Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has a projected lifetime risk (according to DSM-IV-TR criteria) of 8.7%, meaning 8.7% of the population will develop PTSD. Because of this, it is important to be knowledgeable about PTSD's causes, symptoms, and who's at risk.
Should you choose to complete this assignment for course credit, please do the following:
- Read this article from the National Institute of Mental Health.
- Watch this short YouTube clip.
- What is PTSD?
- Describe the signs, symptoms, and causes of PTSD. (See the "please note" at the bottom of this post)
- What types of incidences can contribute to the development of PTSD?
- How do children and adults differ in their experiences of PTSD?
- In the video, Dr. Davidson describes some of the physical symptoms associated with PTSD. What are some of these symptoms?
- Describe a few of the treatment options for PTSD.
- Do you have a personal connection with PTSD (i.e., does someone you know have PTSD)? How has PTSD affected their social relationships? **Please de-identify this person when writing - do not include a name, you can simply write that you know a person.**
Re-experiencing
Avoidance
Persistent negative alterations in cognition and mood (this is the numbing aspect)
Arousal
PTSD is a mental disorder that is characterized by a person continuing to have a fear response to a dangerous or deadly event that happened to them or that they have seen. PTSD is usually characterized by numerous symptoms that fit into three main areas: re-experiencing symptoms, avoidance symptoms and hyperarousal symptoms. A couple re-experiencing symptoms are reliving the event in flashbacks and bad dreams. A couple avoidance symptoms are feeling emotionally numb and avoiding the place where the even happened. A couple hyperarousal symptoms are being easily startled and feeling on edge. Dr. Davidson describes that people with PTSD will commonly dart their eyes around to look for signs of danger, abuse substances and have trouble keeping healthy relationships.
ReplyDeleteThe overall cause of PTSD is living through a dangerous or deadly event that happened to the person with the condition or if the person watched it happen to someone else. A few examples of the type of incidences that can cause PTSD are sexual abuse, other abuse, car accidents, serious illness, or sudden death. There are a few risk factors that make some people more susceptible to illness than others. These include genetic factors and development of different brain areas. Typically children and adults will handle PTSD differently. For example, children will wet the bed, forget how to walk, act out, and become clingy to adults. Adults will react as according to the symptoms listed above. Some treatments for PTSD include psychotherapy (exposure therapy, cognitive restructuring, and stress inoculation training), talk therapy or medication.
I have had some exposure to PTSD in my life. It has greatly affected my relationship with this person. They are either extremely withdrawn, extremely quick to anger, easily frightened, and avoidant of other family members.