The PTSD Recovery Guide: An Evidence-based, 11 week, Self-help Program to Help Healing From Traumatic Memories, Avoidance and Flashback Symptoms.
The Self-program for healing from trauma, is based on the evidencebased treatment for PTSD called Prolonged Exposure by Professor Edna Foa. The first part of the book helps the reader to get information on PTSD mechanisms and symptoms. Many cases stories from clients with PTSD makes it easier to understand how to break the pattern of avoidance. The current medical treatment for PTSD is described.
The second part of the book guides the reader to break the pattern of PTSD. Avoidance helps in the short run, but not in the long run. Systematic guidelines for breaking the pattern of avoidence by exposure to safe situation will help to overcome isolation and anxiety.
The book guides the reader how to deal with intrusive memories from traumatic experiences e.g. rape, child abuse, combat and violence. Through systematic retelling the traumatic experience, the emotional processing will take place. A metaphor from the book is to imagine to watch a horror movie 30 times. The horror movie will become less emotional disturbing to watch after so many repetitions. The book will guide the reader through this experience by systematic principles. This will help to overcome flashbacks, sleep disturbances and intrusive thoughts about what happened.
There is also practical advice to learn about how to deal with PTSD problems in everyday life e.g. sleep problems and structure of everyday life. The book gives good advice to relatives and professionals around the person with PTSD.