PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder)

Ricardo Torres

PTSD

• Disorder caused by a traumatic experience, in which most patients that have jumpy anxiety, nightmares, and makes it very difficult for people with PTSD to return back their normal lives

The Types of PTSD

• Acute. the duration of symptoms is less than 3 months.

• Chronic. the symptoms last 3 months or longer.

• With Delayed Onset. least 6 months have passed between the traumatic event and the onset of the symptoms.

History of PTSD

• Prior to the Vietnam War PTSD was referred has • “battle fatigue” soldiers who came down with it

after WWII• “shell shock” for soldiers after WWI• “soldier's heart” for soldiers who after the Civil

War.• Sadly prior to Vietnam War PTSD was not taken

serious and as sign of weakness or cowardice

PTSD after Vietnam

• Vietnam’s gorilla warfare made many of veterans who served that war have PTSD.

• Doctors during that time referred to it has “post-Vietnam syndrome”

• The film industry helped with the awareness of PTSD and how serious the problem was the list of movies were “Apocalypse Now”, “The Deer Hunter”, and “Born on the Fourth of July”

Etiology

• PTSD is unknown but there theorist strongly believe that a predisposition is needed for the symptom to develop after the traumatic event.

What Causes PTSD (prevalence)• Abuse

– Mental– Physical– Sexual– Verbal (i.e., sexual and/or violent content)

• Catastrophe– Harmful and fatal accidents– Natural disasters– Terrorism

• Violent attack– Animal attack– Assault– Battery and domestic violence– Rape

• War, battle, and combat– Death– Explosion– Gunfire

PTSD

• 4/5 of patients with PTSD may develop Pain Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Social Phobia, Major Depression. It not fully know the extent of this disorder it various on many conditions.

• Increase in heart rate, sweat gland activity

PTSD aspects

• The essential feature of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is the development of characteristic symptoms. The exposure to an extreme traumatic stressor direct a personal experience that involves actual or threatened death or serious injury or witnessing an event that involves death, injury or a threat to the physical integrity of another person threat of death or injury experienced by a family member or other close friend/ally.

Treatment

• Benzodiazepine (psychoactive drug) (moodchanger)

• Carbamazepine (anticonvulsant)• valproic acid (mood stabilizing drug)• Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (antidepressant)• Getting over self blame/facing the fear• Therapy• Support from close friends and/or family.

Prognosis

• The meds and therapy halts some of the symptoms (the outburst and yelling, rage, and many other symptoms to list.)

• Most WWII & Holocaust veterans/survivor after 30 to 40 years of the events in the late 1930’s to mid 1940’s have appeared to be over their PTSD.

Clip From American Dad on PTSD

References• Swierewski,s.2001/02/01. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Overview, Types

of PTSD. www.mentalheath.net/ptsd/index.shtmlGrinage.b.d. diagnosis and management of post traumatic stress disorder.

2003. American family physician. Vol. 68 issue no.12.Bayse,g. 1998. prognosis.

www.campus.edu/orgs/psychology/ptsd/pronosis.htmHalgin r.p. & whitbone s.k. (2005), abnormal psychology clinical properties on

psychotically disordered, New York. McGraw Hill“The History of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)” retrieved from

http://www.psychiatric-disorders.com/articles/ptsd/causes-and-history/history-of-ptsd.php