Trauma can shatter your worldview by making you believe the world is a frightening, unsafe place filled with people who mean to harm you. To avoid mental anguish, you may change your entire routine by withdrawing from people, places and things that feel threatening.
Trauma survivors must process and contextualize their experiences so they can move forward and get their lives back. Unfortunately, negative thoughts called stuck points can prevent you from making this much-needed progress. Through cognitive processing therapy, you can productively learn to address these.
The Benefits of CPT for Trauma
Healing from trauma requires you to reevaluate and improve your worldview. Cognitive processing therapy is a proven technique for treating PTSD. It stems from the idea that many PTSD symptoms result from a conflict between pre- and post-trauma beliefs and behaviors. For example, a pre-trauma belief might be that the world is a safe place populated with trustworthy people, while a post-trauma belief may be the opposite of that. A CPT therapist can help you address this internal friction and discord by asking you to gather evidence for and against each viewpoint.
Stuck points are exaggerated or unrealistic statements revolving around the five themes covered in CPT, which are safety, power, trust, control, self-esteem and intimacy. To help you get past the skewed reality created by stuck points, your CPT therapist may ask you to write an impact statement about what happened to you. Your written description will allow a therapist to identify negative or irrational emotions such as guilt, shame and worthlessness.
Stuck points can delay trauma recovery by making you feel constantly unsafe, on edge and uneasy about people, places and situations in your life. CPT involves using worksheets specifically designed to process each stuck point and illustrate how your beliefs may be untrue, unreliable or overgeneralized.
Is CPT an Effective Treatment for PTSD?
Each structured CPT session aims to help people recognize and respond to stuck points, reduce PTSD symptoms and equip them with healthier coping mechanisms. By replacing negativity with positivity, CPT can improve your overall outlook on life. Over the long term, people who undergo CPT experience fewer symptoms of PTSD and related conditions such as depression and anxiety.
Typically, a successful CPT outcome results in regaining flexible beliefs in a way that contributes to healthier coping strategies and an improved sense of well-being.
We’re Here for You 24/7
Many trauma survivors struggle in silence or attempt to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol. At Hope by the Sea, we have designed customized programming to help people with a dual diagnosis begin healing. We can address even the most complex needs with our specialized tracks designed for men, women, executives, Christians, families and military veterans.
Contact our experienced team today to learn more about California addiction treatment.
