# 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