Many sufferers of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) find it very hard to seek treatment from a specialist and they prefer to go for online therapy. The reason behind this is that the symptoms of PTSD, such as nightmares and flashbacks are often difficult to explain to a doctor and can also be confused with common fears and anxieties. Online therapy can help a lot in addressing these issues and also offering valuable tips and tricks to combat future traumas. However, there are some important points that you must consider before selecting any online therapy program for your PSTD:
– You must make sure that the therapist that you have selected has a good experience in providing this kind of service. Make sure that he or she is certified and also has ample experience in dealing with cases similar to yours. Check out the feedback and reviews for the therapist you have chosen. You can also check out various programs that have been enlisted by other clients.
– It is important that you are comfortable and at ease while communicating with the therapist through the web chat. Although you may think that you’re making eye contact with the person over the webcam, chances are that you may be looking at a screen, and the therapist may not be able to see you well. If you have any doubts about your communication abilities while participating in the therapy program, you must stop midway. Any delay may cause complications in the entire process. Try to maintain a balance between looking and talking to the screen while interacting with the person on the webcam.
– If the program that you have chosen has options for allowing your therapist to ask you questions, you must choose the ones that are most comfortable with you. You may feel uncomfortable answering some of the questions asked by the therapist but do not let this negative attitude affect the entire session. The therapist will also be using several questions to find out more about your background and what exactly happened in your life before the incident. As such, you should be able to answer all the questions without giving any unnecessary details.
– Do not talk about the incident itself. Although it may be painful to relive your experience, it is important to keep your mind off the event. Keep in mind that during your communication with the therapist, you will be discussing only relevant and necessary information. Do not talk about what you were doing immediately after the event occurred. You may still remember some details but these may be detrimental to the progress of the program.
– Do not view any images or video clips on your computer or laptop. These may be disturbing to look at or may contain visual or audio content that is inappropriate for the sensitive nature of your post traumatic stress disorder treatment. Even if you have a notebook or laptop that you use for private matters, you must still use passwords that are difficult to forget or to hack. Also, try to disconnect the computer when you are done with the session. This way, you can be sure that nobody else has seen anything that would be disturbing to you.
– Do not ask other people for help or comments. This is because most people may try to encourage you to talk about the post traumatic events that you have experienced. Although it is natural to want to talk about such an experience, you may not feel comfortable talking about it. Instead, you may ask your therapist for help finding the right words and phrases to open up your mind. Your therapist will probably explain to you that you may not really be ready to talk about the things that you have experienced. The best thing to do then is to let the silence be a guide and instead force yourself to speak more about the things that you have seen or done.
Of course, there is also the possibility that you will find your therapist very helpful in helping you to sort through your memories and to overcome your post traumatic stress disorder online therapy. This is something that you should take full advantage of. Of course, you do not have to use the therapist’s help to get the treatment that you need. In fact, if you think that you are capable of handling the trauma and its effects on your own, it is better to seek out professional help for your PTSD as soon as possible. Of course, if there is still a strong need to seek help from another person, then you can also ask your family members for help to find the right therapists in your area.