The Foreign Service Journal, January 2008

services immediately if you think that you cannot keep from hurting yourself or someone else. How Is It Treated? Today, there are good treat- ments available for PTSD. A type of counseling called cognitive- behavioral therapy and medicines known as selective serotonin reup- take inhibitors are among the most effective treatments for PTSD. Some examples of CBT are Cogni- tive Therapy, Exposure Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. SSRIs are a type of antidepressant medicine that are effective for some anxiety disorders. These can help you feel less sad and worried; for some people they are very effective. Some examples include citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil) and sertraline (Zoloft). There are also other medica- tions that have been used with some success. Talk to your doctor about which ones might be right for you. In addition to CBT and SSRIs, some other kinds of counseling may be helpful in your recovery from PTSD, such as group therapy, brief psychodynamic psychothera- py and family therapy. For some people, treatment for PTSD can last three to six months. But if you have other mental health problems as well, the process may last for one to two years or longer. Depression, alcohol- or substance- abuse problems, panic disorder and other anxiety disor- ders often occur along with PTSD. In many cases, the treatments described above will also help with the other F O C U S J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 8 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 31 Seek assistance from a professional skilled in the treatment of trauma if you are experiencing any symptoms that are causing distress.