Psychological Disorder: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Psychological Disorder: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

The Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a rather common mental illness which causes individuals to feel constant distress, regardless of the condition they find themselves into. The malady is usually triggered by a traumatizing incident that one had in their past. There are a series of treatments for ptsd, but with it being a mental illness, it is less likely that it can be cured, but it can be ameliorated to a large degree, removing most symptoms from the individual.

The Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (ptsd) revolves around the concept that an individual is predisposed to develop an nervousness disorder consequent to undergoing an incident which causes psychological trauma. Such an incident can involve the harming of one's physical, sexual, or psychological integrity, influencing the person to acknowledge and intensify the belief that he or she is not powerful enough to defend themselves.

The American public is apparently more often presented with cases involving ptsd, as the first official cases of individuals suffering from the disorder go back to the years consequent to the Vietnam War. Psychologists and psychiatrists have made progress in studying the disorder and reached the conclusion that ptsd basically comes as a result of trauma inducing occurrences, such as rape, torture, accidents, abuse, and others. (Beall, 1997)

The numerous movies and books written on the topic of the Vietnam War are probably some of the most common sources relating to ptsd, presenting war veterans struggling to deal with the traumatic experiences in their lives. (Beall, 1997) the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders' third edition is the first official document to speak about ptsd, only providing limited information on the topic however. (Wilson, 2001)

Events like the two world wars, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, and the genocides which took place across the twentieth century can all be considered to provide significant reasons for people to suffer from ptsd. Holocaust survivors have clearly proved that ptsd is not just part of people's imagination, as those who contributed to writing the DSM III considered it to be. (Wilson, 2001) Apparently, the Holocaust has left deep imprinted images into the minds of those who did not perish as a result of the horrible event. These people were haunted by what they saw and by what they gone through as they constantly fear that a violent death is approaching. (Douillard)

Another symptom displayed by Holocaust survivors is the guilt they feel because of the fact that they were among the ones who managed to evade death. This guilt is also present because they are aware of the coincidental chain of events which led to their survival. During their time in the death camps, most prisoners were left with no emotions whatsoever and this made the ones who lived on feel extreme remorse for their behavior. Moreover, the fact that they could not express their emotions while in the death camps influenced them to be unable to express feelings in their later lives. (Douillard)

It is generally normal for ptsd victims to feel determination to search for a meaning for the sufferings that they went through. This is also a symptom of ptsd, as people constantly try to find an answer for the horrors having happened. (Douillard)

In order to come up with effective treatment to combat the disorder, one first needs to understand it properly and to see what triggers it, its symptoms, and how individuals can be assisted in their attempt to fight the traumas in their past. It seems that the main part of the brain affected by ptsd is the ones influencing the states of nervousness and hopelessness. Its symptoms are basically the main thing in ptsd that prevent psychotherapists is efficiently doing their jobs.

Individuals feel either unable to understand what the therapist is trying to say, or they are simply reluctant to accept the therapy that is being provided to them. In some cases, the feelings experienced by people are very intense, and not even themselves can describe what they are going through. (Beall, 1997)

David G. Meyer's book "Psychology Eighth Edition in Modules" provides insight on ptsd and is easy to comprehend, even for those who are not especially interested in psychotherapy. In addition to the fact that it is easy to read, the book is also concise, even though the author does not hesitate to introduce amusing facts at times. Meyer describes how the anatomy of the brain changes in people who suffer from ptsd and relates to combatants in the Iraq War to bring examples for his claims. (Meyers, 2006)

It is usually not difficult to realize what is the cause of the ptsd symptoms in an individual (for those who know his or her background of course). The commonly observed symptoms in ptsd, "fear and anxiety reactions of victims are acquired through classical conditioning, stimulus generalization, and second-order conditioning" (Falsetti, 2000). The cognitive behavior therapy is frequently used in the cases of those dealing with ptsd, even though the therapy was not present in the first attempts to ameliorate the illness. This method involves changing the perception of the individual concerning his or her experiences, to the point where they have a better understanding of what happened to them and become aware of the fact that they are no longer in danger. (Falsetti & Resnick, 2000)