Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Research Paper

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - Research Paper Example .............9 Section Three 3.1 Treatment and results........................................................11 References...............................................................................15 Post-traumatic stress disorder Section One 1.1 History Post-traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder that is precipitated by a traumatic event, usually a life-threatening situation either for the individual, or for a bystander that the individual is witnessing. When the period of adjusting and coping does not abate after a short length of time and the traumatic responses have only gotten worse, an individual is usually then diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Even though the American Psychiatric Association only began recognizing post-traumatic stress disorder in the early 1980s, and thus including it in the Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders, this anxiety disorder has been noted to have been around for many centuries. Many of the apparent causes of post-trauma tic stress disorder, which will be discussed in-depth in due time, most of which involve putting the lives of others at risk, have been around since the dawn of mankind. Battle, the tragic loss of a loved one, or else someone finding themselves in a situation in which their safety is compromised have all been a part of the human experience. As such, it can be assumed that post-traumatic stress disorder dates back thus far. ... This was before the disorder was officially recognized. It was not until the aftermath of the Vietnam War that the intensity of post-traumatic stress disorder became clear, though it was originally classified as a disorder directly connected to the Vietnam War itself (Fredericks, 2010). The veterans, many of whom were diagnosed with what was first known as post-Vietnam syndrome, became active in making it known that post-traumatic stress disorder was a real disorder, one that needed proper research so that treatment could be given. 1.2 Symptoms The symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder normally do not make themselves known until approximately three months after a traumatic event. However, there have been some cases in which symptoms did not appear for many years after the individual experienced or witnessed the event. There are three categories that symptoms pertaining to post-traumatic stress disorder are grouped, which are intrusive memories, avoidance and numbing, and increas ed anxiety or emotional arousal. Intrusive memories: When a person shows symptoms related to intrusive memories, they have flashbacks or dreams about the event. They tend to relive the event for many minutes at a time, though some patients have relived the traumatic experience for days at a time. These flashbacks and dreams are undesirable to the individual, constantly reminding them of what took place and causing them to feel anxious. Avoidance and numbing: In response to traumatic events, most people prefer to cope by avoiding anything to do with the event. However, someone who has is suffering from or has developed post-traumatic stress disorder really goes out of the way to avoid reminders of the event that took place. They avoid talking and