Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Research Paper

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Alexander Cayetano
06 March 2016

The American Psychiatric Association added Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder to the third edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III). The key to understanding the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is the concept of trauma. The latest revision, the DSM-V (2013), has made a number of notable evidence-based revisions to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder diagnostic criteria, with both important conceptual and clinical implications. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is now classified in a new category, Trauma and Stress Related Disorders, in which the onset of every disorder has been preceded by exposure to a traumatic event. The latest revision
also includes various treatments, including psychotherapy and medications best used for treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

It is natural to feel afraid during and after a traumatic situation. Fear triggers many physical changes in the body to help defend against danger or to avoid it. This reaction, commonly referred to as the “fight-or-flight” response, is a healthy reaction meant to protect a person from harm. Nearly everyone will experience a range of reactions after trauma, yet most people recover from initial symptoms naturally. Those who continue to experience problems may be diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. People who have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder may feel stressed or frightened even when they are not in danger. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a shocking, scary, or dangerous event or an ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Although not all individuals who have been traumatized develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, there can be significant physical consequences of being traumatized. For example, research indicates that people who have been exposed to an extreme stressor sometimes have a smaller hippocampus, the region of brain that plays a role in memory, than people who have not been exposed to trauma (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Risk Prediction, 2011).
Post-traumatic stress disorder first became a diagnostic category due to problems many of the Vietnam veterans experienced after they returned from battle. Stress reactions to events in battle had already been discovered in previous wars such as World War I and World War II, however, the veterans of the Vietnam War seemed particularly affected by the disorder. A majority of the veterans developed common symptoms despite their age, personality and previous life experiences. To be diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, an adult must have all of the following for at least a month: at least one re-experiencing symptom, one avoidance symptom, two arousal and reactivity symptoms and two cognition and mood symptoms. Re-experiencing symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares or frightening thoughts, all of which are instances of reliving the trauma over and over and can cause physical symptoms like an increased heart rate and/or sweating. Sounds, objects, or situations that are reminders of the event can also trigger re-experiencing symptoms. Avoidance symptoms include staying away from places, events, or objects that are reminders of the traumatic experience, feeling strong guilt, depression, or worry or losing interest in activities that were enjoyable in the past. Arousal and reactivity symptoms include being easily startled, feeling tense, having trouble sleeping and having violent or angry outbursts. Lastly, cognition and mood symptoms can include trouble remembering specifics of the traumatic event and negative thoughts about oneself or the world. These symptoms are specifically for adults but it is not to say that only adults can suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). As mentioned in the previous paragraph, associations are something that can trigger flashbacks. It can be anything from noise, smell, a building, a television show to a random situation. For example; a veteran finds him or herself at home when a car suddenly backfires outside. The sound brings up mental images and flashbacks of the war he or she once was a part of. When a situation can be predicted, an individual’s reaction to it won’t be as dramatic as it would be if it came unexpected. When a shock is predicted, it gives the individual preparation time in which leads the individual to feel safe on some extent (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Risk Prediction, 2011). Although many people stereotype Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as a military veteran’s disorder, it does not solely affect veterans.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs (2014), sexual abuse, especially child sexual abuse, is one of the leading causes of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Child sexual abuse includes a wide range of sexual behaviors that take place between a child and an older person. These behaviors are meant to arouse the older person in a sexual way. Child sexual abuse often involves body contact. This could include sexual kissing, touching, and oral, anal, or vaginal sex. Not all sexual abuse involves body contact, though. Showing genitals, forcing children to watch pornography, verbal pressure for sex, and exploiting children as prostitutes or for pornography can be sexual abuse as well. Researchers estimate that in our country about one out of six boys and one out of four girls are sexually abused. Almost every child sexual abuse victim describes the abuse as negative. Most children know it is wrong. They usually have feelings of fear, shock, anger, and disgust. A small number of abused children might not realize it is wrong, though. These children tend to be very young or have mental delays. Also some victims might enjoy the attention, closeness, or physical contact with the abuser. Children who have been sexually abused may experience many long-term symptoms, including; anxiety, depression, low self-image and Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder. It’s typical for a person who suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder not to reach out for help.
In fact, it’s part of the condition to live alone in the trauma (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Risk Prediction, 2011). The treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder consists of various forms of psychotherapy; cognitive therapy, exposure therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. Cognitive therapy, is a type of talk therapy helps you recognize the ways of thinking that are keeping you locked in the traumatic event, for example, negative or inaccurate ways of perceiving normal situations. For Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, cognitive therapy often is used along with exposure therapy. Exposure therapy is a specific type of cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy that is often used in the treatment of phobias. Exposure therapy is a safe and proven technique when used by an experienced, licensed therapist who specializes in these kinds of conditions and treatments. In Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, exposure therapy is intended to help the patient face and gain control of the fear and distress that was overwhelming in the trauma, and must be done very carefully in order not to re-traumatize the patient. The last and newest technique is eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing does not rely on talk therapy or medications. Instead, it uses a patient's own rapid, rhythmic eye movements. These eye
movements dampen the power of emotionally charged memories of past traumatic events. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing appears to be a safe therapy, with no negative side effects. Still, despite its increasing use, mental health practitioners debate eye movement desensitization and reprocessing effectiveness. Critics note that most eye movement desensitization and reprocessing studies have involved only small numbers of participants. Other researchers have shown the treatment's effectiveness in published reports that consolidated data from several studies (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). A therapist cannot start any treatment directly after the incident occurred. However, the treatment must begin shortly after the patient is safe. The general idea of the treatment is to integrate the traumatic memory as a normal memory, and prevent the memory from having too much influence on the person’s regular lifestyle. Outside of therapy, patients can also be prescribed medications. Antidepressants are medications that can help symptoms of depression and anxiety. They can also help improve the sleep problems and concentration of patients. Anti-anxiety medications are also used to improve feelings of anxiety and stress for a short time to relieve severe anxiety and related problems. Because these medications have the potential for abuse, they are not usually taken long term. If symptoms include insomnia or recurrent nightmares, a medication called prazosin may be used. Although it is not specifically FDA-approved for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder treatment, prazosin may reduce or suppress nightmares in many people with the disorder (PTSD Treatments and Treatment Planning, 2012).
Untreated Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can have devastating, far-reaching consequences on the patients functioning, relationships, their families, and for society. Emotionally, people who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder often struggle to achieve a good outcome from mental-health treatment when compared to those people with other emotional problems (PTSD Treatments and Treatment Planning, 2012). Families and friends are often affected and are necessary in the recovery of the person diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Often family members of those diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder find themselves often feeling hurt, alienated, or discouraged because the patient has yet to overcome the ordeal of this trauma. The more family members can communicate with one another, the less long-term strain there will be on the family (U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, 2011). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder does not only take its toll psychologically and physically, it also takes its toll economically. As of 2005, more than 200,000 veterans were receiving disability compensation for this illness, for a cost of $4.3 billion. This represents an 80% increase in the number of military people receiving disability benefits for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and an increase of 149% in the amount of disability benefits paid compared to those numbers five years earlier (U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, 2014). In conclusion, the inclusion of family members in treatment increases the likelihood of enduring change. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder has the propensity to change your relationship within the community. Some people may shy away from you because of your Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Because of the stigmatization about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, others may look down on you because of your condition. People may believe things about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder that aren't true, which can cause them to treat you and your family differently (U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, 2014). Many therapeutic approaches for working with clients diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder have been developed but the most effective interventions have been anxiety management, cognitive and exposure therapy. Although pharmacotherapy is not considered a cure for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, it can be utilized as a managing tool (PTSD Treatments and Treatment Planning, 2012). Seemingly the best option for those mildly affected has been with group therapy, where discussions can be brought out in an open session with those that can relate on an emotional and experiential level.

Works Cited
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).
PTSD: National Center for PTSD. (2014). Retrieved March 1, 2016, from http://www.ptsd.va.gov/
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Risk Prediction. (2011). Retrieved March 1, 2016, from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/researchpriorities/scientific-meetings/2011/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd-risk-prediction/index.shtml
PTSD Treatments and Treatment Planning. (2012). Assessment and treatment planning for PTSD Frueh/Assessment, 229-252.