Lecture 7: Disorders of Trauma and Stress Flashcards
autonomic nervous system (ANS)
controls involuntary functions of organs
- sympathetic nervous system: danger, increasing heart rate, trigger fear and anxiety
- parasympathetic nervous system: no danger, decreasing heart rate, calms us down
endocrine system
activates glands that release hormones
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) pathway
produces arousal and fear
- hypothalamus signals to the pituitary gland in the brain to secrete ACTH, ACTH stimulates the adrenal cortex to produce a group of stress hormones (= corticosteroids), these hormones produce arousal reactions
fight or flight response
the body produces arousal through the sympathetic nervous system and the HPA pathway
traumatic event
event in which someone is exposed to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violation
acute stress disorder
experiencing stress or fear starting within 4 weeks of a traumatic event and lasting less than a month
- 80% of cases of acute stress disorder develop into PTSD
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
experiencing stress or fear starting at any point after a traumatic event and lasting more than a month
PTSD checklist
- person is exposed to a traumatic event
- person experiences at least one of the following intrusive symptoms: repeated, uncontrolled, and distressing memories; repeated and upsetting trauma-linked dreams; dissociative experiences such as flashbacks; significant upset when exposed to trauma-linked cues; pronounced physical reactions when reminded of the event(s)
- person continually avoids trauma-linked stimuli
- person experiences negative changes in trauma-linked cognitions and moods, such as being unable to remember key features of the event(s) or experiencing repeated negative emotions
- person diplays conspicuous changes in arousal or reactivity, such as excessive alertness, extreme startle responses, or sleep disturbances
- person experiences significant distress and impairment, with symptoms lasting more than a month
type I PTSD
if there is a single or one-off trauma
type II PTSD
occurs when there has been multiple or long-term trauma
symptoms for both acute stress disorder and PTSD
- reexperiencing traumatic event
- avoiding things that remind one of the traumatic event
- reduced responsiveness and dissociation
- experiencing increased arousal, anxiety, and guilt
likely triggers of stress disorders
- combat
- disasters and accidents
- abuse and victimization – being a victim of sexual assault, terrorism, or torture
biological factors increasing the chances of developing a stress disorder
brain-body stress pathways, brain’s stress circuit and inherited predisposition
childhood experiences increasing the chances of developing a stress disorder
abuse, poverty, divorce, catastrophe or family with psychological disorders
personal style factors increasing the chances of developing a stress disorder
personalities, attitudes, and coping styles (e.g. high anxiety and a negative world view)
social support factors increasing the chances of developing a stress disorder
weak support from family, friends, criminal justice system
severity of trauma increasing the chances of developing a stress disorder
degree to which someone has been exposed to stress or trauma
treatment for stress disorders
- antidepressant drugs
- cognitive-behavioral therapy
- couple/family therapy
- group therapy
- psychological debriefing
exposure techniques used in cognitive-behavioral therapy for stress disorders
- prolonged exposure: clients confront trauma-related objects/situations and their painful memories of traumatic experiences
- eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): exposure therapy where people move their eyes from one side to another while flooding their minds with thoughts related to the stressful event
psychological debriefing
therapy session in which victims talk extensively about their feelings and reactions within days of the traumatic event
dissociative disorder
type of disorder triggered by traumatic events and characterized by dissociative symptoms (e.g. memory difficulties, depersonalization, derealization)
- one part of the person’s memory seems to be dissociated or separated from the rest
dissociative amnesia
memory loss, not being able to recall important information, usually of an upsetting nature, about one’s life
- 4 types (localized, selective, generalized, continuous)
localized dissociative amnesia
loss of all memory of events occurring within a limited period
- forgotten period is called amnestic episode
selective dissociative amnesia
loss of memory for some, but not all, events occurring within a period
