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Writing 101: Writing in the Discipline, Psychology /Fall 2009
Marivel Lopez, Analicia Rangel-Garcia, Khae Saechao
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
1.) What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a type of anxiety disorder that's triggered by a traumatic
event. You can develop post-traumatic stress disorder when you experience or witness an event
that causes intense fear, helplessness or horror.
Some examples of these experiences or events are combat or military exposure, child sexual or
physical abuse, terrorist attacks, sexual or physical assault, serious accidents, such as a car wreck,
and natural disasters, such as a fire, tornado, hurricane, flood, or earthquake.
People that suffer from PTSD also may also have drinking or drug problems, feelings of
hopelessness, shame, or despair, employment problems, relationships problems including divorce
and violence, and physical symptoms.
2.) Types of Trauma & Causes
Any type of trauma that causes is somehow life-threatening or any event that severely threatens
one’s emotional well-being. Trauma also consists of any event that causes a state of intense fear.
Some traumatic events include being a victim of rape, witnessing a severe accident/injury, being a
victim of torture, being a victim of kidnapping, war exposure, undergoing, physical, mental, or
emotional abuse, or even receiving a diagnosis of a life-threatening disease or illness such as
cancer. The longer one endures the traumatic event, the number of times one has endured a
traumatic event, and the severity of the event put people at a much higher risk of developing
PTSD.
Traumatic events are the causes of PTSD, for they cause the psychological effects of the
traumatic incident.
3.) Signs and Symptoms
PTSD symptoms are usually grouped into 3 primary types:
1) Intrusive memories (Re-experiencing the traumatic events)
- Flashback (feel like the traumatic event is happening again)
- Upsetting dreams about the traumatic event
- Nightmares
- Feeling of intense distress when reminded of the event
2) Avoidance and numbing
Trying to avoid thinking about the traumatic event
- Feeling emotionally numb
- Avoiding activities (lost of interest in activities you once enjoyed)
- Hopelessness about the future
- Memory problems
- Trouble concentrating
- Difficulty maintain close relationships
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Anxiety and Increased emotional arousal
- Trouble sleeping
- Being easily startled or frightened
- Imagining things (Hearing or seeing things that aren’t there)
- Irritability or anger
- Trouble concentrating
4) Other common symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder
- Guilt, shame, or self-blame
- Depression and hopelessness
- Feeling alienated and alone
- Feeling mistrust and betrayal
- Headaches, stomach problems, and chest pain
4.) Assessment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder:
Clinical assessment of Post Traumatic stress consists of methods of evaluation. There are four
primary subjects that must be evaluated. These include history of exposure, prior trauma, preexisting and co-morbid conditions. In addition, it is important for assessments to always be
translated within a sociocultural context, as well as in the language spoken by the client.
Instruments of assessment include trauma exposure measures, deployment measures, child
measures, adult interviews, PTSD screens, and adult self reports. Trauma exposure measures
measure the types of trauma someone has been exposed to, as well as the severity of the traumatic
event the person has been exposed to. Some trauma exposure measures include:
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Evaluation of Lifetime Stressors
Trauma History Questionnaire
Trauma Assessment for Adults
Stressful Life Events Screening Questionnaire
Combat Exposure Scale
Traumatic Stress Schedule
Professionals who examine a child or teenager will interview both the parent and the child, but
separately due to the fact that the parent or guardian may have a different perspective then the
child may have, depending on the child’s age. In some cases, professionals will use a rating scale
or a structured psychiatric interview for children in order to test for PTSD. The tools used include
the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents-Revised (DICA-R).
5.) Types of Treatment
1) Cognitive Therapy
Cognitive Therapy for PTSD helps you understand your feeling, change your thought
processes, and situations that remind you of the trauma. A therapist will identify your
upsetting thoughts about the traumatic events that had happened. Cognitive therapy will help
you look at the event in different ways and understand that the event is not your fault,
because people often blame themselves after the traumatic events.
2) Exposure Therapy
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Exposure Therapy is place where you talk about the past events of what happened, a
traumatic event. A therapist will help you trace your memories in step, by talking about the
traumatic events, it may help you reduce the amount of fear you have. At first, people usually
feel overwhelmed and resist talking about the event, but as you continue to discuss it and
learned not to be afraid of your memories, you will become more comfortable.
3) Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is new types of treatment for PTSD. They are similar to cognitive or exposure
therapy, works to change how you react to memories of a stressful or traumatic event. During
EMDR, you will learn to focus on external stimulus, such as eye movements, tapping of
fingers or sounds when recalling memories.
4) Group Therapy
Group therapy is a form of talk therapy, where people had similar experiences join together
and talk about the trauma, and help those participants’ deals with symptoms of PTSD and
stressful memories. They shares story within a group of peers, which can help you feel more
comfortable discussing the event.
5) Family Therapy
Family therapy is where you talk with your family members and help your loved ones to
understand what you’re going through. It can help everyone in the family to communicate
better and work through relationship problems.
6) Medication
Medication is prescription to people with PTSD to relieve secondary symptoms of depression
or anxiety.
6.) Resources for Getting Help
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Where can I go for help?
If you are unsure where to go for help, ask your family doctor. Others who can help are listed below.
Mental health resources
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Mental health specialists, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, or mental
health counselors
Health maintenance organizations
Community mental health centers
Hospital psychiatry departments and outpatient clinics
Mental health programs at universities or medical schools
State hospital outpatient clinics
Family services, social agencies, or clergy
Peer support groups
Private clinics and facilities
Employee assistance programs
Local medical and/or psychiatric societies.
You can also check the phone book under “mental health,” “health,” “social services,” “hotlines,” or
“physicians” for phone numbers and addresses. An emergency room doctor can also provide
temporary help and can tell you where and how to get further help.
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You can go to website http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/web-resources/web-trauma-organizations.asp
for more online resources on PTSD
Quick Facts about PTSD
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7.7 million Americans age 18 and older have PTSD.
Sixty-seven percent of people exposed to mass violence have been shown to develop PTSD, a
higher rate than those exposed to natural disasters or other types of traumatic events.
People who have experienced previous traumatic events run a higher risk of developing PTSD.
References
Anxiety - Types of Treatment for PTSD. (n.d.). Retrieved October 14, 2009, from
http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/22705/88438/types-treatment
Assessment - National Center for PTSD. (n.d.). Retrieved October 16, 2009, from
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/pages/assessments/assessment.asp
Bing Health Article - Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). (n.d.). Retrieved October 16, 2009, from
http://www.bing.com/health/article.aspx?id=articles%2fmayo%2f24ED1CA08E5EDFF5E0F712
EAB74D9054.html&br=lv&q=ptsd&FORM=K1RE
NIMH · What is post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD?. (n.d.). Retrieved October 13, 2009, from
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/what-is-posttraumatic-stress-disorder-or-ptsd.shtml
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Symptoms - MayoClinic.com. (n.d.). Retrieved October 14, 2009,
from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/post-traumatic-stressdisorder/DS00246/DSECTION=symptoms
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). (n.d.). Retrieved October 18, 2009, from
www.medicinenet.com/posttraumatic_stress_disorder/page5.htm
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) -- Anxiety Disorders Association of America. (n.d.). Retrieved
October 16, 2009, from http://www.adaa.org/GettingHelp/AnxietyDisorders/PTSD.asp
Smith, M., Segal, R., & Segal, J. (n.d.). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Symptoms, Treatment,
and Self-Help. Retrieved October 14, 2009, from
http://helpguide.org/mental/post_traumatic_stress_disorder_symptoms_treatment.htm
Sue, D., & Sue, D. W. (2007). Counseling the Culturally Diverse: Theory and Practice. New York, NY:
Wiley.
What is PTSD? - National Center for PTSD. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2009, from
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/what-is-ptsd.asp