Effective Treatment for Trauma & Stress-Related Disorders
A person can develop a trauma and stress related disorder when they experience significant psychological distress or impairment following a direct or indirect exposure to a traumatic or stressful event. According to data from the World Health Organization, more than 70% of people will experience a traumatic event in their lifetime, including exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. Further, all people will experience a stressful event in their lifetime, such as chronic illness, death of a loved one due to natural causes, relationship loss or separation, and other adverse situations that can cause distress. While many people do recover from traumatic or stressful events over time through social support and personal resiliency, others experience severe, and in some cases, lasting negative effects that impede recovery. Individuals who do not recover from trauma or stress may have a trauma and stress related disorder.
In the DSM-5, trauma and stress related disorders include:
- Reactive attachment disorder (RAD)
- Disinhibited social engagement disorder
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Acute stress disorder
- Adjustment disorders
Each of these disorders are associated with significant clinicial distress, including deep emotional pain, fear, and/or confusion, that impairs the person’s emotional, cognitive, behavioral, social, and/or occupational functioning.
Evidence-based Treatment for Trauma & Stress
Individual trauma-informed psychotherapy is the most effective treatment for individuals with a trauma and stress related disorder. Cognitive processing therapy, prolonged exposure therapy, and trauma-focused cognitive and behavioral therapy demonstrate the strongest evidence for treating trauma and are first line therapies recommended by the American Psychological Association. Other therapies can include trauma-focused acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), accelerated resolution therapy (ART), written exposure therapy, and others. There are also a variety of medications with growing support for helping individuals manage trauma-related symptoms while engaging in therapy.
If you or someone you know is struggling to recover from a traumatic or stressful event, please reach out to discuss the best available therapy and treatment options with a licensed clinical therapist.