Please remember, this column is designed to help the consumer seeking behavioral-health information, and not intended to be any form of psychotherapy or a replacement for professional, individualized services. Opinions expressed in the column are those of the columnist and do not represent the position of other SelfhelpMagazine.com staff.

Question

I am dealing with a friend who has suffered multiple trauma in childhood as well as adult life. This person is suffering from PTSD as well as other problems to include sleep problems. What kind of treatment helps? Is there anything this person can read? .

Answer

First of all, let's look at what your friend might need as far as treatment is concerned. PTSD is best dealt with within a therapeutic environment where the person can feel safe and can gradually share, accept, and grief over the story he/she needs to tell. Encourage your friend to find a therapist with whom your friend can feel comfortable. Encourage your friend to ask about the therapist's experience in treating PTSD as well as possible affiliations with the handful of national organizations which certify counselors as skilled in the area of PTSD.

Your friend might also need medical assistance. Research points to increasing success in the management of some PTSD symptoms with the assistance of medication. This is a valuable option especially since there is increasing evidence of neurological impact via trauma. Your friend might also benefit from a sleep study to rule out the presence of a trauma-induced sleep disorder.

For family and friends of trauma victims, the best guideline is to try to be patient. The process of healing from trauma is often long and painful. As your friend heals, he/she may have an increasing need to talk about some of the trauma. Listening can be painful so, depending how close you are to the situation, you may need to draw on some support yourself so that you can listen. Perhaps after your friend has been in therapy for a while, he/she might allow you to talk to the therapist to receive input regarding being helpful.

As far as reading material, your friend might want to explore other sections of this magazine which have numerous helpful articles on recovery from trauma. I can also recommend Raymond Flannery's Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: The Victim's Guide to Health and Recovery published in 1997 by Crossroad Books of New York.

11/18/98

Richard B. Patterson is a clinical psychologist in private practice in El Paso, TX. He is the author of three books on psychology and spirituality.