"Up to 90% of adults in the US will experience one or more traumatic events in their lifetimes, including interpersonal violence, traffic collisions, and sexual assault. While most who suffer a trauma naturally recover over time, for others difficulties continue, and may lead to full-blown depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance use, anxiety disorders, and other problems that interfere with healthy daily functioning.
Making Meaning of Difficult Experiences is a self-guided mental health resource for people who have had potentially traumatic experiences and who wish to work through them independently, outside of a formal therapeutic setting. Based on psychological treatments with strong scientific support, this book introduces listeners to several useful tools that will help them to emotionally process difficult experiences, with the goal of moving on from the event and building future resilience. The program takes the listener step-by-step through four skill sets to facilitate emotional processing of difficult experiences: Memory Exposure and Processing, Behavioral Activation, Social Connection, and Self-Care. Listeners use this self-evaluation to determine what is working or not working for them, enabling them to focus more on certain skills, or to complete the full program based on their needs."
"What is posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and who experiences it? Why do some people develop PTSD after a traumatic event, while others do not? What are the unique impacts of trauma on children? Are there effective treatments for traumatic stress disorders?
PTSD: What Everyone Needs to Know® is a scientifically-supported yet accessible resource on a disorder that affects up to 7% of adults during their lifetime. Utilizing a listener-friendly Q&A format, the book demystifies and defines PTSD, explaining that, despite popular opinion and countless media portrayals, this is not simply a disorder for combat veterans. Instead, survivors of any life-threatening event can experience PTSD. Beginning with an overview of common types of trauma, internationally-renowned experts on traumatic stress Barbara Rothbaum and Sheila Rauch then go on to describe the effects of PTSD, what can trigger the disorder, and who is likely to experience it. They explain how the most effective treatments work, and guide listeners on how to be a source of support and understanding for those who have experienced trauma."
