notes in class test 2 part 2 Flashcards
what happens when stress is considered threatening
fear becomes a part of it, stress response is our reaction
-perspective is very important
regular stress ——— major stress
what is acute stress disorder and explain the differences between it and PTSD
- we dont hear about it as much as PTSD
- person experiences fear and symptoms for a shorter period of time (1 month)
- more than one month is PTSD
- the symptoms become a pattern, but cannot predict how long they will last because it all related back to diathesis
how is acute stress disorder and PTSD different than panic and anxiety disorders
- different than panic because there is a real threat (mood symptoms, anxiety, flashbacks, nightmares, insomnia), anxiety disorders are in the absence of a real threat
ex. in PTSD there was a lion in the room that did bad things, people are more connected to a direct event
explain the soldier experiment with torture and what it showed us
soldiers signed up for experiment where they were tortured to help create training program so people who are actually tortured in combat can better deal with it
-those in experiment still got PTSD even though they knew it was experiment, brain took over
what is the flight fight or freeze response biologically
- endocrine, automatic nervous system, and hypothalamus
- nerve and hormones all play a role in this system
what is necessary to be diagnosed with acute stress disorder
- symptoms start within 4 weeks of experience and last up to one month
- will not be diagnosed as PTSD until it persists over a month, or if there is delayed onset -> symptoms start months after (feel okay initially then get symptoms later)
explain an example of delayed onset
soldiers do not have PTSD until they are home, now try to take them to Germany after to have them decompress, also will have them humanitarian work after battle
how can PTSD recur and how often does acute stress disorder turn into PTSD
it can recur because it can be gone for months and then be triggered again
-80% of acute stress disorders turn into PTSD
what can PTSD/acute stress disorders look like
reduced responsiveness and dissociation (derealization and depersonalization), seem “checked out”
-can cause avoidance behaviors as well
how can people be pre-wired for PTSD/ASD
- we organic species, develop systems (stress and brain body pathways), this has protected us and enabled our survival
- childhood experiences: neglected, abused, low socioeconomic status (parental separation is a risk factor, along with big catastrophes)
- family member with psychological disorders
- pre-existing traits pre-existing high anxiety, parental coping mechanisms effect kids
explain the chart of what causes PTSD / ASD
reasons & perspective —> then trauma occurs, which causes these disorders
-once this happens once you are more likely to have trauma reactions to trauma again (abusive relationships, sexually assaulted, etc), this can cause complex trauma (traumatic event occurs over and over again and causes trauma on top of trauma on top of trauma)
what is the difference between trauma and physical injuries
with physical injuries they eventually heal all the way, with trauma it is about perspective, you need to accept the way your new life is
what is an example of complex trauma
boy is raped, but this is not known (has PTSD) but is sent to psych unit because he is believed to have other mental disorders, this causes more trauma
are psych units traumatic
they have improved, but yes still very traumatic
what happens to a lot of people diagnosed with ADD or ADHD
they actually have anxiety and are given the wrong meds which makes it worse
what happens with longer and more severe trauma and an example
more negative symptoms
ex. veterans of war have more severe trauma symptoms, complex trauma is harder to treat because its hard to separate all of the things, they are all intertwined
what can failure to treat trauma lead to
this can result in self-medication (drugs) or self-inflicted injury
when can PTSD resolve
50% of PTSD cases resolve in 6 months, but if not better in 6 months it jumps to years
what are some techniques used in treatment of PTSD
- help clients find perspective, psychoeducation (educate about disorder -> this is normal just your NS reacting to extreme event, not because you are weak or stupid), relaxation/meditation techniques, going back to constructive living, mindfulness, exposure training
- eye movement desensitization processing (try to reset nervous system)
what kinds of therapy are key in PTSD treatment
family and couple therapy, people around you need to understand what is going on
-group therapy is helpful with PTSD because of universality: when people experience similar things it makes you feel better because you are not alone
what is mood
state of mind
- labile: easily changed
- how you feel
what are different basic moods and how they are expressed
happy: optimism, hopeful, positivity, elation
sad: quiet, withdrawal, overwhelmed, stressed, hopeless. sensitive
bad mood: not talking, no eye contact, can’t be bothered with anything, aggression (passive or direct)
why can’t people in a bad mood be bothered with anything
anger could create more anger, maxed out and anything can be a trigger
what is the learned helplessness study similar to
domestic vioence
