Military Families - Treatment

Symptoms - Treatment - What Next - Resources

Available data suggest that about 8% of men and 20% of women go on to develop Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) returning from a tour of duty, and roughly 30% of these individuals develop a chronic form that persists throughout their lifetimes.

PTSD is treated by a variety of forms of psychotherapy (talk therapy) and drug therapy. Talk therapy involves meeting with a therapist, psychologist, social worker, or marriage and family therapist to address the mental, social and environmental aspects of depression. The most common form of talk therapy is cognitive behavioral therapy in which the therapist assists the military families in understanding their thoughts and feelings related to depression.

The most widely used drug treatments for PTSD are the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, such as Prozac and Zoloft. At present there is no definitive treatment, cognitive-behavioral therapy appears to be somewhat more effective than drug therapy.