Case report
Clinical treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder in patients with serious dual diagnosis problems
L.W.J. van Rens, G.H. de Weert-van Oene, A.A. van Oosteren, C. Rutten
Summary
Three patients with severe addiction problems, early sexual trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder (ptsd) comorbid psychotic vulnerability and personality problems received integrated treatment following admission to a clinic specialising in the care of patients with a dual diagnosis. Treatment was administered in accordance with current guidelines and involved either imaginal exposure or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (emdr), integrated with relapse management of addiction problems. It is concluded that the current evidence-based guidelines regarding ptsd and addiction can also be applied successfully and effectively to an extremely vulnerable patient population.