A Practical Guide to PTSD Treatment: Pharmacological and Psychotherapeutic Approaches

More than 7 million Americans suffer from PTSD, as a consequence of physical or psychological trauma. Thankfully, todays 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.