Angella Anderson's presentation on PTSD. Presented at NMSU Alamogordo during Disabilities Awareness Week.

1. Angella Anderson, M.A., L.P.C.
NMSU Behavioral Health & Wellness Specialist
NMSU Counseling Center

2.  ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination.
 Allows those with disabilities to enjoy employment
opportunities, to purchase goods and services, and to
participate in State and local government programs
and services.
 The ADA covers people with a physical or mental
impairment.

3.  Employers are not required to provide
accommodations unless an employee requests them.
 Example: if you´re a veteran with a hidden disability
like PTSD, you can decide whether to reveal the
disability and request accommodations.
 If you don´t need accommodations, you don´t have to
disclose the disability.
 Employers with fifteen or more employees must
comply with these provisions.

4.  Businesses must make "reasonable modifications" in
their policies, practices, or procedures when necessary
so that people with disabilities can be their customers.
 Businesses are not, however, required to make any
changes that would fundamentally alter or change the
nature of the business or its services.

5.  A psychiatric disorder that can occur following the
experience or witnessing of a life-threatening events.
 People with PTSD experience 3 different kinds of
symptoms.
 1st: involves reliving the trauma in some way.
 2nd: involves either staying away from places or people
that remind you of the trauma, isolating from other
people, or feeling numb.
 3rd: includes things such as feeling on guard, irritable, or
startling easily.

6.  Memories of trauma “come back”
 May feel fear/horror in present as experienced during
traumatic experience
 Nightmares
 Flashbacks

7.  Avoid people/situations that trigger memories of
traumatic event
 May avoid talking/thinking about event
 Example: may avoid crowds, driving (if you were in a
car accident or if your military convoy was bombed)
 Avoidance takes energy!

8.  Numb:
 Difficult to express feelings
 Difficulty w/ memory
 Hyper-aroused:
 Feel “jittery”
 Easily startled
 Suddenly become angry/irritated

9.  PTSD is marked by clear biological changes as well as
psychological symptoms.
 PTSD is complicated in that some may develop
additional disorders.
 The disorder is also associated with impairment of the
person’s ability to function in social or family
life, including occupational instability, marital
problems and divorces, family discord, and difficulties
in parenting.

10.  Many Americans have experienced a traumatic event….
 About 60% of men & 50% of women experience at
least one traumatic event
 Of those who do, about 8% of men & 20% of women
will develop PTSD
 1.5% of population experiencing PTSD at any one time

11.  Fear or anxiety
 Sadness or depression
 Guilt and shame
 Anger & irritability
 Behavior changes
 *Most people with have some of these reactions at
first, but they will get better at some time.
 *If symptoms last longer that 3 mos., cause you
distress, or disrupt life, you should SEEK HELP!

12.  A distinguishing factor for PTSD is
that people begin to organize their
lives around the
trauma, consciously or
unconsciously.

13.  “Despite the human capacity to survive and adapt,
traumatic experiences can alter people’s psychological,
biological, and social equilibrium to such a degree that
the memory of one particular event comes to taint all
other experiences, spoiling appreciation of the
present. The tyranny of the past interferes with the
ability to pay attention to both new and familiar
situations.”

14.  How intense/long trauma was
 How close you were to the event
 How strong your reaction was
 Higher risk groups:
 Female or minority
 Little education
 Had earlier trauma (multiple traumas)
 Other mental health problems
 Little support
 Recent stressful life changes

15.  If you continue to experience these symptoms for more
than 3 months, seek help….
 YOU CAN FEEL BETTER

16.  Psychotherapy
 Usually involves meeting therapist once a week for 3-6
months
 Learn skills to better understand how experience
changed thoughts/feelings
 Meditation/mindfulness
 Medication

17.  www.ptsd.va.gov/public/ (National Center for PTSD)
 http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-
stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml (National Institute of
Mental Health)
 http://www.nami.org/template.cfm?section=ptsd
(National Alliance on Mental Illness)
 “Mind-Body Workbook for PTSD” by Stanley Block &
Carolyn B. Block
 “Trauma & Recovery” by Judith Herman

18.  Comments?
 Feedback?
 Concerns?