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Collision Every Night: Treating Nightmares with Trauma-focused Methods: Case Report
József Szabó1,2, Szilvia Tóth3
1Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Mikszáth Kálmán tér 1, Budapest, 1088 Hungary.
Sleep and Vigilance
|February 8, 2021
Summary
This case study shows that EMDR therapy and imagery rescripting effectively treated acute stress disorder and nightmares in a trauma patient. The integrated approach rapidly relieved symptoms and prevented long-term psychological distress.
Area of Science:
- Psychotraumatology
- Emergency Medicine
- Neuropsychiatry
Background:
- Road traffic accidents can cause severe psychological trauma, leading to acute stress disorder (ASD) and recurrent nightmares.
- Polytraumatized patients require comprehensive psychiatric assessment and treatment, often in intensive care settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a case study of a young patient with ASD following a severe road traffic accident.
- To evaluate the efficacy of a comprehensive therapy including medication, trauma processing, and psychological methods for nightmare cessation.
Main Methods:
- The patient received psychiatric assessment and treatment at the Intensive Care Unit and Department of Traumatology.
- Treatment involved the antidepressant venlafaxine, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) protocol for ASD, and imagery rescripting to prevent nightmares.
Main Results:
- The patient experienced rapid symptom relief, with nightmares ceasing almost instantly.
- Significant improvements were observed in mood, rumination, and anxiety levels.
Conclusions:
- EMDR therapy and its protocol for ASD successfully reactivated information processing, leading to significant symptomatic improvement.
- The therapy helped prevent a potential mental crisis, suicide risk, and the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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