what you’re getting into before getting into it, NPR has an episode of their podcast, “This American Life” titled “Ten Sessions” that might be worth a listen.
Through this episode, you hear the narrator record pieces of her own CPT sessions, along with her reactions to the very same exercises you would be doing while following the book, and in the same order. It’s only an hour long and comes with a transcript if you prefer to read it.
Borrowing a line from the book’s own description, “Learn how to get unstuck from what happened in the past- so you can build the life you want now”.
If You are Looking for Healing from PTSD and Need One-on-One Guidance, Therapy for Trauma in North Richland Hills, TX is right for You. Reach Out Today!
If you have tried the self-help route to overcome your trauma, but still find yourself stuck in the cycle of PTSD it may be time to reach out for help. Our skilled team of therapists at Luxx Therapy specializes in working with clients that have experienced trauma and are ready to process those feelings and regain control of their lives. Additionally, we understand that no two experiences with trauma are the same and we are prepared to meet you where you are at in this moment. Reach out to us for Trauma Therapy today! Follow the steps below to get started.
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OTHER MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AVAILABLE AT LUXX THERAPY
In addition to Trauma Therapy, we offer a wide range of services at Luxx Therapy geared towards meeting you where you are in your mental health journey. We will walk the path to understanding and healing with you whether you are in need of Individual Counseling, Couples Counseling, or Family Therapy! Reach out to us today.
References
Resick, P. A., Monson, C. M., & Chard, K. M. (2017). Cognitive processing therapy for PTSD: a
comprehensive manual. New York: Guilford Publication