Premium
A new technique for treating post‐traumatic stress disorder
Author(s) -
Muss D. C.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
british journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.479
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8260
pISSN - 0144-6657
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8260.1991.tb00924.x
Subject(s) - psychology , traumatic stress , clinical psychology , psychotherapist
Post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are notoriously difficult to treat. The need for a simple, easily reproducible technique, that could inactivate the repetitive intrusive imagery of the traumatic event, prompted the trial of a technique originally devised for phobias. Nineteen members of the West Midlands Police Force, who qualified as PTSD sufferers, were offered the ‘re‐wind’ technique. On average only three therapeutic sessions were required per patient. During a two‐year follow‐up, all victims remained free of intrusive images and resumed their occupations. It is hoped that such a consistently rapid and effective technique will open the way for more victims to be treated and for controlled trials to be facilitated.