Download PTSD - Veterans Today

Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD)
Positive Interactions With
Veterans with PTSD
Purpose for Educational Teaching
Unit
This educational instruction unit will:
Become a basic class offered during the
orientation of all new employees.
Also be included in the competencies that
all employees who interact with veterans
with PTSD will be required to renew yearly.
Enhance the current staff communication
skills needed in successful interactions with
veterans with PTSD.
Improve interaction with and cooperation
from veterans who have PTSD.
Objectives of Teaching Unit
To define PTSD.
To identify potential causes for poor interactions
and communication to develop between staff
members and veterans with PTSD.
Present an opportunity for role-playing between
staff members to facilitate effective communication
between staff members and the veteran with
PTSD.
To encourage behaviors on the part of the staff
members which will be reflected in positive
interactions between staff members and veterans
with PTSD.
Incidence of PTSD
PTSD is experienced by 9% of the
general population.
The veteran population has a much
greater chance of experiencing
PTSD.
At least 30% of the still living veterans
who served in Vietnam are diagnosed
with PTSD.(Dieperink et al., 2005)
Causes for PTSD
An experience of violence.
Experiencing traumatic events such
as death of another, serious physical
harms, or the threat of either.
Experiencing feelings of intense fear,
helplessness, or horror.
Man-made disasters such as a
bombing.
Natural disasters such as a hurricane.
Reactions to stress
Feelings of stress after trauma are
normal.
With PTSD, symptoms are more
severe and last longer and can affect
relationships, employment, and other
parts of life.
Trauma Exposure
Associated with:
Dysregulation of the neuroendocrine,
neurotransmitter, and autonomic and central
nervous systems, which can cause
considerable harm to health.
Common responses of avoidance
symptomatology of PTSD reduce the chance
that people affected will seek medical help.
Those with PTSD may also have restricted
social networks and social isolation (Lee, 1997).
Symptoms of PTSD
The emotional numbing symptoms of PTSD lead to
withdrawal and difficulties in expressing emotion (Riggs, Byrne,
Weathers, & Litz, 1998).
Veterans with PTSD will leave a facility without treatment,
rather than to have confrontational interactions where they
feel neglected and uncared about.
A veteran with PTSD may find it very difficult to leave his or
her home to come to an appointment.
The person with PTSD is intuitive, quick to react, and will
often have severe amounts of anxiety about all things and
has little resource to deal with stressors of any nature.
Patients with PTSD often express difficulties with
concentration, attention and memory (Neylan et al., 2004).
Symptoms continued….
Have sleepless nights or trouble falling asleep.
Poor emotional ties, which leads to social
isolation.
Trouble dealing with stress.
Increased response to stressors. Increased “flight
or fight” reactions
Poor employment history.
Have difficulty in controlling painful memories.
Relive the traumatic event.
Avoid situations that remind him or her of the
traumatic event.
Irritability.
Symptoms continued…
Hyper-vigilant and feel keyed up.
Experiencing depression.
Feeling numb.
Fear for personal safety and the
safety of others.
Feelings of guilt, self-blame, and
shame (Iraq War Clinician Guide: National
Center for PTSD Fact Sheet, 2004).
How to Positively Interact with
Veterans with PTSD
Introduce yourself and have a positive attitude,
explain what is going to happen if the veteran is
there for a procedure.
Make eye contact.
Be formal unless given permission to be
informal.
Use a quite tone of voice and speak while
looking at the veteran (many have hearing
deficits).
Positive Tools for Interactions
Use the patient’s name, he or she is
not a task or case.
Let the veteran know that you
appreciate the situation that he or she
finds him or herself in.
Listen carefully and make sure you
understand.
Acknowledge and express concern.
More Positive Interactive Tools
Listen, clarify, use common language,
avoid using rules as reasons to not help.
“What have you heard?” is a good question
to ask.
Offer respect.
Appreciate what the veteran has gone
through and will be going through.
Offer choices when making appointments,
try to coordinate all appointments on the
same day.
Positive Influences
Look for the patient’s strengths.
Welcome concerns and complaints.
Do not hurry. Remain calm.
The veteran is always right.
References
Dieperink, M., Erbes, C., Laskela, J.,
Kaloupek, D., Farrer, M.K., Fisher, L.,
& Wolf, E. (2005). Comparison of
treatment for post-traumatic stress
disorder among three departments of
veterans affairs medical centers.
Military Medicine (170), 305-308.
Lee, L. (1997). Social support, reciprocity, and
well-being. Journal of Social Psychology
(137), 618-628.
References
Iraq War Clinician Guide, 2nd edition
(2004). War-zone-related stress reactions: What families
need to know. A National Center for PTSD Fact Sheet.
Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
Neylan, T., Lenoci, M., Rothlind, J., Metzler, T., Schuff, N.,
Du, A., Franklin, K., Weiss, D., Weiner, M. & Marmar, C.
(2004). Attention, learning, and memory in posttraumatic
stress disorder. Journal of Traumatic Stress 17 (1), 4146.
Riggs, D., Byrne, C., Weathers, F. & Litz, B. (1998). The
quality of intimate relationships of male Vietnam
veterans: Problems associated with posttraumatic stress
disorder. Journal of Traumatic Stress 11, 87-101.