The overwhelming negative emotions that trauma survivors experience can be a roadblock to one’s recovery. Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) helps individuals adjust their beliefs about the consequences of traumatic events they’ve had to endure. For example, if one believes that a traumatic event, or a series of traumatic events, is the reason for the subsequent bad stroke of luck in life, then the individual’s beliefs about the past event(s) will continue to exacerbate one’s outlook on life.
Ongoing negative beliefs about oneself and the effects of the trauma will block his or her progress from moving forward if one does not learn to change maladaptive thinking patterns. Individuals suffering from PTSD symptoms often feel unsafe, helpless and powerless, which adversely affects intimacy in their relationships.
Since most people do not have the healthy coping mechanisms they need to move forward, they turn to unhealthy behaviors such as avoiding traumatic triggers in order to function on a daily basis. By avoiding traumatic triggers, individuals also limit themselves from processing their traumatic experience, so they remain “stuck” and experience roadblocks in their personal growth.