Why Focusing on Treatment, Not Trauma, is Key to Healing Mental Health
Mental health has been a topic of discussion for many years, and the focus has largely been on traumatic events that lead people to seek help. However, experts in the field point out that shift in focus is necessary. The focus should be on the treatment rather than the trauma.
The Problem with Focusing on Trauma
Trauma is a common reason why people seek mental health help. However, focusing only on the trauma is not sufficient in the healing process. Experts note that there are often underlying psychological and biological issues that need to be addressed.
When professionals focus solely on the trauma, a patient may end up feeling retraumatized. The trauma may be reopened repeatedly, which will make it hard for the person to feel they are getting better.
The Importance of Focusing on Treatment
The medical and psychological fields are beginning to shift their focus from trauma to treatment. This move comes as empirical evidence showing that treatments such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and medications are more effective in helping people heal from mental health problems.
Focusing on the treatment process instead of the trauma helps to take the pressure off the patient and ensures the healing process is more constructive, rather than triggering the trauma repeatedly.
The Changing Model of Trauma Therapy
The traditional approach to trauma therapy has been to revisit and reconstruct past events. This approach has been found not to be effective for many people. Instead, newer models of trauma therapy like the Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focus on learning new skills, processing emotional and physical reactions, and addressing cognitions that have been distorted by the trauma.
This approach helps to build resiliency rather than focussing on the trauma itself.
Conclusion
The shift from trauma to a treatment-oriented focus is essential for mental health healing. Approaches that help people build resiliency and teach them new skills help to ensure a better outcome and lead to more effective healing. Trauma will always be a focus for mental health therapy, but treatment needs to be the centre point of therapy interventions rather than trauma itself.
