The counselor and client discuss the evidence that supports or debunks these ideas and reactions. Others re-experiencing the trauma may feel they are losing a grip on reality. The person becomes convinced they are at high risk of further trauma. A rape victim may blame herself for the attack.Īn exaggerated sense of danger can also happen.

A person surviving war may have survivor’s guilt that others died. Guilt or shame may be one source of threat. For people with post traumatic stress disorder, this threat comes from their interpretations of the event and its aftermath. The therapist focuses on identifying and changing misinterpretations that cause the person to magnify the threat. In cognitive restructuring therapy, the counselor helps people identify and change them. They also harm a person’s ability to function well.

PTSD negative thoughts and beliefs cause distress.