Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a syndrome that was initially discovered among veterans. Today, however, PTSD is known to affect many individuals involved in a variety of traumatic events such as accidents, rape, assault, or natural disasters. The lifetime prevalence of developing PTSD following the exposure to a violent incident is 15% among the general population. Moreover, PTSD can lead to the development of other mental illnesses.
Insufficient Care for Victims in Post-Traumatic Stress
Although psychological disorders are accurately diagnosed by medical professionals, people with PTSD have not received adequate, simple, and effective treatment.
Alain Brunet made it his mission to find a way to treat people suffering from traumatic stress. It all began in 1989, while Dr. Brunet was a psychology student at the University of Montreal, during the time of the Polytechnique shooting. This experience made him became aware of the immense lack of care for those who remain affected by psychotraumatic disorders. From that day forward, Alain decided to devote his life to finding an effective cure for treating patients with PTSD.
The Brunet Method™ Turns a Traumatic Memory into an Ordinary Bad Memory
Alain Brunet’s Reconsolidation Therapy™ does not aim to erase memories, like deleting a file from a hard drive. Rather, it alleviates the excessive emotions associated with a memory, allowing the patient to free themselves from their post-traumatic stress disorder.
Based on recent discoveries in neuroscience regarding the functioning of memory, Reconsolidation Therapy ™ is a simple, fast, and effective method for treating the memories of victims who have suffered an emotional trauma.
Without the use of antidepressants, the Brunet Method™ gradually and sustainably reduces the emotional burden of a traumatic memory in just six weeks. The method developed in Canada by Dr. Alain Brunet and his team (2008) combines brief psychotherapy with a beta-blocker. This therapy has allowed patients to reclaim their lives and provides hope for millions of people around the world.
The Brunet Method™ that is Scientifically Proven to be Effective
%
of people exposed to traumatic events develop a trauma-related disorder
A French mental health survey conducted by Professor Louis Jehel following the tragic AZF chemical factory explosion in Toulouse and Cyclone Xynthia revealed that among the populations involved in large-scale accidents or natural disasters, 25% of direct victims could develop PTSD disorders.
%
of patients treated with Reconsolidation Therapy™ respond favourably to treatment
The therapeutic method developed by Dr. Alain Brunet allows 70% of patients treated to free themselves from their traumatic memories and resume a normal life. Following the attacks in Paris, Dr. Brunet proposed a unique protocol called “Paris Mémoire Vive” to the Paris Hospital Network (AP-HP), which aimed at training 200 clinicians in this innovative method to treat post-traumatic stress. The clinicians were recruited from 20 Parisian and provincial hospitals participated, including “La Pitié Salpétrière”, which is recognized worldwide for its brain institute.
An Efficient and Faster Method versus Conventional Therapies
The efficacy of Alain Brunet’s Reconsolidation Therapy is often compared with that of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. While both methods are effective, they have their limitations. For example, many have frequent relapses when being treated with psychotherapy, whereas others may have to discontinue treatment due to the side effects of antidepressants.
Psychotherapy or anti-depressants?
- Psychotherapy is effective in some cases; however, it is relatively slow. In fact, 50% of patients relapse after one year. The practice of psychotherapy also requires extensive training. Therefore, finding a trained therapists can be difficult and costly.
- Antidepressants are also effective, but they must be taken daily for at least one year. A significant proportion of patients drop out after a few weeks: 32% of them discontinue treatment due to side effects (loss of libido, nausea, weight gain, etc.), and 30% of them relapse after one year.
Brunet's Reconsolidation Therapy™
With fewer relapses and dropouts during treatment, Reconsolidation Therapy™ is more efficient and faster. Training medical and mental health professionals on this method to treat patients is a simple and quick process that only takes three days. Once trained, the therapy can be quickly implemented.
If the treatment does not work for some patients, it can still be effective. The therapeutic method can be effective several weeks later at the completion of the treatment protocol.
This was the case for Lou, the third patient followed by the team of “Envoyé Spécial”, the French television program. Some patients may develop a stronger resistance to treatment than others. (You can see his treatment process in the “Envoyé Spécial” found in the Media section.)
This innovative therapeutic method was adapted to deal with large-scale disasters, such as the Paris or Nice terrorist attacks. In response to the traumatizing events which occurred in both cities, the “Paris Mémoire Vive” protocol was created and launched in May 2016 to increase the use of the treatment.
A Revolutionary Method to Help Victims of Post-Traumatic Stress
Testimonials from Patients who Benefited from the Reconsolidation Therapy™
After receiving the therapy, I was finally able to talk about the attack without reliving the pain. Before, I would have cracked. Without this treatment, I think I would have made a big mistake!
I can go out again without jumping at the slightest sound. I can drive again without stress. I have returned to work and can cope with the ambient noise of the crowd. A weight has been lifted off of my shoulders, which has allowed me to move forward.
When reading my story, I suddenly realized that there was no longer an attachment. It was like reading a book.
The memory is still there, but it doesn’t hurt me anymore. Life can go on.