PTSD Treatment in Lahore: Trauma, EMDR and Trauma-Focused CBT
Evidence-based assessment and treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder following abuse, accidents, combat, or medical trauma, using trauma-focused CBT, EMDR and medication.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can develop after exposure to a traumatic event — such as abuse, a serious accident, combat, or significant medical trauma — that involved actual or threatened death, serious injury, or violence. While distress after trauma is common and often resolves naturally, PTSD is diagnosed when specific symptoms persist for more than a month and cause significant distress or functional impairment.
Dr. Muhammad Shoaib Zafar provides confidential, trauma-informed assessment and evidence-based treatment for PTSD arising from any type of traumatic experience.
Causes of PTSD
- Physical or sexual abuse
- Serious accidents (road traffic accidents, workplace injuries)
- Combat exposure
- Medical trauma (surgery complications, ICU admission, difficult childbirth)
- Witnessing violence or a traumatic event happening to someone else
- Natural disasters
Symptoms
PTSD symptoms are generally grouped into four categories:
- Intrusion — flashbacks, nightmares, or distressing intrusive memories of the event
- Avoidance — avoiding reminders, places, people, or conversations associated with the trauma
- Negative changes in mood and thinking — persistent negative beliefs, blame, detachment from others, or loss of interest in activities
- Hyperarousal — exaggerated startle response, hypervigilance, irritability, and sleep disturbance
Diagnosis
Diagnosis requires exposure to a qualifying traumatic event, followed by characteristic symptoms across the domains above persisting for more than one month and causing significant distress or impairment, assessed through a detailed, trauma-informed clinical interview.
Treatment
Trauma-Focused CBT
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy helps patients process traumatic memories and address unhelpful trauma-related beliefs (such as self-blame), combined with gradual, controlled exposure to trauma reminders in a safe therapeutic setting.
EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a structured, evidence-based therapy that uses guided bilateral stimulation (commonly eye movements) while processing traumatic memories, helping reduce their emotional intensity without requiring detailed verbal recounting of the trauma.
Medication
SSRIs and SNRIs are the primary medication options for PTSD, particularly when co-occurring depression is present or when symptoms are severe enough to limit engagement in psychotherapy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Does everyone who experiences trauma develop PTSD?
No. Most people experience some distress after a traumatic event, but this typically resolves over time. PTSD is diagnosed when symptoms persist beyond a month and cause significant distress or impairment.
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a structured, evidence-based psychotherapy for PTSD that uses guided eye movements or other bilateral stimulation while processing traumatic memories, helping to reduce their emotional intensity.
Can PTSD develop from something other than combat or physical assault?
Yes. PTSD can develop following any event experienced as life-threatening or deeply distressing, including accidents, medical trauma, witnessing violence, or prolonged abuse.
Is medication needed for PTSD?
Trauma-focused psychotherapy is generally first-line treatment for PTSD. Medication, most commonly SSRIs, may be added when symptoms are severe, when co-occurring depression is present, or when access to specialised trauma therapy is limited.
Expert Care
Dr. Muhammad Shoaib Zafar provides confidential, trauma-informed assessment and evidence-based treatment, including trauma-focused CBT and EMDR, for PTSD arising from abuse, accidents, combat, or medical trauma.
This page is provided for general educational purposes and does not replace an individual psychiatric assessment. If you are in crisis, please seek emergency medical attention.
Common signs & symptoms
- Intrusive memories, flashbacks, or nightmares of the traumatic event
- Avoidance of reminders of the trauma
- Negative changes in mood or thinking following the trauma
- Heightened alertness or exaggerated startle response
- Difficulty sleeping or concentrating
- Irritability or angry outbursts
- Emotional numbness or detachment
Treatment approach
- → Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT)
- → Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- → SSRIs and SNRIs
- → Stabilisation and grounding techniques for acute distress
Frequently asked questions
Q: Does everyone who experiences trauma develop PTSD?
A: No. Most people experience some distress after a traumatic event, but this typically resolves over time. PTSD is diagnosed when symptoms persist beyond a month and cause significant distress or impairment.
Q: What is EMDR?
A: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a structured, evidence-based psychotherapy for PTSD that uses guided eye movements or other bilateral stimulation while processing traumatic memories, helping to reduce their emotional intensity.
Q: Can PTSD develop from something other than combat or physical assault?
A: Yes. PTSD can develop following any event experienced as life-threatening or deeply distressing, including accidents, medical trauma, witnessing violence, or prolonged abuse.
Q: Is medication needed for PTSD?
A: Trauma-focused psychotherapy is generally first-line treatment for PTSD. Medication, most commonly SSRIs, may be added when symptoms are severe, when co-occurring depression is present, or when access to specialised trauma therapy is limited.