...Abstract There are a compilation of many years of empirical evidence that has sought to diagnosis and treat stress and the extreme forms it. The evidence which has, persistently, perplexed scientists are the common stress reactions that are experience by normal functioning people and by those who are, actually, diagnosed with stress disorders. This research will examine acute stress response as it relates to all people who experience trauma or emotional events. The evidence brought forth by this research will define acute stress reaction and acute stress disorder, list the symptoms, and describe the differences between the two. The diagnosing criteria as described by the DSM-IV will be described, as well the history of its inclusion. This study will, also, compare and contrast different available treatments for acute stress disorder and the prevention of the disorder. Finally, a look into the necessary components needed to help people cope with the effects of trauma, will be examined from a professional and spiritual perspective. Keywords: Stress, acute-stress reaction, acute-stress disorder, trauma, treatment, prevention. Acute Stress Response: The Reaction and Disorder When people experience traumatic or emotionally taxing events, there is much to be said concerning what happens when people aren’t treated for the short term and long term effects of these traumatic circumstances. However, in more recent years, evidence points to a series of normal effects...
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...WHAT DO YOU UNDERSTAND BY STRESS? DISCUSS THE CAUSES OF STRESS FROM THE INDIVIDUAL GROUP AND ORGANISATIONAL POINT OF VIEW INTRODUCTION Stress is a universal element experienced by employees (Individuals and groups) around the globe. Stress has become a major problem which has had negative impact on individuals, groups and organizations. Employers today are critically analyzing the stress management issues that contribute to lower job performance of employees originating from dissatisfaction and high labor ultimately affecting organizational goals and objectives. A mainstream group of employees articulated that their organizations did not care for its employees and sometimes employees do not like to work with their organizations indicating high levels of stress among them and majority were between of 26-35yrs. Misfits with organizations, no part in decision making, were reported the main cause of stress as well as well no control over work environment, personality traits, lack of relaxation along with ambiguous rules affect employees performance (Meneze 2005). Better managed employees are more cooperative and serve as assets for an organization and when their stress is ignored by the employer the result are increased absenteeism, cost, low productivity, low motivation and usually legal financial damages (The office of Radiation, Chemical and Biological Safety, 1999) Stress is basically a mental strain from the internal or external stimulus that refrain a person...
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...There are flashbacks of the war, and Jacob’s battle buddies briefly return, but the plot of the story is post war with little importance of the war pertaining to the main idea. More than just a conspiracy, and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) the flashbacks of the war are about how Jacob needs to let go of the past in order to achieve...
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...What is PTSD? Post-traumatic stress disorder has been around for a long time. In fact, it was first recorded as Da Costa's syndrome during the American Civil War. Usually associated with military service, PTSD is also called "shell shock" and "battle fatigue." But it doesn't only affect war veterans - it can also affect civilian men, women, and children who have experienced particularly traumatic events. PTSD occurs after a distressing event, like war, terrorism, torture, natural disasters, accidents, chidhood sexual abuse, domestic violence, or rape. Usually the disorder begins within three months of this experience, although the disorder can take years to appear in some cases. Common PTSD effects include extreme fear, depression, and anxiety. Generally, post-traumatic stress lasts only for a short period (6 months) but in some cases the disorder can become chronic and last for years. Post-traumatic stress affects both men and women, and can affect children as well. Women are much more likely to suffer from the disorder though - of those women exposed to a traumatic event, 20% will exhibit symptoms of PTSD, and 30% of those women will develop chronic post-traumatic stress disorder. What Causes PTSD? Post-traumatic stress disorder is caused by a traumatic event. However, there may be other causes of PTSD. In some cases, the sufferer may have been predisposed to development of the disorder before this event occurred. Men and women with a history of drug or alcohol abuse, experiences...
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...Evidence-based answers from the Family Physicians Inquiries Network What is the most effective way to relieve symptoms of acute stress disorder? EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER James M. Scott III, MD; Neil Nipper, MD Eglin Air Force Base Family Medicine Residency, Eglin AFB, Fla Rita Smith, MS, MEd Lackland Air Force Base Medical Library, Lackland AFB, Tex A cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that emphasizes exposure-based treatment is the most effective intervention for adults with acute stress disorder (ASD) (strength of recommendation [SOR]: B, meta-analysis of limited-quality randomized controlled trials [RCTs]). Exposure-based therapy reduces symptoms in adults with ASD more than CBT that focuses on cognitive restructuring; both therapies are better than no treatment at all (SOR: B, a limited-quality RCT). Avoid drug treatment within 4 weeks of appearance of symptoms, unless distress is too severe to be managed with psychological treatment alone (SOR: C, consensus guideline). Evidence summary ASD refers to a constellation of psychological symptoms that can occur within 4 weeks after a traumatic event.1 (For more on ASD, see http://www.psychologynet.org/dsm/stress. html.) Patients with symptoms that persist beyond 4 weeks or develop after 4 weeks are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Approximately 12.5% of people who experience a traumatic event develop ASD, and 10% develop PTSD, although not all patients who develop PTSD have preceding ASD.2...
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...I. Reactions to Traumatic Events Psychologists and physicians have long been interested in vulnerability and resilience factors in reaction to extreme stress. Earlier accounts of posttrauma reactions focused on descriptions of cases. Spurred by inclusion of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the psychiatric diagnosis nomenclature in 1980, experimental research has examined many facets of the phenomenon. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV) published by the American Psychiatric Association in 1994, a trauma is defined as an experienced or witnessed event that involves threat of death or serious injury, and which evokes feelings of terror, horror, or helplessness. Thus, events such as anticipated death of a loved one, job...
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...be defined as those families with a higher than expected risk for developing a particular disease or injury in association to their lifestyle, environment, habits, or socio-economic conditions. Post active-duty war veterans are a group that is at high risk for developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which can lead to physical, psychological, and social problems. These problems not only affect the veteran but also strongly alter the health and lifestyle of the entire family. The objective of this paper is to present the health profile and behaviors of PTSD veterans, describe assessment models and theories that are applicable to the patient and family, and identify Healthy People 2020 objectives that relate to this high risk group. In addition, the paper will present nurse intervention strategies based on health promotion and prevention as well as the role of advanced practice nurses as case managers. Health Profile According to the Mayo Clinic (2012), PTSD “is a mental health condition that is triggered by a terrifying event” (p. 1). After experiencing severe trauma or a life-threatening event, many deployed war veterans develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Many feel as though their lives or the lives of others are in imminent danger in which they have no control. These feelings develop...
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...A Look into Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Rachael S 09/15/2013 PTSD affects 7.7 million American adults, but it can occur at any age (NIMH, PTSD, Who is at risk). The sight of violence and death leaves lasting effects on people. How do you think those people cope with what they saw when the Twin Towers went down? How do people cope with such traumatic experiences? The events that lead to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can impact one’s life, fortunately there are ways to treat it. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops after a terrifying ordeal that involved physical harm or the threat of physical harm (National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), post-traumatic stress disorder Para 2). It is the consequence of a deeply shocking, threatening, and disturbing experience such as military combat, a serious road accident, sexual or physical abuse, terrorist attack, or natural disasters are all possible causes of the onset of PTSD (MacDonald, 2008). PTSD became a formal diagnosis in 1980 (Lavin, Joanne, page 42). Think about when the Twin Towers went down because of terrorist attack, this had a huge impact on many lives. Many people died or injured that day, and the people that survived the terrorist attack, witnessed bodies burned up by the fire and heard screams of fear and pain. Hurricane Katrina took many lives as well. Katrina caused an abundance of damage like taking and injuring lives, demolishing homes and businesses, flooded the homes that weren’t...
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...Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in soldier Abstract This paper will be discussing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in soldiers. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PSTD), classified as an anxiety disorder, has become increasingly important because of wars overseas, natural disasters, and domestic violence. Typically the individual with PTSD persistently avoids all thoughts, emotions and discussion of the stressor event and may experience amnesia for it. However, the event is commonly relived by the individual through intrusive, recurrent recollections, flashbacks and nightmares. The characteristic symptoms are considered acute if lasting less than three months, chronic if persisting three months or more, and with delayed onset if the symptoms first occur after six months or some years later. PTSD is distinct from the briefer acute stress disorder, and can cause clinical impairment in significant areas of functioning. We will be discussing how PTSD affects the soldiers coming from war, their behaviors, and interaction with society and suicide incidence. Keywords: PTSD, anxiety disorder, soldiers. Post Traumatic Stress disorder in soldier As of today a great number of soldiers that have returned from the Iraq war are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The most current military combats in Iraq, which have involved the ground combats as well as air battle embarked by the United States since the war in Vietnam almost 50 years ago, bring up very essential...
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...Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often associated with war veterans. These days, assuming symptoms of PTSD in soldiers returning from combat tours is almost stereotypical. In fact, in the 2012 American Psychological Association (APA) annual meeting, some argue to change PTSD to post-traumatic stress “injury” to be more accommodating to soldiers, and to resolve the issue of unreported PTSD-related symptoms within military ranks (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Military officials explained that many soldiers do not report their symptoms because of the fear of being viewed as weak (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). However, the incidence of PTSD can be as common among civilians as it is for those in the military. Barlow and Durand (2013) reported recent studies showing that those who are “raped, held captive, tortured, or kidnapped, or badly assaulted” are more at risk for developing PTSD than those who experienced military combat. While the reports conveying “zero” conditional risk of PTSD from exposure to military combat seem to need clarification, PTSD remains to be a debilitating condition for those who have the proclivity to develop the disorder. This paper will discuss the diagnostic criteria, etiology, effective treatment, and outcome research pertaining to PTSD. PTSD: A trauma and stressor-related disorder PTSD now belongs in the group of trauma and stressor-related disorders as published in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual...
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...The Broadcasting Effects of Terrorist Attacks Vernon T. Branson HSM435: Psychology of Disaster Instructor: Sandra Rebeor February 20, 2012 Over the years terrorism and homeland security represent a challenge to American journalism. Broadcast journalism bears and extra burden because it is on the front lines of all breaking news and plays a special real-time role in informing the public during a crisis. Since September 11th, new grim realities have confronted the media and redefined the responsibilities of the media as providers of information and holders of public interest. Reporting in an emergency is not merely a matter of getting the story right or beating the competition, it is a matter of saving lives, conveying vital information and contributing to an orderly response. Those who work in and with the media must understand and navigate in an uncertain landscape (Kamien, D. 2006) In today’s current society the new methods of technology can also affect the way the information is disseminated to the public. This technology intensifies immediacy and emotion as disturbing events can hit airwaves before official news media sites even get a hold of the information. Cell phones, PDA’s, camcorders all make the many citizens potential news reporters now. Eyewitness accounts and “man on the street” interviews can give voice to fears and cause more chaos before news officials are given a chance to assess the situation. The most important goal of any news agency...
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...1. Introduction 15 April 2013 runners and spectators took their places on the streets of Boston to take part in the very popular Boston marathon. Supporting friends and family across the finish line and running those last meters for a well deserved congratulations, not at all suspecting that close to where they were having an amazing time as families and friends were two pressure cooker bombs filled with ball bearings were about to explode leaving 170 injured and 3 dead, one of who was 8 year old Martin Richard. Whose mother and sister were severely injured in the explosion. (Hosken, 2013) This certainly was a horrible experience for the Richard family and for many others who were there in-between it all when it happened most likely having them develop PTSD. Traumatic experiences such as this one would often leave the people feeling shaken and disturbed and even though there would be numerous individuals with PTSD this essay will focus on the Richard family and how what they have gone through would be a great cause for them developing PTSD. (Train, 2009) This essay will discuss PTSD thoroughly looking at the following aspects. The clinical description, epidemiology, etiology, the diagnostic criteria according to the DSM-IV-TR and lastly the treatment and prognosis will all be discussed in this essay making reference to the Richard family for a clearer understanding of PTSD. 2. Clinical Description A traumatic experience can be described as exposure to an event where...
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...Research Paper Invisible Scars Putt, Putt, Boom! The car in front of me backfires and I instinctively swerve to the right to avoid it while jumping 2 feet in my seat. This is my reality and is also the reality of so many of my brothers in arms. We served our great nation in Operation Iraqi Freedom; some of us came home, while others didn’t. For those of us who returned, our inner being had been destroyed by the sights and experiences that we were exposed to during our deployments. We are victims, suffering from wounds that can’t be seen, but by internal wounds that we struggle with on a daily basis. We will never be the same. Many veterans return from war and are unable to adapt to the life they once knew. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most widely recognized lasting effects of war in service members. PTSD is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened (Department of Veterans Affairs). Every day while patrolling roads in Iraq we had to be aware of our surroundings and not become complacent. Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were one of the most common threats we were exposed to. These bombs were hidden in the ground like landmines, unable to be seen with a naked eye, and could only be detected by using metal detectors, the eye in the sky, or being ran over. On several occasions my men and I were directly hit by an IED causing shrapnel to penetrate through...
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...Sepsis Related ARDS and PTSD Sepsis Related ARDS and PTSD Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a traumatic life-altering illness that can be caused by sepsis. It can be especially traumatic if it is acquired as a young adult and Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops as a person enters into later life. Re-living or even a perception, or fear of a reoccurrence of a traumatic event can manifest itself into PTSD. My PICO question asks: for sepsis related ARDS patients, does the use of counseling reduce the risk of PTSD, compared with patients without counseling? My research on this question could not be fully supported. It is suggested that biological influences and life experience play a much larger role in PTSD than counseling. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a psychological and physical response to a life-threatening trauma. The perception of the trauma is characterized as an individual perception and is different for each person. The psychological response can include re-experiencing the trauma, intrusive thoughts and memories, overwhelming fear, depression and disassociations with the trauma. The physical response can include, but are not limited to, nausea, headache, palpitations, diarrhea, vomiting and insomnia. Without treatment, psychological disabilities can manifest into substance abuse, physical abuse and mental disorders. In order for patients to recover, learning how to expand on the relationship between mental health and physical health and...
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...Journal Article 1 Title of Journal Article: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Abstract: Psychological disorders take place across, time, places, moods and situations. The definition of psychological disorder that is commonly used in society today a disorder also known as a mental disorder, is a certain pattern of behavioral or psychological symptoms that have a great impact on multiple areas in people or create a unknown distress for the person that is experiencing these symptoms. I have chosen to discuss posttraumatic stress disorder and its capabilities with human beings. In this paper it is proposed that Autonomic Nervous System hyper arousal is at the core of PTSD and the driving force behind dissociation and flashbacks. Acute traumatic reactions are very different from PTSD. Review: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) often disrupts the ability to function of those affected by it, interfering with the ability to meet their daily needs and perform the most basic tasks. Trauma continues to be a part of the lives of people with PTSD as they relive the most horrible life-threatening experiences one could possibly imagine. Researchers have proven that not everyone experiencing traumatic events develops PTSD; it is a complex psychological condition that can emerge in the wake of life-threatening experiences. Certain events are life threatening and will produce traumatic stress in victims. This is a normal and adjustable response for the mind and...
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