We must find ways to recover and move on after a traumatic event. At least 5-10% of the population suffers from PTSD after trauma. However, the recovery process can be long and complex and requires much effort from the victim. For instance, treating complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) is difficult as it requires extensive therapy sessions lasting weeks or months.
The good news is that digitalization has opened new doors for people with PTSD by providing various benefits, such as low costs, easy access to information, and the ability to interact with others suffering from similar conditions over social media platforms.
Traditional Approaches to CPTSD Treatment
Traditional approaches to CPTSD treatment involve a therapist and a patient working together in a room. The patient is encouraged to discuss their traumatic experiences, which are often difficult. In this way, the therapist helps the patient work through their trauma by talking about it with someone who understands what they’ve been through.
CBT is one of the most effective therapy treatments against CPTSD. It can take around 12-16 weeks for CBT to work correctly.
- The role of the therapist: A trained professional who helps people deal with problems such as mental illness or depression by listening carefully and giving advice when needed
- The role of patients: People who have been diagnosed with a mental health condition
The Digital Revolution: A Paradigm Shift in CPTSD Treatment
Digitalization is an ongoing process that has changed how we live, work, and play. We use digital technology to connect with others, access information, and solve problems. As such, it should come as no surprise that it has also changed how we treat complex trauma patients.
The first step in understanding this paradigm shift is to understand what constitutes “CPTSD,” a condition that occurs when a person experiences prolonged exposure to traumatic events. This exposure can lead people who suffer from it to develop symptoms such as:
- Intrusive thoughts
- Panic attacks
- Negative alterations in mood and cognition
- Dissociation
- Alterations in arousal
- Emotional dysregulation
- Guilt over past actions or memories of events experienced during childhood abuse or war
Panic attacks are one of the rarest symptoms of CPTSD. Data shows that only 2% to 3% of people suffer from panic disorder in the US. Knowing these symptoms can help you evaluate if you or a loved one is facing CPTSD. Assessing the presence of CPTSD symptoms can help treat the condition quickly, proving beneficial in the long run.
The earlier the symptoms are assessed, the easier it is for you and your therapist to work on and treat them. According to Catalina Behavioral Health, recognizing the signs and symptoms can prove helpful in getting appropriate treatment and care.
How Digital Solutions Help Treat CPTSD
CPTSD is a disorder that develops in response to an experience of trauma. Any type of traumatic event can cause it, but it most commonly occurs after exposure to sexual or physical abuse in childhood.
As digital solutions advance, they play an increasingly important role in helping treat CPTSD.
- Anonymity: The anonymity afforded by online platforms allows users greater comfort when opening up about sensitive topics such as abuse or neglect, which may otherwise feel too difficult for them due to the social stigma surrounding these subjects
- Convenience: Because digital solutions allow users access 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, there are no scheduling conflicts like those found when scheduling appointments at brick-and-mortar locations
Here are some common ways in which digitalization is helping cope with and treat CPTSD:
Finding Reliable CPTSD Treatment Options on the Internet
The advent of the internet has been a revolution, as people can now search and learn about anything and everything from the comfort of their homes.
For instance, you can look for CPTSD treatment centers on the internet. Moreover, many treatment centers list their services, expertise, customer reviews, treatment approaches, and other information on their website. This can help you find a specific treatment center to address your requirements.
Consider this example. There are three types of CPTSD treatment options, outpatient, inpatient, and residential. Now suppose you are trying to find residential treatment options.
You can search for centers providing residential treatment in your locality. This way, you won’t even have to go through all the centers and directly start looking for those offering the services you seek. This makes finding residential treatment for CPTSD relatively easier.
Likewise, you can look for specific details while finding a treatment center. For instance, the prevalence rate of CPTSD is almost 13% in war veterans, as per a few preliminary studies. So if you are a veteran, look for centers with expertise in this space.
You can also see if the professionals who will be treating you are licensed or certified or not. Licensed mental health professionals are required by law to undergo rigorous education and training before practicing independently. Certified ones have passed an exam demonstrating their competence in helping people recover from mental health problems such as PTSD or depression.
Virtual Reality (VR) Therapy
Virtual reality (VR) therapy is a new form of treatment that uses virtual technology to help people manage their symptoms. VR in mental health care has proliferated over the past few years and shows promise as an effective treatment for many disorders, including PTSD.
VR therapy involves patients wearing special goggles or a headset that transports them into another world, a digital environment they can interact with using motion sensors and hand controls. The patient’s sense of sight, hearing, smell, and touch are all engaged as if they were there.
This way, patients can relive the traumatic events in a controlled environment to get used to them. Thus, therapists can help patients bring their emotions in control and treat CPTSD quickly.
Mobile Applications and Online Platforms
While mobile applications and online platforms are not a substitute for traditional therapy, they can be used with conventional therapy to help people with CPTSD. Mobile applications and online platforms allow individuals to engage in self-help techniques that may be more convenient than scheduling an appointment with a therapist.
Additionally, apps can remind users about how they’re feeling throughout the day and remind them of coping strategies when needed, allowing users to build resilience at their own pace without requiring them to disclose personal information over email or text messages.
Wearable Devices and Biofeedback Technologies
Wearable devices and biofeedback technologies treat CPTSD, affecting many military veterans. Wearable devices include wristbands that track heart rate, breathing patterns, and other physiological signals.
These can help patients learn how to regulate their emotions with practice. Other examples of wearable technology include virtual reality headsets like Oculus Rift or Google Cardboard that provide immersive experiences that can help patients feel safe again.
Biofeedback technologies use sensors on the skin or inside the body to measure bodily responses such as heart rate changes during stressful situations. This information gives therapists insight into what triggers certain emotions in patients so they can work together to reduce those triggers’ impact on daily life.
A World of New Resources for Trauma Treatments
In conclusion, we can see that digitalization is a promising new approach to CPTSD treatment. It offers many benefits over traditional methods, including greater convenience and accessibility for patients who may have difficulty accessing traditional therapy services due to physical or financial limitations.
Mobile apps and wearable devices also allow for more privacy than traditional treatments like group therapy sessions where confidentiality could be compromised by others hearing what’s being discussed between patient and therapist.
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