Vincent Lordo

DeBock
English 4
April 15, 2015

Essential Question: How can PTSD victims cope with their disorder?
Working Thesis: PTSD victims can cope with their disorder through therapy.
Refined Thesis: There are many different types of therapies that can help PTSD victims
cope with their disorder such as; psychotherapy, self-care, and going to a support group
either online or in person.

"Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)." The National Institute of Mental Health. Web.
15 Apr. 2015. <http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/post-traumatic-stressdisorder-ptsd/index.shtml>.

Psychotherapy, otherwise known as talk therapy, is a therapy that is conducted on

a victim by a professional in either a group or one-on-one setting. Treatment in this field
of therapy can last anywhere from 6-12 weeks. These therapy sessions can target different
types of the disorder; the symptoms, the PTSD directly, and can even focus on ones
personal and job life. Note that these different types of sessions are for people with
specific needs. Under the category of psychotherapy there is a therapy called Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT consists of three different types of techniques; exposure
therapy, cognitive restructuring, and stress inoculation training. Exposure Therapy is

when the doctor uses tools and different ways to expose the victim to the trauma trigger.
Cognitive Restructuring is when the doctor helps the victim see the bad memories from a
realistic point of view; they may think its their fault when its really not. Stress
Inoculation Training is reinforcement to the cognitive restructuring, and it helps reduce
their symptoms.

"Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder." Mental Health America. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.

<http://mentalhealthamerica.net/conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder>.

Having a family member that has PTSD can be hard on the family members, and
can even sever the bonds that a family once had. The symptoms that a PTSD victim
suffers from can rub off on his/her family. The symptoms can range from being depressed
about the downfall in your family life, being scared of your loved due to outbreaks, being
scared to talk about topics and avoiding anything that may cause an outbreak with your
loved ones PTSD, etc. For the person that has PTSD, there is many ways one can avoid
these situations. Self-care plays a huge roll in therapy and treating PTSD. There are nine
different steps one can do if he/she is going through self-care; connecting with friends
and family, relaxing, exercising, getting rest, keeping a journal, restrain from using drugs
and alcohol, limit caffeine, helping others, and limit the amount of television the victim
watches.

"Peer Support Groups -." U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/treatment/cope/peer_support_groups.asp>.
Peer support group is one of the most common type of therapy one can go through
if he/she is suffering from PTSD. Peer support groups may not get rid of PTSD
symptoms, but it does work its own wonders. It helps someone that has PTSD to learn to
connect with people, and not only can help the victim, but it also helps the victims
family who is the victims caretaker. Support groups can help cope with memories from
the trauma, or the problems in home life due to the PTSD. There are many benefits of
joining a peer support group such as knowing others are going through the same issues,
learning tricks on how to make it day-by-day with PTSD, meeting people and making
friends that are going through the same thing, learning on how to talk about your trauma
and the things that bother the victim, regaining trust in people, and hearing about
perspectives from others.

Works Cited
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Mental Health America. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). NIMH RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.
Peer Support Groups. PTSD: National Center for PTSD. N.p., n.d. Web 15 Apr. 2015