Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can turn into a very chronic condition that can immensely affect the daily life of an individual. As the name implies, there is a great amount of stress and fear related symptoms that follow a traumatic event. These events can range from something as extreme as being in combat or to something that can happen at any given moment, such as a car accident or assault. In general, we associate this disorder with veterans, as most develop signs of the disorder soon after coming back home, but in reality, PTSD can happen to anyone at any point in their lives. The fifth edition of the American Psychological Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illnesses lists eight criteria that an individual must meet in order to receive proper diagnosis of the disorder. These criteria are dependent whether one is older or younger than six years old, but are both very similar. Specifically in children, there will be more observable behavior during play and demonstrate more attachment towards the parent or guardian, but otherwise, the symptoms are similar to adults. The first criterion states that the patient must have been involved in the traumatic event, whether they were directly involved, witnessed, or heard about the event that involved someone close to them. Vivid flashbacks and nightmares are also an indicator of the disorder. These are not just any flashbacks and nightmares; they relate to the event and cause a great amount of physiological arousal. When it comes to their sleeping habits, there are constant sleep disturbances that can prevent the individual to fall asleep. There must also be avoidance of anything that reminds the patient of the traumatizing event. The patient will do anythin... ... middle of paper ... .... Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices. (2014). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. Retrieved from http://nrepp.samhsa.gov/ViewIntervention.aspx?id=199 Rizzo, A. (2005). Virtual reality exposure therapy. University of Southern California Institute of Creative Technologies. Retrieved from http://ict.usc.edu/prototypes/pts/ Trickey, D., et al.(2012). A meta-analysis of risk factors for post-traumatic stress disorder in children. Clinical Psychology Review, 32, 122-138. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2014). Post-traumatic stress disorder: National center for PTSD. Retrieved from http://www.ptsd.va.gov/PTSD/index.asp Carrion, V. (2001). Attenuation of frontal asymmetry in pediatrics. Society of Biological Psychiatry, 50, 943–951.
Reviewing the 12 Core Concepts of the National Child Trauma Stress Network, James is suffering from three of the 12 concepts. Number 1 core concept, Traumatic experience are inherently complex. Traumatic experiences are inherently complex no experience are the same varying degrees of objective life threat, physical violation, witnessing of an injury or death. The victim perceives their surroundings and decides what is best for them now safety and self-protection. Number 4 core concept, A child or adolescent can exhibit an extensive range of reactions to suffering and loss. Number 9 core concept, the developmental neurobiology triggers a youth’s reactions to traumatic experience. In this paper, we will be covering another trauma that affects the social worker or case worker who works on these cases of
“Studies show that PTSD occurs in 1%-14% of the population. It can be diagnosed at any age, and can occ...
Friedman, Mathew J., MD, PhD. "PTSD History and Overview." PTSD: National Center for PTSD. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 31 Jan. 2007. Web. 03 Dec. 2013.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), originally associated with combat, has always been around in some shape or form but it was not until 1980 that it was named Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and became an accredited diagnosis (Rothschild). The fact is PTSD is one of many names for an old problem; that war has always had a severe psychological impact on people in immediate and lasting ways. PTSD has a history that is as long and significant as the world’s war history - thousands of years. Although, the diagnosis has not been around for that long, different names and symptoms of PTSD always have been. Some physical symptoms include increased blood pressure, excessive heart rate, rapid breathing, muscle tension, nausea, diarrhea, problems with vision, speech, walking disorders, convulsive vomiting, cardiac palpitations, twitching or spasms, weakness and severe muscular cramps. The individual may also suffer from psychological symptoms, such as violent nightmares, flashbacks, melancholy, disturbed sleep or insomnia, loss of appetite, and anxieties when certain things remind them such as the anniversary date of the event (Peterson, 2009).
Exposure therapy, which is a cognitive behavioral approach, currently is considered one of the most effective treatments available (Cukor et al., 2009). Rizzo et al., (2010) talks about one such example of exposure therapy is Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET). The object of V...
The current criteria for assessment of PTSD is only suitable if criterion A is met. Every symptom must be bound to the traumatic event through temporal and/or contextual evidence. The DSM-5 stipulates that to qualify, the symptoms must begin (criterion B or C) or worsen (symptom D and E) after the traumatic event. Even though symptoms must be linked to a traumatic event, this linking does not imply causality or etiology (Pai, 2017, p.4). The changes made with the DSM-5 included increasing the number of symptom groups from three to four and the number of symptoms from 17 to 20. The symptom groups are intrusion, avoidance, negative alterations in cognition and mood, and alterations in arousal and
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is defined by our book, Abnormal Psychology, as “an extreme response to a severe stressor, including increased anxiety, avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma, and symptoms of increased arousal.” In the diagnosis of PTSD, a person must have experienced an serious trauma; including “actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violation.” In the DSM-5, symptoms for PTSD are grouped in four categories. First being intrusively reexperiencing the traumatic event. The person may have recurring memories of the event and may be intensely upset by reminders of the event. Secondly, avoidance of stimuli associated with the event, either internally or externally. Third, signs of mood and cognitive change after the trauma. This includes blaming the self or others for the event and feeling detached from others. The last category is symptoms of increased arousal and reactivity. The person may experience self-destructive behavior and sleep disturbance. The person must have 1 symptom from the first category, 1 from the second, at least 2 from the third, and at least 2 from the fourth. The symptoms began or worsened after the trauma(s) and continued for at least one
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that can develop after a traumatic event (Riley). A more in depth definition of the disorder is given by Doctor’s Nancy Piotrowski and Lillian Range, “A maladaptive condition resulting from exposure to events beyond the realm of normal human experience and characterized by persistent difficulties involving emotional numbing, intense fear, helplessness, horror, re-experiencing of trauma, avoidance, and arousal.” People who suffer from this disease have been a part of or seen an upsetting event that haunts them after the event, and sometimes the rest of their lives. There are nicknames for this disorder such as “shell shock”, “combat neurosis”, and “battle fatigue” (Piotrowski and Range). “Battle fatigue” and “combat neurosis” refer to soldiers who have been overseas and seen disturbing scenes that cause them anxiety they will continue to have when they remember their time spent in war. It is common for a lot of soldiers to be diagnosed with PTSD when returning from battle. Throughout the history of wars American soldiers have been involved in, each war had a different nickname for what is now PTSD (Pitman et al. 769). At first, PTSD was recognized and diagnosed as a personality disorder until after the Vietnam Veterans brought more attention to the disorder, and in 1980 it became a recognized anxiety disorder (Piotrowski and Range). There is not one lone cause of PTSD, and symptoms can vary from hallucinations to detachment of friends and family, making a diagnosis more difficult than normal. To treat and in hopes to prevent those who have this disorder, the doctor may suggest different types of therapy and also prescribe medication to help subside the sympt...
PTSD in Service Members and New Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. (2009). PTSD Research Quarterly, 20(10501835), 1-8. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/newsletters/research-quarterly/V20N1.pdf
There are many different causes of PTSD such as sexual abuse, sudden death of a loved one, and war. Trauma affects people in different ways, some can develop it from watching a fellow soldier being killed, and some can develop it from losing their jobs or a divorce. Being diagnosed with PTSD is a difficult process because there are many other psychological disorders whose symptoms can overlap and are very similar. An important fact to remember is that PTSD doesn’t just affect the person suffering; it can also have secondhand effects on their spouses, children, parents, friends, co-workers, and other loved ones. Although there is no direct cure, there are many treatment and alternative treatment options to assist them in moving forward after a trauma.
PTSD is a mental disorder that comes from suffering from traumatic events. Normally, society has seen it being a war-related disorder. Veterans Healthcare Administration considers PTSD, “medically recognized anxiety disorder that occurs in normal individuals under extremely stressful conditions” (3). Sufferers of PTSD can also be children as traumatic events like natural disasters, abuse, and many other events in which people of any age still struggle to cope with becomes a life-long uphill battle to get over. Even for myself, I suffer from PTSD, and I do not look for sympathy from my audience, but for others to second-handedly understand towards not just the children, but all sufferers of PTSD.
"PTSD: National Center for PTSD Home." National Center for PTSD. VA Health Care, 1 Jan.
Irish, Kobayashi, Delahanty & Douglas. (2009). Journal of Pediatric Psychology. Long-term Physical Health Consequences of Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Meta-Analytic Review. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2910944/
When a child witnesses domestic abuse it can have many different effects on the child. From my research I found that one of the most common effects on the child were mental health problems. In one study, conducted in New Zealand, young people that reported high levels of exposure to inter-parental violence had elevated rates of mental health problems (Fergusson & Horwood, 1998, p.1). Some of the least severe mental health problems included anxiety, inability to focus, and nightmares (Brescoll & Graham-Bermann, 2000, p.2). But these problems, which appear to be less severe, can also be the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (Brescoll & Graham-Bermann, 2000, p.2). In a study conducted in 2001 the results indicated that higher levels of symptoms indicative of post traumatic stress were associated with children who have witnessed domestic violence (Hill & Nabors & Reynolds & Wallace & Weist, 2001, p.1). ?Children who have witnessed domestic violence are more likely to develop symptoms associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; that is, high levels of an...
Treatment of PTSD - National Center for PTSD. (n.d.).National Center for PTSD Home. Retrieved May 24, 2011, from http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/treatment-ptsd.asp