Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is a form of CBT that has been rising in popularity due to its effectiveness in treating symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Often, those who have experienced trauma develop a distorted cycle of thoughts, actions, and feelings that sometimes lead to feelings of constant danger, a loss of control, and mistrust in yourself as well as others.
To recover from a traumatic event, it’s helpful to challenge unhealthy or negative beliefs and distortions so you can feel empowered to regain a sense of safety and control in your life; CPT can help you do this.
Three key beliefs that are often affected by trauma include our sense of safety, power & control, and trust. Accordingly, we may feel unsafe, as though we have little power and control, and that others are untrustworthy. CPT can help you start to question these beliefs and perceive the world and others in a more positive light.
Below is a description of how our beliefs in these three areas may change due to trauma and how we can start to think about them differently.
Safety
Traumatic experiences can make you fearful, irritable, and anxious when you feel unsafe. So, it’s understandable that you try to protect yourself as much as possible. You can implement prudent safety practices to reduce the probability of harm, like locking the door at night.
However, engaging in fear-based behaviours, such as never going outside or avoiding meeting new people, is excessive and will result in more feelings of anxiety than safety. Question this belief so that you can differentiate between what’s actually safe and what behaviours are excessive.
Power & Control
If you feel unsafe following a traumatic event, it’s likely that you also feel powerless. Understand that just because you don’t have control over everything in your life, that doesn’t mean you don’t have control over anything. To that same end, it’s healthy to realize that you simply can’t control everything. Acknowledging how much power you have over the present and future can give you a more realistic perception of the past.
Try to identify the things that you can control, such as whether or not you choose to talk to someone new or speak in a calm voice rather than shouting when you’re mad. Then, realize what things are out of your control, like what someone may think of you or what might happen tomorrow when I leave the house. Making this differentiation will give you the freedom to understand what you can realistically control.
Trust
If you often feel indecisive, betrayed, and doubtful, these thoughts can be the result of mistrust in yourself in others. A traumatic event can distort your perception that it’s safe to trust your own instincts or the motives of others. Although we are all humans and make errors in judgment, it’s important to remember to avoid “all or nothing” thinking by assuming everyone is untrustworthy. Instead, think about trust as a continuum, where different levels and types of trust exist to protect your best interests.
For instance, when you meet someone new, try to get to know them before assuming they are bad or out to harm you. After all, our best friends and favourite coworkers started out as strangers, and they turned out to be a source of support and happiness.
Recover and Heal from Trauma
Healing from a traumatic event takes time and effort, but the good news is that you don’t have to overcome unhealthy beliefs on your own. Seek the help of a CPT-trained therapist to guide you through effective exercises so that you have the support needed to live your life to its fullest.
Learn more about online individual counselling from a therapist who specializes in CPT: https://homewoodhealth.com/home/services/therapyathome/