POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

BY: Michael Prestininzi6th hour

10/31/12

Defined illness

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD, is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma.

• This event might involve:• The threat of death to oneself or to someone else, or to

someone’s own or someone else’s physical, sexual, or psychological integrity.

• This overwhelms the individual’s ability to cope.

Describe illness

• Symptoms must last over 30 days for it to be classified as PTSD

• If the symptoms last less than 30 days, it is known as “acute stress response”

"Reliving" the event, which disturbs day-to-day activity:

• Repeated upsetting memories of the event and nightmares about the event,

• they have flashback episodes, where the event seems to be happening again and again

• Strong, uncomfortable reactions to situations that remind you of the event

Avoidance:

• Feeling detached, • being unable to remember important aspects of the trauma, • having a lack of interest in normal activities, • showing less of your moods, • avoiding places, people, or thoughts that remind you of the

event, • feeling like you have no future.

Arousal:

• Difficulty concentrating• Having an exaggerated response to things that startle you• Feeling more aware (hyper vigilance)• Feeling irritable or having outbursts of anger• Having trouble falling or staying asleep

Causes• As with most mental health problems, PTSD is

probably caused by a complex mix of:

• Your inherited mental health risks, such as an increased risk of anxiety and depression

• Your life experiences, including the amount and severity of trauma you've gone through since early childhood

Causes

• Some other causes are:

• The inherited aspects of your personality — often called your temperament

• The way your brain regulates the chemicals and hormones your body releases in response to stress

Treatment

• It’s important to seek help right away. The sooner PTSD is confronted, the easier it is to overcome.

• The only way to overcome it is to confront what happened to you and learn to accept it as a part of your past.

• This process is much easier with the guidance and support of an experienced therapist or doctor.

Treatment

• In treatment for PTSD, you’ll:

• Explore your thoughts and feelings about the trauma• Work through feelings of guilt, self-blame, and mistrust• Learn how to cope with and control intrusive memories• Address problems PTSD has caused in your life and

relationships

Facts on PTSD1. Women are twice more likely to have PTSD than men (10.4%:5%)

2. Most common reasons for men: rape, combat exposure, childhood neglect and childhood physical abuse

3. Most common reasons for women: rape, sexual molestation, physical attack, being threatened with a weapon and childhood physical abuse

4. Among American Vietnam theater veterans 1 in every 6 soldiers have PTSD

5. 30.9% for men and 26.9% for women.

6. An additional 22.5% of men and 21.2% of women have had partial PTSD at some point in their lives.

7. About 1,700,000(50%) Vietnam veterans in all, have experienced “clinically serious stress reaction symptoms.”

8. PTSD can often lead to alcohol and drug abuse, and domestic violence.

9. Millions of Americans get PTSD every year.

10. Symptoms associated with PTSD usually occur within three months after the traumatic even

Occurrence

• PTSD can occur at any age. It can follow a natural disaster such as a flood or fire, or events such as:

• Assault• Domestic abuse• Prison stay• Rape• Terrorism• War

Famous People

• Johnny Depp-Actor, • Oprah Winfrey-TV Host, • Orlando Bloom-Actor, • Keira Knightly-Actress, and• Geoffery Rush-Film Producer

• all have been diagnosed with PTSD.

Quiz1. PTSD does what to an individual?

a) Help social lifeb) Overwhelms ability to copec) Makes them quieterd) Makes them hate people

2. How long does it take for someone’s disorder to be classified as PTSD?a) 1 weekb) 1 yearc) 1 monthd) 1 day

3. What are three symptoms of PTSD?a) Reliving the event b) Avoidancec) Arousald) All of the above

4. What is the only way to overcome PTSD?a) Dancingb) Medicine c) Confronting the problem / learn to accept it in your pastd) Ignoring the problem and eventually it will go away

5. PTSD can occur at any age ( T, F )

Quiz6. What total percent of Vietnam veterans suffer from PTSD?

a) About 50%b) About 25%c) About 75%d) 0%

7. Men suffer from PTSD more than women ( T , F )8. PTSD can follow which of the following events?

a) Marriageb) Assault c) Ward) Both B and C

9. PTSD can effect anyone ( T , F )10. There is no known cause for PTSD ( T , F )

Answers1. B.2. C.3. D.4. C.5. True6. A.7. False8. D.9. True10. False

Resources

• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001923/• http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/post-traumatic-stress-

disorder/DS00246• http://www.helpguide.org/mental/

post_traumatic_stress_disorder_symptoms_treatment.htm• http://psychcentral.com/lib/2006/facts-about-ptsd/