The term “Psychological trauma” refers to damage wrought from a traumatic event, which that damages one’s ability to cope with stressors. “Trauma” is commonly defined as an exposure to a situation in which a person is confronted with an event that involves actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to self or others’ physical well-being (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Specific types of client trauma frequently encountered by which therapists and other mental health workers frequently encounter in a clinical setting include sexual abuse, physical , or sexual assault, natural disasters such as earthquakes or tsunamis, domestic violence, and school or/and work related violence (James & Gilliland, 2001). Traumatic events tend to overwhelm the ordinary human adaptations to life. The severity of traumatic events cannot be measured in on any single dimension; the primary characteristic of the traumatic event is its power to inspire helplessness and terror. It is also important to realize that a survivor’s experience of the traumatic event is a subjective experience of the objective event. Trauma itself may come in several forms, and there are vast differences among people who experience trauma and the types of reactions trauma elicits in them.
The ordinary human response to danger is a complex, integrated system of reactions that encompass both body and mind. Threats profoundly arouse the central nervous system, causing the body of the person experiencing the danger to initiate an adrenalin rush and go into a state of alert (van der Kolk, 1987). Threats also focus a person’s attention on the immediate situation, creating a loss of faith in any safety, predictability, or meaning in the world, or any sa...
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Greeson et al. (2010) found complex trauma to be a significant predictor on tests for internalizing problems, for PTSD, and for having at least one clinical diagnosis. They recommend a “trauma-informed perspective, because of the negative effects of trauma on an already negatively-affected population” This means catering treatment, considering the client’s experiences and seeking out evidence based approaches to trauma-based treatments.
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When trauma victims process what is going on around them, it can be done in a verbal or written activities. This helps bring the unconscious into the conscious (James & Gilliland, 2016). When there is exposure of what is going on, the client and the therapist can work towards a common goal. There can be homework assignments that can help monitor what has been going on when the victim is at home and busy with their daily routines. The general goal of this approach is to create a new way of thinking about the event that will give the victim hope and a positive outlook on the future ahead (James & Gilliland,
a Humanistic Approach to Trauma Intervention. Journal Of Humanistic Counseling, Education And Development, 46(2), 172.
The article under review is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the DSM-5: Controversy, Change, and Conceptual Considerations by Anushka Pai, Alina M. Suris, and Carol S. North in Behavioral Sciences. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault (U.S. Department VA, 2007). PTSD can happen to anyone and many factors can increase the possibility of developing PTSD that are not under the person’s own control. Symptoms of PTSD usually will start soon after the traumatic event but may not appear for months or years later. There are four types of symptoms of PTSD but may show in different
McCann, I. L., & Pearlman, L. A. (1990). Vicarious traumatization: A framework for understanding the psychological effects of working with victims. Journal of traumatic stress, 3(1), 131-149.
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
Trauma is an incident that leads to a great suffering of body or mind. It is a severe torture to the body and breaks the body’s natural equilibrium. It is defined as an emotional wound causing a psychological injury. American Psychological Association, defined trauma as an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster. Immediately after the event, shock and denial are typical. Longer term reactions include unpredictable emotions, flashbacks and strained relationships. J. Laplanche and J. B. Pontalis assert, “Trauma is an event in the subject life defined by its intensity by the subject’s incapacity to respond adequately to it, and by the upheaval and long lasting effects that it brings about in the psychical organization” (qtd. by Hwangbo 1).
A trauma based approach focuses on normalizing the client’s symptoms and behaviors as well as focusing on what actually happened with the client versus focusing on what is wrong with the client. This approach also focuses on the client learning how to take control and responsibility of their own recovery during treatment ( Bloom, 2000). Within the self-trauma approach, Briere has also incorporated parts of trauma theory, cognitive theory, self-psychology, and behavioral therapy in regards to working with clients who have survived and experienced child abuse ( Briere, 2002). The self-trauma model also incorporates relational and behavioral research and theory in order to address the many issues with emotional, cognitive, interpersonal, and behavioral effects of the child abuse. The main goal of this type of approach, is to avoid the client feeling overwhelmed. Although the goal is to avoid being overwhelmed, the focus is to expose the client to the traumatic material so that it could be integrate and desensitized ( Briere, 2004). Another theory that could apply to Ana is
“Trauma is used when describing emotionally painful and distressing experiences or situations that can overwhelm a person’s ability to cope” (John A. Rich, Theodore Corbin, & Sandra Bloom, 2008). Trauma could include deaths, violence, verbal and nonverbal words and actions, discrimination, racism etc. Trauma could result in serious long-term effects on a person’s health, mental stability, and physical body. Judith Herman, from Trauma and Recovery, said “Traumatic events are extraordinary, not because they occur rarely, but rather because they overwhelm the ordinary human adaptations to life” (John A. Rich, Theodore Corbin, & Sandra Bloom, 2008). Trauma does not involve the same experiences for everyone; each individual is unique in that they, and only they, can decide what is traumatic for them.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common health problem in individuals who encounter a severe trauma or life threatening event. It can occur from war, natural disaster, rape, and many other life-threatening events. However, how do health care professionals know how to diagnose and treat someone with PTSD? It is difficult to diagnose someone with PTSD, but once diagnosed, nurses are extremely involved in the care of these individuals. Post-traumatic stress disorder is especially common in military veterans who experienced a traumatic event in combat. It is important for nurses and other health care members to recognize and understand how to treat a military member with PTSD.
Necessary Behavioral Mental Health intervention does not end at the point first responders have successfully contained the actual crisis. The ongoing need for Behavioral Mental Health services will continue for an extended length of time when a traumatic event such as that depicted in the scenario occur. A copious number of individuals will have ...
There are hundreds of different kinds of psychiatric disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. (DSM-IV). One of them is called Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Based on the research, post-traumatic disorder usually occurs following the experience or witnessing of life-threatening events such as military combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, serious accidents, or violent personal assaults like rape (Harvard Women’s Health Watch, 2005). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the risk factors, pathophysiology, clinical manifestation, diagnostic criteria and tests, treatment, prognosis and future research and approaches to treat this psychiatric illness of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Trauma relates to a type of damage to the mind that comes from a severely distressing event. A traumatic event relates to an experience or repeating events that overwhelmingly precipitated in weeks, months, or decades as one tries to cope with the current situations that can cause negative consequences. People’s general reaction to these events includes intense fear, helplessness or horror. When children experience trauma, they show disorganized or agitative behavior. In addition, the trigger of traumas includes some of the following, harassment, embarrassment, abandonment, abusive relationships, rejection, co-dependence, and many others. Long-term exposure to these events, homelessness, and mild abuse general psychological
the client’s past trauma and understanding how it effects their daily living without it being