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

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.

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

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.