2. BIOLOGICAL:
When we are exposed to a traumatic event, we perceive it via our senses: we
hear the announcement of PAGASA of the incoming storm, we see past storm
events, we smell the fear and anxiousness and sometimes we even feel the wind
blowing strongly already .
The information is transmitted from our sensory organs to the brain.
Then transmitted to thalamus and from there to two additional areas, the
cortex and amygdale.
The amygdale are the brains “alarm system,” which is activated by any
threat, gives it the emotional tag “fear” and then transmits information to four
systems:
Memory-Creation System- The amygdale transmits the warning to the
hippocampus, which helps provide words for the personal, emotional experience
and in creating the proper attitude towards it.
From the hippocampus, the information is transmitted to the cortex
where, particularly in the area called the “prefrontal cortex,” the overall
experience is evaluated
If the threat passes, an “all-clear” signal is sent from the cortex to the
amygdale and the experience is “filed” as an experience from the past.
3. The Sympathetic Nervous System, the information also reaches the brain
stem, where an order is given to secrete the hormone neuroadrenaline, which instructs
them to prepare for a dangerous situation (to accelerate the pulse in order to supply
more energy and oxygen, to perspire so that it will be harder for the attacker to take
hold, etc.)
The Hormonal System - the information also reaches the hypothalamus, where it
ends with the secretion of the hormone cortisol that ensure the supply of energy
necessary to deal with the stressful situation.
The Serotonin System - When the hypothalamus transmits the to this nucleus, it
then secretes serotonin that reaches all of the brain structures involved in the response
to stress (the cortex, hippocampus and amygdale). Secretion of serotonin regulates
deceleration of the state of alarm and the return to a state of calm.
4. GENETICS:
Anxiety tends to run in families - meaning that if your parent has an
anxiety disorder, you are more likely to develop one during your lifetime
develop an anxiety disorder even if no one in your family has had an
anxiety disorder.
Even if both of a persons biological parents had a disorder like PTSD, it
doesn't mean that their child will develop PTSD. The child is simply at a
higher risk of developing it.
5. BEHAVIORAL:
Classical Conditioning by
Pavlov
A persons brain may form associations to the sights, sounds and smells that
How do we learn FEAR?
were around at the time.
Coming into contact with one of these associated sights or sound can cause an
automatic fear reaction. This happens even if the new situation is perfectly safe.
Even if he knows that he is not in a combat situation and is safe, the learned
association will still be there. His heart will speed up, his breathing will become
more rapid, and he will start to sweat. This physical reaction is involuntary.
Stimulus: Storm Surge (strong winds, water coming in and out of the house,
floating corpse, etc.)
Response: fear, anxiety, deviant behavior
Thus, we learn fear from a very traumatic or a not-expected event
6. BEHAVIORAL:
Operative Conditioning by
Skinner
How do we lessen FEAR after
Skinnerevent?
by manipulating the rewards and
the demonstrated thatcan be learned (and unlearned). punishments in
the environment, a behavior
In behavioral terms, a reinforcement (reward) refers to anything that causes a
Goal: Making athe client feel a
behavior to increase. In contrast, punishment is something that causes
behavior to decrease.
SAFE
Reinforcement (reward): (1) Providing physical needs (food, water); (2)
Counselling; (3) Encouragment from different people; (3) games for the kids etc.
Thus, we will invent reinforcement activities to the victims of PTSD so that they
may feel safe and less afraid
7. BEHAVIORAL:
Observational Learning by
Watson
My fellow victim has moved on, she is
rebuilding her life again from
Learning is through observation alone, without directly
scratch. How about me?
experiencing an unconditioned stimulus or a reinforcement
Examples on social worker encouraging clients, clients
influenced by their fellow survivors who rebuilt their lives again
from scratch (observing how they were able to control their
lives back)
8. BEHAVIORAL:
Social Learning Theory by
Bandura
How will I learn, store the learnings,
Attention:
perform you need to be paying attention. Anything that detracts
and imitate?
In order to learn,
your attention is going to have a negative effect on observational learning.
Retention:
Retention can be affected by a number of factors, but the ability to pull up
information later and act on it is vital to observational learning.
Reproduction:
Once you have paid attention to the model and retained the information, it
is time to actually perform the behavior you observed. Further practice of
the learned behavior leads to improvement and skill advancement.
9. Motivation:
You have to be motivated to imitate the behavior that has been
modeled. Reinforcement and punishment play an important role in
motivation. While experiencing these motivators can be highly
effective, so can observing other experience some type of
reinforcement or punishment. For example, if you see another
student rewarded with extra credit for being to class on time, you
might start to show up a few minutes early each day.
Thus, it is the client’s hands if he/she want to learn to control
his/her fears and anxieties caused by the traumatic event.
