Case Study of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Comorbid PTSD, Insomnia, and Nightmares
Sleep disturbances frequently occur concurrently with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and often persist even after successful treatment of PTSD symptoms. This chapter describes the successful treatment of symptoms related to post-traumatic stress disorder and insomnia in a male survivor of military sexual trauma. This individual completed 12 sessions of cognitive processing therapy for PTSD, cognitive only version (CPT-C), followed by four sessions of a cognitive behavioral therapy for nightmares called exposure, relaxation, and rescripting therapy (ERRT). Posttreatment assessments indicated that the individual no longer met criteria for PTSD following CPT-C and that, following ERRT, his nightmares substantially decreased and he experienced further reductions in insomnia, PTSD, and depression. Future directions for research on concurrent treatment of PTSD and sleep disturbance are discussed.
