Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
According to the American Psychiatric Association (1994), post
traumatic stress disorder develops after someone is exposed to an
extremely traumatic event and they reacted to the event with intense
fear, horror or helplessness.
Such traumatic events include:
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war
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torture
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rape
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child sexual or physical assault
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physical assault
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being kidnapped
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terrorism
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a natural disaster (e.g. a bushfire, flood or cyclone)
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a major car accident
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being diagnosed with a potentially fatal illness e.g. cancer
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finding the body of someone who has committed suicide or been
murdered
The Intrusive Symptoms include:
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Distressing thoughts or images
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Nightmares about the event
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Feeling or acting as if the traumatic event were recurring
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intense psychological distress when exposed to something that
triggers memories of the traumatic event.
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Physical symptoms such as sweating, muscle tension and rapid
heartbeat when exposed to things that trigger memories of the
traumatic event.
The Avoidance Symptoms include:
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Trying to avoid thinking or talking about the trauma, as well
as any feelings associated with the trauma.
PTSD sufferers may resort to alcohol or illicit drugs to block
out unwanted memories & feelings. According to the Australian
Centre for Post Traumatic Mental Health (1999), approximately
50% of men and 25% of women with chronic PTSD have drug and
alcohol issues
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Avoiding people, places and activities that trigger memories
of the traumatic event.
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not remembering an important part of the traumatic event
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Losing interest in, and enjoyment of e.g. leisure activities,
study, work or stop participating in such activities altogether.
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Feeling detached from other people
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Being unable to feel joy or have loving feelings
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Not be able to see a future for themselves, they don't expect
to get married, have a family , live a long time
The Physical Arousal Symptoms include:
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Sleep disturbance
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irritability or anger
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impaired concentration
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being always on the alert for signs of danger
The PTSD sufferer may be constantly scanning their surroundings
for possible threats, e.g. someone who has been in a major car
accident may become a back seat driver. Someone who has been
physically assaulted may always sit with their back to a wall
so noone can sneak up behind them
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being easily startled
THE PTSD sufferer may overreact to something such as a noise.
E.g. a war veteran may be shaken if they hear a car backfire
because of their past experience of being threatened by gun
fire)
TREATMENT OF PTSD
Psychological Treatment of PTSD in adults involves a number of
phases, including:
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Education and information
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Learning how to manage anxiety, anger and depression
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Exposure therapy where the sufferer confronts feared situations
and memories
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Cognitive therapy- where unhelpful, irrational thoughts and
beliefs are replaced with more rational ones
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Relapse prevention
(Foa, Davdison & Frances (1999).
Psychological Treatment of children with PTSD may include:
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play therapy
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information about PTSD
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anxiety, anger and depression management techniques
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cognitive therapy
(Foa, Davidson & Frances (1999).
Other therapies used for post traumatic stress disorder include:
hypnotherapy, eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR) and
psychodynamic psychotherapy. However, Foa, Davidson & Frances
(1999) found that the experts they consulted did not favour these
techniques for the treatment of PTSD.
It is common for PTSD sufferers to have other psychological disorders
as well. The most common mental conditions accompanying PTSD include:
drug & alcohol issues, depression, social anxiety, panic and/or
agoraphobia, generalised anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder
and bipolar mood disorder.(Foa, Davidson & Frances (1999).
American Psychiatric Association (1994). Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual Of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Washington, DC: American
Psychiatric Press.
Foa,E.B., Davidson, J.R.T.& Frances, A , Editors (1999) Expert
Consensus Guidelines Series, Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
Journal of Clinical Psychiatry; 60 (suppl 16).
Australian Centre for Post traumatic Mental Health (1999) PostTraumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD) and War Related Stress. Information for Veterans
and their Families.
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Anxiety
Disorders