Coping With Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

This document provides information on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and war-related stress for veterans & their families. It begins with background on PTSD and traumatic events, then describes common symptoms of PTSD and why they develop. The next section reviews problems associated with PTSD, such as depression, anxiety, and impacts on work & family. The final sections provide suggestions on coping with the disorder and describe treatment methods.

Trauma, stress, and manmade and natural disasters are increasingly impacting individuals and communities. The clinical and scientific advances presented here strive to address the rapidly expanding individual and community burden of disease resulting from the experience of traumatic or stressful events. The authors describe the suffering which trauma- and stressor-related disorders (TSRDs) cause, and explain in 30 concise chapters the state of the science for the DSM-5 trauma- and stressor-related disorders with regard to pathogenesis, diagnostic assessment and approach to treatment. This volume presents the genetic, neurochemical, developmental, and psychological foundations and epidemiology of the trauma- and stressor-related disorders, in addition to specific guidance on screening and evaluation, diagnosis, prevention, and biological, psychological and social treatments. The chapters in this book cover a variety of TSRDs: posttraumatic stress disorder, acute stress disorder, adjustment disorders, persistent complex bereavement disorder, and reactive attachment and disinhibited social engagement disordersd. Graphics, including neuroimaging are integrated for easy reference and to aid grasping of key concepts. The book draws on the current literature and provides brief case scenarios from individuals and families exposed to psychological or physical traumas, including mass trauma events. Factors contributing to susceptibility to these disorders and to resilience are also addressed. Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders provides an in-depth yet succinct introduction to current clinical and research knowledge for trainees and for professionals including psychotherapeutic, psychopharmacological, public health, and policy interventions. It addresses the level of evidence for different best practices to target the disabling cognitive, emotional or behavioral symptoms for a specific patient or population.

Discusses such situations as physical abuse, natural disasters, wars, and violence, that can cause stressful responses and describes ways of dealing with these delayed reactions to trauma.

This workbook is to be used by patients who are in a cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy program designed for patients who have posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a co-occurring alcohol or drug use disorder.

This book is a user friendly discussion of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as it affects individuals and families. PTSD has become better known and more frequently diagnosed, and affects more than just military families. Causes, diagnosis and treatments, including counseling, medication, and alternative therapy, are discussed. The challenges faced by PTSD individuals and their families are addressed and recommendations are included. New to this edition is information regarding Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans and the new policies and treatments in use as well as information about women war veterans, who are a newer demographic for combat PTSD.

PTSD is in no way an easy diagnosis for the patient, the provider, or the therapist. It is a diagnosis developed at the border of our capacity to handle extreme stress, a marker diagnosis denoting the limits of our capacity for functioning in the stress of this modern world. For both individuals and society, PTSD marks the limits of our available compassion and our capacity to protect ourselves from the dangers of the environment and other humans. PTSD is often a chronic disease, forming at a place where mind sometimes no longer equals the brain, a point at which individual patient requirements often trump theory and belief. There are treatments for PTSD that work, and many that do not. This book presents evidence, rather than theory, anecdote, or case report. Psychological approaches including prolonged exposure, imagery rehearsal therapy and EMDR have a greater than 75% positive short-term response when used to treat PTSD. Yet these treatments vary markedly and have different, even contradictory underlying theory and objectives for treatment. Medications, rarely indicated as primary therapy, can be used to treat symptoms and address comorbid PTSD diagnoses. Treatment of sleep apnea in the PTSD population produces a positive effect on symptoms and a reduction in morbidity and mortality across the span of life. Complementary treatments offer the many individuals chronically affected by PTSD assistance in coping with symptoms and opportunities to attempt to functionally integrate their experience of trauma.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a medically recognized disorder that develops as a result of a traumatic event; as a result of PTSD, an individual may suffer nightmares and flashbacks and become hypervigilant, angry, or emotionally numb. This work describes PTSD: causes, symptoms, effects, and coping strategies. While there is no cure, individuals and their loved ones can find healthy ways to cope, and it is important to recognize the strengths that arise in both individuals and families as a result of living with the disorder. This handbook describes how the characteristics of PTSD manifest in daily life and details its effects on the emotional, mental, and physical aspects of an individual's life, including disorders and physical disabilities that may occur jointly or as a result. The work analyzes the affect of PTSD on the couple and the family, detailing possible reactions, and compares the characteristics of healthy and PTSD families. The work explains how and by whom the disorder is diagnosed, with discussion of cross-cultural perspectives on PTSD and the effects of cultural difference on its diagnosis and treatment. The study describes mental health approaches to treatment, such as individual, group, and substance abuse counseling. Techniques such as exposure therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, and Traumatic Incident Reduction are also discussed. The work describes drug treatments, including antianxiety and antidepressant medications. Newer approaches to treating PTSD such as biofeedback, relaxation techniques, and herbal medications are also explained. A conclusion suggests effective strategies for living with PTSD and indicates directions for future research. Appendices include the definitional criteria for PTSD, a list of resources for PTSD survivors, and information about veterans' benefits. A filmography and bibliography are also provided.