Introduction to Evidence-Based Psychotherapies

These are Jack, Carmen and Morgan. They are veterinarians. Jack is very skilled and excellent with machines, which served him well in Vietnam. Carmen is a computer genius and likes to meet other veterans. She created an app to help veterinarians connect. And Morgan is a good problem solver, which led to his promotion to company commander at age 25. They also share some consequences of their military experiences. Jack has trouble sleeping, so he works the night shift. Carmen often feels depressed and has little interest in things. She walks around the house alone and recently left her job. And Morgan is in a bad mood.

Last night he had a big argument with his girlfriend. What Jack, Carmen and Morgan are experiencing is not unusual for some veterans. You see, while many veterans return home with physical wounds that anyone can see, some return with more invisible wounds. The good news is that, thanks to recent scientific advances, there are now proven treatments for problems such as depression, anxiety, insomnia, and even relationship problems. These treatments are called "

evidence

-

based

psychotherapies

." "Evidence-

based

" means scientifically proven. This means that the treatment has been carefully studied in the same way as recommended treatments for heart disease and diabetes. And psychotherapy means psychotherapy or a type of counseling where you talk privately with a specially trained therapist.

EBPs have helped many different people, including veterans, get back to living their lives. And, best of all, these treatments usually work in a short time. Unlike other treatments, EBPs work by helping people develop skills to think more flexibly about themselves and life situations, act more positively and effectively, and improve relationships. They also teach effective ways to reduce stress. Jack learned about one of these proven treatments, “cognitive-behavioral therapy (or C-B-T),” from his primary care doctor and shared the information with his friends. Each of them has tried other treatments in the past that only helped a little, so at first they were hesitant to try another treatment.

But that was then and CBT sounded different, so they tried it. Well, after several sessions, Jack increased his sleep from four to seven hours, Carmen feels more like her old self and enjoys her new job, and Morgan? He and his girlfriend are starting to communicate better and feel more connected to each other. If you see a little bit of yourself or someone you care about in this video, there is hope and help. Learn more at TreatmentWorksForVets.org.