Dream Therapy for PTSD
Bruce M. Dow
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report |
|---|---|
| Population | Patients with PTSD in military and civilian settings |
| Interventions | Dream revision therapy imagery rehearsal exercises |
| Topics | PTSD |
| Key findings | Dream revision therapy eliminates nightmares, flashbacks, anxiety, and other debilitating effects of PTSD. |
Abstract
In this series of clinical vignettes, a board-certified psychiatrist and life fellow of the American Psychiatric Association illustrates the effectiveness of dream therapy in treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be disabling and difficult to treat, often leading to depression, suicide, and homicide in extreme cases. In this clinical-based reference, acclaimed psychiatrist and neuroscience researcher, Bruce Dow, provides a step-by-step approach for implementing dream revision therapy—a treatment proven to eliminate nightmares, flashbacks, anxiety, and other debilitating effects of PTSD. Drawing from work with patients in both military and civilian settings, Dow shows how to utilize imagery rehearsal exercises to help mitigate the effects of the illness. The vast majority of the book's 11 chapters focus on clinical case studies of patients who have suffered under the effects of the disease—for example, a hotel employee who witnesses a gory suicide; a female police officer whose career-ending crash in her patrol car brings back traumatic memories from childhood; and Vietnam combat veterans with recurrent posttraumatic nightmares. Each vignette offers details of the dream revision method along with clinical tips for ensuring its success. The final chapter features descriptions of brain mechanisms of PTSD and dream revision.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on PTSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combining Cognitive-Behavioral Conjoint Therapy for PTSD with 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA): A Case Example. One couple with PTSD and a severe trauma history, participating in a pilot trial... | 2019 | Case study | n = 2 |
| Effects of intranasal (S)-ketamine on Veterans with co-morbid treatment-resistant depression and PTSD: A retrospective case series Veterans with co-morbid depression and PTSD | 2022 | Retrospective case series | n = 35 |
| Repeated oral esketamine in patients with treatment resistant depression and comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder Patients with treatment-resistant depression and comorbid PTSD | 2023 | Case series | n = 5 |
| Treatment of nightmares in the context of posttraumatic stress disorder A client with chronic, severe posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | 2010 | Case study | n = 1 |
| 5-MeO-DMT for post-traumatic stress disorder: a real-world longitudinal case study 23-year-old female with chronic refractory PTSD | 2023 | Case study | n = 1 |