What is Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
When in danger, it’s natural to feel afraid. This fear triggers many split-second changes in the body to prepare to defend against the danger or to avoid it. This “fight-or-flight” response is a healthy reaction meant to protect a person from harm. But in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), this reaction is changed or damaged. People who have PTSD may feel stressed or frightened even when they’re no longer in danger.
Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) is a treatment for trauma-spectrum disorders in survivors of multiple and complex trauma. The method of narrating the entire life story does not require the clients to select a single traumatic event from their trauma history. NET allows reflection on the person’s entire life as a whole, fostering a sense of personal identity. Working through the biography highlights the recognition and
meaning of interrelated emotional networks from experiences, facilitating integration and an understanding of schemas and behavioral patterns that evolved during development.