Chapter 7: Trauma and dissociation

Question 1

Which two related classes of disorder are there (topic: trauma and issociation)

Answer 1

1. Trauma-related disorders
2. Stressor-related disorders

Question 2

What is a post-traumatic stress disoder (PTSD)?

Answer 2

• follows extremely stressful life events
• survivors re-expereince the event through memories and nightmares

Question 3

What are symptoms of the PTSD?

Answer 3

• re-experiencing the event
• chronically over aroused
• avoiding anything that reminds them of the trauma
• diffculties sleeping
• changes in the way they think about themselves

Question 4

When is PTSD consideres chronic?

Answer 4

• when it is longer than 3 months
  (diagnosis cannot be made until at least one month after the occurence of the traumatic event)

Question 5

What is the acute stress disorder?

Answer 5

• occurring within the first month after the trauma
• 52 % go on to develop a PTSD

Question 6

What are causes of the PTSD?

Answer 6

• exposure to trauma
• biological and psychological vulnerability (more likely to develop PTSD)
• genetic influence: What environment we choose,
• strong social support (reduce symptoms over time)

Question 7

What can be said about the “alarm reaction” in the PTSD

Answer 7

• similar to panic attack
• BUT in PTSD, the initial alarm is true (real danger)
• if alarm is severe enough, we may develop a conditioned alarm reaction to stimuli

Question 8

What different kinds of treatments are there for the PTSD?

Answer 8

1. Imaginal exposure
2. Cognitive therapy
3. Preventive psychology
4. Cognite behavioral therapy (Constructive-narractive approach)
5. Eye-movement desensitilization and reprocessing
6. Medication

Question 9

What can be said about imaginal exposure - regarding PTSD?

Answer 9

• face the original trauma to develop effective coping procedures
• the content of the trauma and the emotions associated with are worked through systematically

Question 10

What is cognitve therapy - regarding PTSD?

Answer 10

• correct negative assumptions about the trauma
  (such as blaming onseself in some way)

Question 11

what does preventive psychology do - regarding PTSD?

Answer 11

• early, structured intervention delivered as soon after the trauma as possible
• more effective than medication

Question 12

What is the constructive-narrative approach (CBT)?

Answer 12

• therapist assists the client in reconstructing his or her “story” about he traumatic event
• changing the meaning of the events

Question 13

What is the eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing?

Answer 13

• while in therapy and thinking about their traumatic experience
• the client is asked to follow the therapists’s moving fingers with his or her eyes
• while keeping the image of the trauma in mind

Question 14

What is the adjustment disorder?

Answer 14

• anxious or depressive reactions to life stress
• generally milder than one would see in acute stress disorder or PTSD

Question 15

What is the attachment disorder?

Answer 15

• emerging before 5 years of age
• the child is unable or unwilling to form normal attachment relationships with craegiving adults.

Question 16

What are the two seperate types - regarding the attachment disoder?

Answer 16

1. reactive attachment disorder (seldon seek out a caregiver for protection)
2. Disinhibited social engagement (child shows no inhibitions to approach adults)