Medical Whistleblower Brochures 10 P T S D Emotional & Psychological Symptoms

# 10 Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms - Psychological & Emotional MEDICAL WHISTLEBLOWER MEDICAL PSYCHIATRIC INJURY WHISTLEBLOWER NOT MENTAL DISEASE Supporting the Emotional P.O. Box C Health of All The soul wrenching and spirit Lawrence, KS 66044 Whistleblowers and their challenging trauma that creates Phone: 360-809-3058 Friends, Supporters and Fax: None Families. the wound of PTSD has impact on E-mail: MedicalWhistleblower@gmail.com the individual’s pre-trauma worldview, belief system, values and personality. This trauma is a wounding, thus individuals suf- People are like stained glass windows. fering PTSD are injured, not men- They sparkle and shine when the sun tally ill. It is important to recog- is out; but when the darkness sets in, nize the distinction between their true beauty is revealed only if mental disease and a psychiatric there is a light within.” injury. To no surprise, both men- Elizabeth Kübler-Ross tal health professionals and lay persons find this confusing and this often creates difficulty to un- derstand the symptoms and needs of the person suffering from PTSD. “One of the most courageous things you can do is identify yourself, know who you are, what you believe in, and where you want to go.” Sheila Murray Bethel Tel: 360-809-3058

Symptoms of PTSD — Psychological & Emotional Because PTSD creates a constant state of intense Promote Safety based on the Whistleblower’s strengths not his/her stress the body’s reaction to this causes neurobio- weaknesses. There is a need to consider carefully logical changes. Glucocorticoids, epinephrine, and Because Post Traumatic cultural appropriate means of support and reach out norepinephrine pulse through the body as part of Stress is essentially “soul to those aspects of the Whistleblower’s past that are the normal reaction to stress. These chemicals are murder” and splinters the not threatening or anxiety producing. Give the Whis- important for human survival but excessive amounts sense of self, it creates tleblower a safe place to feel his/her way through cause the brain to malfunction. Because of hy- acute mistrust of everyone his/her newly re-emerging feelings without pressure or perarousal, the body of an individual suffering from and everything in the embarrassment. PTSD gets too much of these chemicals, even when Whistleblower’s environ- no threat is present. The chronic stress promotes ment. It is critically impor- Inward Reflection physical ailments and a breakdown of the immune tant to provide a safe system. Other difficulties include increased heart physical environment, The emotional and behavioral symptoms are based on rate and blood pressure, changes to the distribution which includes food, water, the Whistleblower’s own of cortisol (affecting mood and energy levels), housing, clothing and the adaptations to the trauma. shrinking of the hippocampus (affecting learning other necessities of life. These behaviors were very and memory), and enlargement of the amygdala But also important is emo- helpful and self protective (affecting emotional behaviors). Extreme fatigue is tional safety. This is harder to achieve and during the when the retaliation was a normal reaction under stress. Other psychological recovery process the Medical Whistleblower will dis- occurring and hard to give and emotional symptoms include: Hypervigilance, play a wide range of emotions, sadness, grief, guilt, up once a safe environ- Irritability, Depression, Being Prone to Anger, Ex- shame, anger, frustration, fear, and anxiety. In order ment is found. But strength aggerated Startle Response, Sleep Disturbance, can be built from these to promote healing of the emotional trauma of the Dissociation, Problems with Concentration, Vulner- very vulnerabilities and by retaliation, care providers and friends & family should ability to Physical Illness, Intrusive Recollections, exploring their depths and be tolerant of a wide range of emotions. A sense of Nightmares, Emotional (Somatic) Memories, Acting valleys the individual can out/Reliving the Trauma, Re-enactment play, Per- emotional safety is critical to relationship building. Trusting relationships are necessary for long term re- look spiritually inward. It ceptual illusions, Dissociation, Poor Memory Re- is from our vulnerabilities trieval, Denial, Avoidance, Emotional Numbing, Am- covery and restoration to full potential. Whistleblower Retaliation is a dehumanizing experience. Relation- that we gain our greatest nesia, Loss of Active Social Interpersonal Engage- ships need to be respectful and support the Whistle- strengths. Overcoming the retaliation trauma will ment, Substance Abuse, Social/Geographical Isola- blower’s right to make choices. There should be free open new vistas of opportunity for personal growth tion, De-sexualization, Estrangement and Detach- sharing of information and also emotional expression. and fulfillment. ment, Obsessive Compulsive, Attention Diversion as Defense, Demoralization, Ego Fragmentation, Iden- tity Diffusion, Vulnerability, Loss of Spirit and Vital- Foster Healing ity, Dysphoria (loss of ability to feel emotion), MEDICAL WHISTLEBLOWER Hopelessness, Helplessness, Shame, Guilt, Misan- The potential for human growth after having PTSD is P.O. Box C thropic Beliefs, Faulty Cognitions, Mistrust, Detach- unbounded but the environment must be supportive of Lawrence, KS 66044 ment, “Boundary” problems with others, Issues of all the whistleblowers needs—emotional and physical. Loss and Abandonment, Self Destructive Relation- The emphasis should be forward thinking and be Phone: 360-809-3058 ships. Fax: None E-mail: MedicalWhistleblower@gmail.com

Medical Whistleblower Brochures 10 P T S D Emotional & Psychological Symptoms

by MedicalWhistleblower on Aug 26, 2009

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