Read Stories > Prolonged Exposure Therapy — In Veterans’ Words

“It’s a very intense therapy,” says Steven, a U.S. Army Veteran, who underwent prolonged exposure therapy to help him manage his symptoms of PTSD. “But it’s by far one of the most important, because I probably would not be here if I hadn’t done the therapies.”

Related: Veterans on Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD

What is prolonged exposure therapy and how does it work? According to VA’s National Center for PTSD, prolonged exposure therapy teaches Veterans to gradually approach trauma-related memories, feelings, and situations that they have avoided revisiting since experiencing trauma. Confronting these challenges can decrease PTSD symptoms.

“You keep repeating [the memory] and reliving it until it seems normal to you,” says Scott, a U.S. Navy Veteran. “It seemed to help quite a bit.”

For Stephanie, the difference in her ability to confront her past before and after the therapy was like night and day. “I felt like this thing was chasing me — this big ugly monster after me,” she says. “And then [after treatment], I turned around and it was really just a mouse.”