POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS
DISORDER
BY: Michael Prestininzi
6th hour
10/31/12
Defined illness
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD, is a
severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to
any event that results in psychological trauma.
• This event might involve:
• The threat of death to oneself or to someone else, or to
someone’s own or someone else’s physical, sexual, or
psychological integrity.
• This overwhelms the individual’s ability to cope.
Describe illness
• Symptoms must last over 30 days for it to be
classified as PTSD
• If the symptoms last less than 30 days, it is
known as “acute stress response”
"Reliving" the event, which disturbs
day-to-day activity:
• Repeated upsetting memories of the event and nightmares
about the event,
• they have flashback episodes, where the event seems to be
happening again and again
• Strong, uncomfortable reactions to situations that remind you
of the event
Avoidance:
•
•
•
•
•
Feeling detached,
being unable to remember important aspects of the trauma,
having a lack of interest in normal activities,
showing less of your moods,
avoiding places, people, or thoughts that remind you of the
event,
• feeling like you have no future.
Arousal:
•
•
•
•
•
Difficulty concentrating
Having an exaggerated response to things that startle you
Feeling more aware (hyper vigilance)
Feeling irritable or having outbursts of anger
Having trouble falling or staying asleep
Causes
• As with most mental health problems, PTSD is
probably caused by a complex mix of:
• Your inherited mental health risks, such as an increased risk of
anxiety and depression
• Your life experiences, including the amount and severity of
trauma you've gone through since early childhood
Causes
• Some other causes are:
• The inherited aspects of your personality — often called your
temperament
• The way your brain regulates the chemicals and hormones
your body releases in response to stress
Treatment
•
It’s important to seek help right away. The sooner PTSD is
confronted, the easier it is to overcome.
• The only way to overcome it is to confront what happened to
you and learn to accept it as a part of your past.
• This process is much easier with the guidance and support of
an experienced therapist or doctor.
Treatment
• In treatment for PTSD, you’ll:
•
•
•
•
Explore your thoughts and feelings about the trauma
Work through feelings of guilt, self-blame, and mistrust
Learn how to cope with and control intrusive memories
Address problems PTSD has caused in your life and
relationships
Facts on PTSD
1.
Women are twice more likely to have PTSD than men (10.4%:5%)
2.
Most common reasons for men: rape, combat exposure, childhood neglect and childhood physical
abuse
3.
Most common reasons for women: rape, sexual molestation, physical attack, being threatened with a
weapon and childhood physical abuse
4.
Among American Vietnam theater veterans 1 in every 6 soldiers have PTSD
5.
30.9% for men and 26.9% for women.
6.
An additional 22.5% of men and 21.2% of women have had partial PTSD at some point in their lives.
7.
About 1,700,000(50%) Vietnam veterans in all, have experienced “clinically serious stress reaction
symptoms.”
8.
PTSD can often lead to alcohol and drug abuse, and domestic violence.
9.
Millions of Americans get PTSD every year.
10.
Symptoms associated with PTSD usually occur within three months after the traumatic even
Occurrence
• PTSD can occur at any age. It can follow a natural
disaster such as a flood or fire, or events such as:
• Assault
• Domestic abuse
• Prison stay
• Rape
• Terrorism
• War
Famous People
•
•
•
•
•
Johnny Depp-Actor,
Oprah Winfrey-TV Host,
Orlando Bloom-Actor,
Keira Knightly-Actress, and
Geoffery Rush-Film Producer
• all have been diagnosed with PTSD.
Quiz
1.
PTSD does what to an individual?
a)
Help social life
b)
c)
d)
Overwhelms ability to cope
Makes them quieter
Makes them hate people
2.
How long does it take for someone’s disorder to be classified as PTSD?
a)
b)
c)
d)
3.
What are three symptoms of PTSD?
a)
b)
c)
d)
4.
Reliving the event
Avoidance
Arousal
All of the above
What is the only way to overcome PTSD?
a)
b)
c)
d)
5.
1 week
1 year
1 month
1 day
Dancing
Medicine
Confronting the problem / learn to accept it in your past
Ignoring the problem and eventually it will go away
PTSD can occur at any age
( T, F )
Quiz
6.
What total percent of Vietnam veterans suffer from PTSD?
a)
b)
c)
d)
7.
8.
Men suffer from PTSD more than women
(T,F)
PTSD can follow which of the following events?
a)
b)
c)
d)
9.
10.
About 50%
About 25%
About 75%
0%
Marriage
Assault
War
Both B and C
PTSD can effect anyone
(T,F)
There is no known cause for PTSD
(T,F)
Answers
1. B.
2. C.
3. D.
4. C.
5. True
6. A.
7. False
8. D.
9. True
10. False
Resources
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001923/
• http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/post-traumatic-stressdisorder/DS00246
• http://www.helpguide.org/mental/post_traumatic_stress_dis
order_symptoms_treatment.htm
• http://psychcentral.com/lib/2006/facts-about-ptsd/