ABSTRACT Avoidance can be a significant barrier to engaging in trauma-focused treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as being a mechanism that creates restrictions that can seriously impact functioning and wellbeing. Following an outpatient study with veterans that indicated art therapy might assist the overcoming of avoidance, a group of veterans was offered an art therapy-focused, short-stay, inpatient admission at the veterans’ mental health charity Combat Stress to explore this potential outcome. Participants were able to use the art therapy process to express and tolerate painful thoughts and emotions, and to consider the effects of rigid perceptions. The group dynamic between the veterans created a strong container for this process. Consequently, this study suggests that art therapy can be constructively employed in assisting veterans to overcome avoidance PTSD symptoms and as a means of opening up new ways of perceiving, interpreting, and responding to situations. It is proposed that the non-verbal operations of art therapy enable this process through the use of imagination and creativity.

中文翻译：

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使用艺术疗法克服慢性创伤后应激障碍退伍军人的回避

摘要 回避可能是进行创伤后应激障碍 (PTSD) 以创伤为重点的治疗的一个重要障碍，也是一种产生限制的机制，可能会严重影响功能和福祉。在对退伍军人进行的门诊研究表明艺术疗法可能有助于克服回避问题之后，一组退伍军人在退伍军人的心理健康慈善机构 Combat Stress 接受了以艺术治疗为重点的短期住院治疗，以探索这种潜在的结果。参与者能够使用艺术治疗过程来表达和忍受痛苦的想法和情绪，并考虑僵化观念的影响。退伍军人之间的团队动态为这个过程创造了一个强大的容器。最后，这项研究表明，艺术疗法可以建设性地用于帮助退伍军人克服回避型 PTSD 症状，并作为开辟感知、解释和应对情况的新方法的一种手段。建议艺术治疗的非语言操作通过使用想象力和创造力来实现这一过程。