2. What is Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD)?
EXPOSURE TO TRAUMATIC EVENTS
EXPOSED TO OR WITNESSED DANGER,
SUCH AS WITH VIOLENCE OR DISASTERS
PHYSICALLY HURT
WITNESSING OTHERS BEING TRAUMATIZE
3.
4.
5.
6. DSM-5 Criteria for PTSD
PTSD Preschool Sub And PTSD Dissociative Subtype
Exposed to a traumatic event with both conditions
Persistently re-experienced /re-lived in 1 or more of the following
Recurring avoidance of things associated with the trauma and numbing and
detachment, identified by three or more of the following
Recurring symptoms of arousal (not present prior to the trauma) exemplified by
two or more of the following
Exaggerated startle response (seeming on-guard)
7. CHILD YOUTH AND PTSD
SCHOOLED AGED CHILDREN
EARLY CHILDHOOD
TEENAGERS YOUNG ADULTS
10. IT’S NOT THAT THE PERSON IS
REFUSING TO LET GO OF THE PAST,
BUT THE PAST IS REFUSING TO LET
G O O F T H E P E R S O N
11. RESOURCES
(n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2018, from
http://visuals.autism.net/main.php?g2_itemId=138
(2015, December 10). Retrieved March 14, 2018, from
https://youtu.be/PFW4hYsYF-o
Morales, K. (2017, October 23). Vagus nerve stimulation therapy shows
progress in battling PTSD symptoms. Retrieved March 14, 2018, from
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-10-vagus-nerve-therapy-ptsd-
symptoms.html
PTSD: National Center for PTSD. (2016, June 10). Retrieved March 14,
2018, from https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/PTSD-
overview/dsm5_criteria_ptsd.asp
Editor's Notes
It's natural to be afraid and upset something terrible happens to you or someone you know. But sometimes people experience an event that is so overwhelming that it continues to have a serious effect on them, long after the danger has passed.
If you feel afraid and upset weeks or months later, it's time to talk with your doctor. You might have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Fortunately, even if you have PTSD, you can get treatment and feel better
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to traumatic events where one was exposed to or witnessed danger, such as with violence or disasters.
It can happen to those who are physically hurt. It can also happen even if you weren't physically hurt, simply through witnessing others being traumatized
It is hard to imagine any human being going through such Trauma. The amount of resiliency a person needs to have to push through, get support to live a “NORMAL” life is immeasurable.
Watch the following video get a glimpse into someone's life living with PTSD
The subject has been exposed to a traumatic event with both conditions:
The subject experienced, witnessed, or was confronted with an event or events that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others
The subject’s experience involved extreme fear, helplessness, or horror
The traumatic event is persistently re-experienced or re-lived in one or more of the following:
Repeated and intrusive distressing recollections of the trauma, including thoughts, perceptions and images
Persistent distressing dreams or nightmares of the traumatic event
Reliving or feeling as if the traumatic event were recurring, i.e. having flashbacks, illusions, hallucinations, dissociative flashbacks episodes and a sense of reliving the experience
Experiencing intense psychological distress to internal or external triggers that resemble an aspect of the traumatic event
Physiological reactivity on exposure to internal or external triggers that resemble an aspect of the traumatic event
Recurring avoidance of things associated with the trauma and numbing and detachment, identified by three or more of the following:
The conscious effort to avoid thoughts, feelings, and conversations associated with the trauma
The conscious effort to avoid activities, places, or people that provoke memories of the trauma
Blocking-out or the inability to remember important aspects of the trauma
Noticeably showing diminished interest or participation in activities
Feeling detached from others
Restricted range of affect (lacking the ability to have emotional connections or intimate relationships)
Hopeless about a future (feeling like a career, marriage, or other long-term life plans are unattainable)
Recurring symptoms of arousal (not present prior to the trauma) exemplified by two or more of the following:
Difficulty falling or staying asleep
Irritability, trouble controlling anger, angry outbursts
Trouble concentration
Hyper-vigilance
Exaggerated startle response (seeming on-guard)
The symptoms of reliving, avoidance, and hyper-arousal must persist for more than 1 month.
The symptoms will clinically cause significant interference, distress or impairment to one’s social, occupational or other areas of one’s life.
DSM-5 now includes these addition of two subtypes: PTSD in children younger than 6 years and PTSD with prominent dissociative symptoms (either experiences of feeling detached from one’s own mind or body, or experiences in which the world seems unreal, dreamlike or distorted)
EARLY CHILDHOOD
fear of strangers, family, or situations (e.g., clingy, avoiding, crying)
replay trauma through play and/or artwork
be more alert to the environment (easily startled, very aware of danger)
act younger or no longer use previously gained developmental skills (e.g., stop using the potty, start sucking thumb)
body complaints (e.g., stomachaches, headaches, aches and pains)
SCHOOLED AGED CHILDREN
fear of being separated from caregivers (don’t want to be apart, trouble sleeping alone)
loss of trust (e.g., mistrusting of caregiver to keep safe)
negative view of the world (e.g., think of world as dangerous)
replay trauma through play and/or artwork
difficulty concentrating
Lose appetite
do more things without thinking first (impulsive, e.g., fighting without thinking about the consequences)
defiant, or have intense anger outbursts or aggression
mood changes, be unhappy or depressed
lose interest in activities that they used to enjoy
body complaints (e.g., stomachaches, headaches, aches and pains) TEENAGERS YOUNG ADULTS
may fear separation from caregivers (clingy, resists being alone, tries to be near)
loss of trust (e.g., mistrusting of caregiver)
negative view of the world (e.g., think of world as dangerous)
very irritable, angry outbursts
impulsive behaviour (e.g., substance use, self-harm)
defiant, aggressive
repeated thoughts of death and dying, including thoughts of killing themselves
risky behaviour such as self-injury (e.g., cutting themselves), alcohol and drug use, unprotected sexual behaviour
mood changes, seem unhappy or depressed
lose appetite
lose interest in activities that used to be enjoyed
body complaints (e.g., stomachaches, headaches, aches and pains)
Exposure Therapy
In exposure therapy your goal is to have less fear about your memories. It is based on the idea that people learn to fear thoughts, feelings, and situations that remind them of a past traumatic event.
By talking about your trauma repeatedly with a therapist, you'll learn to get control of your thoughts and feelings about the trauma. You'll learn that you do not have to be afraid of your memories. This may be hard at first. It might seem strange to think about stressful things on purpose. But you'll feel less overwhelmed over time.
With the help of your therapist, you can change how you react to the stressful memories. Talking in a place where you feel secure makes this easier.
You may focus on memories that are less upsetting before talking about worse ones. This is called "desensitization," and it allows you to deal with bad memories a little bit at a time. Your therapist also may ask you to remember a lot of bad memories at once. This is called "flooding," and it helps you learn not to feel overwhelmed.
You also may practice different ways to relax when you're having a stressful memory. Breathing exercises are sometimes used for this.
Start top left corner breath in 1 2 3 4 moving your head to the right corner
Hold breath 1 2 3 4 move head down to bottom right corner
Breath out 1 2 3 4 move head to bottom left corner
Hold for 1 2 3 4 moving head to top left corner and repeat
Now you can add things like thinking of the color pink then breath 1 2 3 4 move head to top right corner think Red hold breath for 1 2 3 4 this give you more pausing time.
Soon you can incorporate full thought like I’m grateful for today
