COUNSELING COULD HELP TREAT INSOMNIA

Adopting new attitudes and habits about sleep might help treat insomnia
and prove an alternative to medication. "Many patients were able to
reach fairly normal levels of sleep with this treatment without the use
of sleeping pills, and the results lasted through six months of follow
-up," says medical psychologist Jack Edinger. More than one-tenth of
adult Americans are bothered by unrelenting insomnia. Medical scien-
tists at Duke University in Durham, N.C., tested their therapy on 75
volunteers with persistent insomnia. The treatment helps people think
about sleep in a more constructive way and teaches them how to estab-
lish better sleep patterns. For instance, insomniacs should eliminate
daytime naps and get out of bed at the same time each day, even if it
means getting less sleep. The therapy led to significant sleep improve-
ments within six weeks, and may produce a better long-term effect than
medication. The researchers published their findings in the Journal of
the American Medical Association.

              POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER WEBSITE

Free videos and booklets about post-traumatic stress disorder are now
available at <http://www.PTSDAlliance.org> or by calling (877) 507-7873
 The disorder is most often associated with war veterans, but can
affect anyone who experiences or witnesses extreme trauma or life-
threatening events. This may include sexual assault, domestic abuse,
childhood trauma, physical attacks, car accidents or natural disasters.
The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Alliance says the disorder affects
as many as one out of 13 Americans. Once properly diagnosed, the dis-
order can be treated with counseling and medication, but fewer than 30
percent of patients diagnosed receive treatment. The new Web site pro-
vides general background on the disorder, as well as symptoms, common
misconceptions, diagnosis, treatment and support. The site also pro-
vides links to the four member organizations of the Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder Alliance, each of which offers additional education,
training resources and information about local support groups and
referral services. In addition, the Web site has a section devoted to
helping professionals who deal with trauma regularly.