Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common and disabling condition that often goes undiagnosed. This book outlines state of the art approaches to improving the diagnosis and treatment of PTSD, with a particular emphasis on the promise and pitfalls associated with virtual reality (VR) exposure therapy.

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common and disabling condition that often goes undiagnosed. This book outlines state of the art approaches to improving the diagnosis and treatment of PTSD, with a particular emphasis on the promise and pitfalls associated with virtual reality (VR) exposure therapy.

More than 7 million Americans suffer from PTSD, as a consequence of physical or psychological trauma. Thankfully, today's mental health providers have developed increasingly sophisticated tools and techniques to meet this significant challenge, the most effective of which are medications and psychotherapy. Although considerable research in recent years has focused on both approaches to PTSD treatment, few have been able to synthesize that research in a way that is concise and practical, and useful to the wide range of practitioners who treat PTSD. In this handy clinical guide, authors Nancy Bernardy and Matt Friedman show how pharmacological approaches can be integrated with traditional psychotherapy approaches to PTSD. They present common assessment tools and strategies, synthesize implications from research on all existing pharmacologic treatments for PTSD including antidepressants, anxiolytics, and antipsychotic medications, and present clear guidelines for related conditions such as insomnia and substance abuse. Treatment of older adults and others with complicated presentations is also emphasized. The book is suitable for psychologists and social workers who may be unfamiliar with pharmacological approaches to PTSD, as well as psychiatrists and other medical personnel who may be less familiar with the best empirically-validated forms of psychotherapy.

The new, quick reference for understanding Posttraumatic Stress Disorder The Wiley Concise Guides to Mental Health: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder uses clear, highly accessible language to comprehensively guide the reader through posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related issues. This concise, informative reference provides a complete overview of the history of the field, diagnosis, treatment, research, emerging trends, and other critical information about PTSD. Examining both theory and practice, the text offers a multifaceted look at the disorder, outlining biological, cognitive, psychosocial, psychodynamic, integrated, and other relevant approaches. Like all the books in the Wiley Concise Guides to Mental Health Series, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder features a compact, easy-to-use format that includes: Vignettes and case illustrations A practical approach that emphasizes real-life treatment over theory Resources for specific readers such as clinicians, students, or patients In addition to the fundamentals of treatment, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder covers some of today's most important and cutting-edge issues in the field, such as war and terrorism; PTSD in children, adolescents, and families; professional and ethical issues; and relevant positive psychological findings. This straightforward resource is admirably suited for a wide variety of readers including students and practicing mental health professionals, as well as first responders, military personnel, and other individuals that regularly deal with traumatic situations and their aftermath.

Ours is an era of increasing tension, both global and local. And not surprisingly, PTSD is recognized not only in combat veterans and active military personnel, but also disaster and assault survivors across the demographic spectrum. As current events from mass shootings to the debate over trigger warnings keep the issue in the public eye, the disorder remains a steady concern among researchers and practitioners. Future Directions in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder presents findings and ideas with the potential to influence both our conceptualization of the condition and the techniques used to address it. A multidisciplinary panel of experts offers new analyses of risk and resilience factors, individual and group approaches to prevention, the evolving process of diagnosis, and effective treatment and delivery. Chapters on treatment allow readers to compare widely-used prolonged exposure and VR methods with innovative applications of cognitive processing therapy and interpersonal therapy. And an especially compelling contribution surveys empirically-based programs relating to what for many is the emblematic trauma of our time, the events of September 11, 2001. Included in the coverage: Predictors of vulnerability to PTSD: neurobiological and genetic risk factors. Early intervention: is prevention better than cure? The functional neuroanatomy of PTSD. The development of evidence-based treatment for PTSD. Enhancing exposure therapy using D-Cycloserine (DCS). PLUS: a case example as seen through five therapeutic perspectives. While millions experience trauma, relatively few develop chronic PTSD. Future Directions in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a practical and proactive reference for the health and clinical psychologists, sociologists, psychiatrists, and primary care physicians dedicated to further decreasing those numbers.

This book takes a case-based approach to addressing the challenges psychiatrists and other clinicians face when working with American combat veterans after their return from a war zone. Written by experts, the book concentrates on a wide variety of concerns associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including different treatments of PTSD. The text also looks at PTSD comorbidities, such as depression and traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other conditions masquerading as PTSD. Finally, the authors touch on other subjects concerning returning veterans, including pain, disability, facing the end of a career, sleep problems , suicidal thoughts, violence, , and mefloquine “toxidrome”. Each case study includes a case presentation, diagnosis and assessment, treatment and management, outcome and case resolution, and clinical pearls and pitfalls. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Related Diseases in Combat Veterans is a valuable resource for civilian and military mental health practitioners, and primary care physicians on how to treat patients returning from active war zones.

For many years, cognitive-behavioral techniques have been at the forefront of treatment for anxiety disorders. More recently, strategies rooted in Eastern concepts of acceptance and mindfulness have have demonstrated some promise in treating anxiety, especially in tandem with CBT. Now, with Acceptance-Based Behavioral Therapies for Anxiety, thirty expert clinicians and researchers present a comprehensive guide to integrating these powerful complementary approaches—where they match, when they differ, and why they work so well together. Chapter authors clearly place mindfulness and acceptance into the clinical lexicon, establishing links with established traditions, including emotion theory and experiential therapy. In addition, separate chapters discuss specific anxiety disorders, the current state of treatment for each, and practical ways of integrating acceptance and mindfulness approaches into therapy.