Blog posts with the tag "Sleep"

Staff Perspective: Sleep Can Put up a Good Fight and Not Improve Following a Trauma-Focused Treatment

By Paula Domenici  on 10.03.2021 9:42 am

After 14 sessions of an evidence-based psychotherapy (EBP) for PTSD, my patient’s improvement was undeniable. His score on the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) had decreased from 62 at baseline to 18 at our final session. He described that his trauma memories no longer had a hold over him, they were fading away in a healthy way. When I looked at his final PCL-5, I was pleased to see he had rated all of the items 0 or 1, except for item #20 (trouble falling or staying asleep), which he rated 4. I had hoped this symptom would have improved as treatment progressed, yet no matter how well our work was going, it hardly budged.

Staff Perspective: Options for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Nightmares

By Carin Lefkowitz  on 18.11.2020 12:02 pm
Dr. Carin Lefkowitz

Our sleep team frequently gets asked which treatment we recommend for patients suffering with trauma-related nightmares. Our faculty members often struggle to answer this question because several promising treatments exist, but data is inconclusive when it comes to determining which one works better for whom. To help you navigate the options, I will summarize the promising treatments that are most commonly available.

Staff Perspective: Let's Talk About All Things Sleep!

By Diana Dolan  on 14.10.2020 11:10 am
Diana Dolan, Ph.D.

Here at the Center for Deployment Psychology, we often receive questions during training events and via email about sleep-related challenges military patients may have. This makes sense, as sleep problems are one of the most common issues among Service member and Veterans. Let’s take a look at some of the more frequently asked questions-and provide some answers-in this audio format. 

Staff Perspective: The Case for Addressing Sleep Disturbance in Suicide Risk

By Diana Dolan  on 23.09.2020 3:53 pm
Diana Dolan, Ph.D., CBSM

Years ago, when I was on active duty, I was called to serve as the psychologist on a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) in the case of a recent suicide of a Service member at the installation. While every suicide is a unique loss, this loss crosses my mind frequently. The husband and his wife, returned home very late one night from a date night and began to argue. As the argument escalated, he fatally shot himself. Although there were many precipitating factors, I have often wondered – would it be different if this had happened during the day? Did he feel it was so late he had no one to call and nowhere to go? Was he tired and exhausted?”

Pages