CBT for PTSD Flashcards
What is PTSD?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition triggered by experiencing or witnessing traumatic events.
What are the diagnostic criteria for PTSD according to DSM-5?
Exposure to trauma, re-experiencing symptoms, avoidance behaviors, cognition and mood alterations, arousal and reactivity, functional impairment.
What are examples of re-experiencing symptoms in PTSD?
- Intrusive thoughts
- Flashbacks
- Nightmares
- Emotional/physical distress
List some avoidance behaviors associated with PTSD.
- Avoiding trauma-related thoughts
- Avoiding reminders of the trauma
What cognitive and mood alterations are common in PTSD?
- Negative self-perception
- Loss of interest in activities
- Difficulty remembering key aspects of the trauma
What are some common arousal and reactivity symptoms of PTSD?
- Hypervigilance
- Irritability
- Reckless behavior
- Difficulty concentrating and sleeping
What is considered functional impairment in PTSD?
Symptoms last longer than a month and disrupt daily functioning.
What are some risk factors for developing PTSD?
- Female gender
- Childhood trauma
- Psychiatric history
- High-impact trauma events
- Lack of social support
What does Ehlers and Clark’s cognitive model suggest about PTSD?
PTSD arises when the memory of trauma is encoded in a way that creates a sense of current, ongoing threat.
- This includes memory disturbances causing lack of context and making the trauma into other context
- Negative appraisals such as a weak because I couldn’t prevent it which amplifies distress.
What are memory disturbances in the context of PTSD?
Traumatic memories lack context, making them feel immediate and unresolved.
What is cognitive restructuring in CBT for PTSD?
Challenging and replacing irrational thoughts.
What is the core element of psychoeducation in CBT for PTSD?
Explain PTSD symptoms and normalize the experience.
What is the effectiveness of CBT in treating PTSD?
CBT is the gold-standard treatment with robust evidence of effectiveness.
What are some common symptoms of PTSD related to negative appraisals?
- Irritability/Anger
- Emotional Numbing
- Flashbacks/Intrusions/Nightmares
- Difficulty Concentrating
What are external triggers for PTSD?
- Rain
- Countryside
- Smell of burning
- Cars
- Specific songs
True or False: Avoidance behaviors can include avoiding people and places related to the trauma.
True
What is a reliving exercise in CBT for PTSD?
The client recounts their trauma in first person, present tense, to restructure memory.
What is the purpose of the Impact of Events Scale – Revised (IES-R)?
Measures PTSD symptoms.
Fill in the blank: A common cognitive strategy for PTSD is _______.
Thought Suppression
What is one example of a self-management strategy in CBT?
- Grounding techniques
- Relaxation exercises
What does trigger discrimination help clients with PTSD do?
Distinguish between ‘then’ (trauma) and ‘now’ (safety).
What is a common negative thought a PTSD survivor might have?
I’m weak because I couldn’t prevent it.
What are some strategies to control threats in PTSD?
- Avoidance behaviors
- Hypervigilance
- Cognitive strategies
