Preparation for EMDR
Not so long ago, medical science did not see the link between disease and behaviors such as poor diet, smoking or drinking, much less the impact of trauma on health. However, in the last few years that has changed dramatically, as the impact of stress from past and present circumstances has been recognized. And a simple screening for current sources of stress,traumatic events in a person's history, or signs of PTSD such as anger and rage, or fear and submissiveness will indicate when a referral to a psychotherapist is indicated.
An integrative holistic approach to wellness will encourage using
psychotherapy to alleviate the effects of trauma and learn stress reduction skills. When prescribing depression and anxiety medications, a holistic health care provider will make a referral to a competent psychotherapist to assist the patient in exploring the psychological nature of the problem.
The High Cost of Undiagnosed PTSD:
Studies show that early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of trauma-related disorders are cost effective, especially when compared with the cost of inaccurate or inadequte treatment. In one study of women with trauma related dissocative disorders, if a correct diagnosis had been made after 12 months of treatmet, rather than after an average of 99 months of treatment, the estimated savings would have been $250,000 per patient!
Trauma Screening in the VA (Veterans Administration):
The VA has now integrated PTSD screening and treatment services with their routine medical care, and has made sexual trauma screening mandatory for every healthcare provider in the federal system. An unexpected result of this change in policy was that many more veterans were diagnosed with PTSD,
