The Time Cure Overcoming PTSD with the New Psychology of Time Perspective Therapy

by Zimbardo, Philip; Sword, Richard; Sword, Rosemary

• ISBN13: 9781118205679
• ISBN10: 1118205677
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-10-23
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass

Summary

New hope for those suffering with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder In his landmark book The Time Paradox, Philip Zimbardo explained that we can transform the way we think about time to attain greater success in work and in life. The Time Cure shows how those living with PTSD can shift their Time Perspectives to change the way they think about past traumatic experiences, get away from the "Fatalistic Present" mindset, and focus more on a positive future. This effective approach can be used by individuals seeking self-help or their loved ones, therapists and counselors, or anybody who wants to move forward to a more positive future. Offers a proven approach for those suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder Contains self-assessments for PTSD sufferers The authors have successfully applied Time Perspective Therapy for more than two decades with those diagnosed with PTSD Includes the techniques that have caught the attention of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who wants to know how the approach can be applied to our veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan Written by an internationally known psychologist and a PTSD specialist, this book is filled with techniques that offer hope for tomorrow.

Author Biography

PHILIP G. ZIMBARDO, PhD, (Palo Alto, CA) is an internationally recognized scholar, educator, researcher, and media personality. A professor emeritus at Stanford University, Zimbardo is best known for his landmark Stanford prison study. He is also the author of numerous successful books including The Lucifer Effect (Random House, 2007) and The Time Paradox (Free Press, 2008), as well as psychology textbooks. He has taught at Stanford, Yale, NYU, and Columbia, and is a past president of the American Psychological Association.

RICHARD M. SWORD, PhD, (Makawao, HI) is a practicing psychologist on Maui. His work in behavioral medicine has helped hundreds of people heal from traumatic events, including accidents, physical injuries, and combat-related PTSD. Sword has worked with FEMA to develop a model for Psychology in Disaster Stress Response, and has worked with Vietnam Veterans for over 20 years. He is recognized by the Veterans Administration as a leading expert in combat-related PTSD. To learn more, visit www.lifehut.com.

ROSEMARY SWORD (Makawao, HI) is a counselor in private practice. She is on the Integrative Medicine staff at the Cardiac Care Unit of Maui Memorial Medical Center.

Table of Contents

Introduction by Philip Zimbardo xi

Preface by Richard and Rosemary Sword xix

part 1 PTSD and time perspective therapy

1 How PTSD Sufferers Get Stuck in Time 3

PTSD basics 6

2 A New Psychology of Time 31

The Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory 46

3 Time Perspective Therapy 63

part 2 the stories

4 War Veterans, PTSD, and Time Perspective Therapy 95

‘‘I Can Still Feel the Shock Wave of the Incoming Artillery Hitting Us’’ Aki, WorldWar II Veteran 105

‘‘I Didn’t Want to Shoot Villagers’’ Mike, KoreanWar Veteran 112

‘‘The Rush of Taking a Human Life Was My Addiction’’ Ed, VietnamWar Veteran 119

‘‘It’s Etched Forever in My Memory’’ Sean, GulfWar Veteran 128

‘‘Something Snapped Inside Me’’ Everest, Iraq War Veteran 135

5 Everyday Trauma, PTSD, and Time Perspective Therapy 145

‘‘The Call That Broke the Camel’s Back’’ Mary 149

‘‘I Felt Totally Inadequate’’ Jenny 158

‘‘I Thought IWas Dead for Sure’’ Sherman 166

‘‘I Don’t Know If I Killed Her—It’sWorse If You Don’t Know’’ Randall 175

6 Women, PTSD, and Time Perspective Therapy 185

‘‘And Anyway, No One Will Believe You’’ Iris 187

‘‘I Felt Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place’’ Eve 197

‘‘I Felt Like IWas Half a Person’’ Faith 205

‘‘I Hid in the Closet forWhat Seemed Like Eternity’’ Keiko 214

‘‘It Has Been So Hard’’ Betty 227

‘‘I Got Really Scared’’ Grace 235

Epilogue 247

Glossary 251

Resources 255

Appendix A: How TPT Compares with Other Approaches 261

Appendix B: Clinical Trial: TPT Pilot Study Research Data 265

Appendix C: Client Psychological Test Scores 273

Acknowledgments 281

About the Authors 283

Endnotes 285

Index 301