Treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

It's possible to recover from PTSD.

There's treatment available to help you manage your symptoms. Or recover from them. You might find this useful if your symptoms are very upsetting. Or if they have an impact on your day-to-day life.

Hope. There is always hope. With the right treatment and support, things will get better. I'm a living testament

Active monitoring

After a traumatic event, many people will feel distressed. But not everyone will get PTSD.

So your GP might start with 'active monitoring'. This is when they wait and see if your symptoms get better on their own. It's normally used when your symptoms are mild. Or if you've had symptoms for less than 4 weeks.

It's sometimes called 'watchful waiting'.

If your GP recommends it, you should have a follow-up appointment after a month to check in. If you aren't feeling better, they should suggest treatment. 

My GP has been a real source of light for me. She’s been supportive, we have regular appointments and her empathy and willingness to help have kept me strong when things have been a little difficult 

Trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a type of talking therapy. It focuses on how your thoughts and beliefs make you feel and act.

Trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (trauma-focused CBT) is CBT that's been adapted for people with PTSD.

If you get this treatment from the NHS, it's recommended that you have between 8 and 12 sessions. You might be offered more if you need it.

There are different types of trauma-focused CBT. 

Cognitive processing therapy (CPT)

Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) focuses on how you think about the trauma you experienced.

After trauma you might have negative thoughts. You might blame yourself or feel embarrassed. Or feel like you should have been able to stop what happened.

CPT helps you challenge these thoughts. You might be asked to do homework outside of the therapy sessions. This could be things like worksheets or writing tasks.

Cognitive therapy for PTSD (CT-PTSD)

Cognitive therapy for PTSD (CT-PTSD) is based on the idea that PTSD can make it feel like your trauma is still happening. You might have thoughts or flashbacks that make you feel like you did during the trauma. You might believe that something bad will happen to you or people you care about again.

In CT-PTSD your therapist will work with you to remember the trauma. This will be combined with exercises to help your body understand it's not under threat. For example, if your trauma involved being trapped and you couldn't move, you might be asked to move around the room. This way your body knows it isn't trapped.

Narrative exposure therapy (NET)

Narrative exposure therapy (NET) can be used if you've experienced a lot of trauma in your life.

It involves putting the traumatic events that happened to you in a timeline. You'll also talk about how they made you feel and the facts about what happened. This can help you process the trauma you experienced.  

Prolonged exposure therapy (PE)

Prolonged exposure therapy (PE) focuses on things that trigger your PTSD symptoms. It involves slowly exposing you to your triggers. This can make them easier to deal with. Or stop them from bothering you at all.

Your therapist will support you through the process. They'll help you feel safe and talk about how you're feeling.

You'll usually need to do some homework. This will be connected to exposing you to your triggers. 

Trauma-focused computerised CBT

Trauma-focused computerised CBT is a CBT programme that you do online. It usually involves activities that you do yourself. But a mental health professional should still be available. They should check in to make sure the treatment is working for you.

Computerised CBT might not be best for you if your PTSD symptoms are severe. 

Other types of CBT

In trauma-focused CBT you need to talk about your trauma. Some of us might not feel able to do that. In these cases, you might be referred to other types of CBT that might help some PTSD symptoms. Like sleep problems or anger.

In this kind of CBT you don't normally need to talk about the trauma.

Our CBT page has more information on what general CBT sessions are like. And how to access CBT. 

[My counsellor] taught me how to come to terms with what had happened, taught me how to understand my feelings and emotions and how to cope with them.

Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy

Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a type of talking therapy.

It involves remembering a traumatic event that happened to you, usually as you move your eyes side to side. But some EMDR might involve listening to sounds, tapping, or flashing lights. 

It's thought that this method helps your mind process the memory in a different way. This makes it less upsetting.

We have more information on our page on eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy.

One of the most disturbing things has been the feelings of aggression and anger towards anyone who looks like the person who attacked me... EMDR therapy has been massively helpful

Medication for PTSD

Talking therapy is the main treatment for PTSD. But you might be offered medication if:

• You have another mental health problem, like depression
• You're unable to try talking therapy or you don't want to
• You've had talking therapy and it hasn't been helpful

The medication usually offered for PTSD is an anti-depressant. Sertraline and paroxetine are the only anti-depressants approved for PTSD in the UK. But sometimes a doctor might offer you a different one.

See our pages on antidepressants for more information.

You might be offered an antipsychotic if you have psychosis. Or if you have severe hyperarousal, which is feeling like you are always on high alert.

See our pages on antipsychotics for more information.

Other PTSD treatments

Some people with PTSD say they have found other treatments helpful, like arts therapies.

Some people also find therapy that involves working with your body helpful. These are called body-based therapies or somatic therapies. This might involve paying attention to how your body reacts when you talk about your trauma.

These treatments aren't officially recommended for PTSD in the UK. So you might not be able to get them from the NHS. Some areas might offer them, or they might be offered through a charity.

You can also look for these therapies privately. But they can be expensive. When looking for private therapy, it's important to make sure it's safe and trustworthy.

We have more information on our how to find therapy or counselling page.

How to get treatment for PTSD

There are a few different ways to get PTSD treatment:

• Your GP. To get treatment on the NHS, you could visit your GP. For advice on preparing for a GP appointment, see our page on how to get help from your GP.
• Free NHS therapy services. You might be able to refer yourself for NHS talking therapies. This will depend on where you live and what kind of therapy you need. You can search for NHS talking therapies on the NHS website.
• Charities and specialist organisations. You might be able to get support from charities or other organisations. See our useful contacts for PTSD page for a list of some of these.
• Local trauma services. Organisations where you live might offer free or low-cost support. Your local Mind might be able to offer support as well.
• Private therapists. You can find private therapists in the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy therapist directory.

See our pages on seeking help for a mental health problem and talking therapy and counselling for more information.