What treatments work the best for PTSD?

It seems there has been a lot of research into and interest in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in recent times, particularly due to there being so many military veterans who suffer from it. To those who have PTSD (and any therapists,psychologists or psychiatrists on the forum who have treated people with PTSD): What treatments, from your experience, are the most effective?

Heya, I do not have it nor do I know anyone that have it. But I know psycho-therapy to be an effective treatment in some cases. There has also been a test running in Denmark that used minor dozes of controlled exstacy that helped the patients. This is not offered as a treatment yet, as far as I know.

Here is an interesting study suggesting that lowering cortisol levels via medication after a highly stressful event may somewhat erase the memory of it:

The Body Odd - Pill could erase painful memories, study shows

Originally Posted by Intricate Mystic

Here is an interesting study suggesting that lowering cortisol levels via medication after a highly stressful event may somewhat erase the memory of it:

The Body Odd - Pill could erase painful memories, study shows

Indeed, that is a quite interesting research. It assumes though that thoughts and feelings are linked, and if this is true it could improve ways of dealing with it. However, it might be that feelings don't depend on the memories themselves in order to have an effect on you. Interesting study, nonetheless. Will be interesting to watch how these studies turn out.

Most people choose various therapy-related forms of treatment, and there is actually a decent amount of recent research available on techniques, some new, some old, to go through it. Most require the presence of a psychiatrist or other professional. Unfortunately, the only time I've been in a situation requiring psychological council was when I entered a massive depressive state, and that was only after drug treatments with my original doctor has failed (although right before going we found the right drug for me). Sorry, I can't really help you there since even if my depression was considered a viable analogue for this situation, I still began psychological treatment following successful pharmacological intervention.

The only medications I know right now to be recommended for use with PTSD are antidepressants (setraline, the most prominent forr PTSD). In fact, when I went in to the doctor's office PCS (which is treated the same, and many people believe PTSD and PCS might be the same thing), it was the last ditch option which I never had to resort to when the doctor laid out her plans, what she recommended, and asked what I would like to do. Luckily for me, most of the stuff which helped me focused on sleep schedules and such since PCS does not have a psychological component in the same way PTSD does, which is where PCS and PTSD diverge. In my own opinion, anyways -- I am no expert.

I remember the cortisol response being measured in rape victims in a paper out in June, 2010. Results showed those who were coming through treatment better than others had a higher level of cortisol (this does not dispute the basis of that article, it probably just means that because they could handle things a little better, cortisol could be increased without dramatic negative impacts). Considering that successful psycho-therapy leads to an increase of cortisol and the ability to remember this, I wonder if dampening memories would have significant negative side effects. Cortisol levels appear to be low in patients experiencing PTSD already. Given all that, I wonder if that pill would be anything more than an emergency stop gap measure between the event and when viable treatment is available for that person.

cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helped me learn my triggers and deal with the aftermath of one. That's about all you can do.

I also think CBT only really works with someone who is more cerebral/logically based.

EMDR helped me a little, as did cognitive behavior therapy. But the most helpful has been Dialectical Behavior Therapy which I mostly do on my own because there is not a DBT group close to me and the closest one I can't afford, anyway. DBT is definitely my therapy of choice. I've started making such better decisions since starting it.