PTSD

Question 1

Reading a book & getting lost in it is an example of what?

Answer 1

Common Dissociation

when something pulls you away from what’s going on around you

Question 2

Who is better @ dissociating things - children or adults?

Answer 2

Children

Question 3

Diff. between PTSD & ASD?

Answer 3

PTSD lasts >1month

Question 4

Is Trauma required for Dissociative Disorders?

Answer 4

No, but it is highly ass’d w/ occurrence

Question 5

What are the 4 sets of symptoms that characterize PTSD?

Answer 5

Intrusion symptoms (memories, flashbacks, nightmares, intense physical reactions in situations which remind of trauma)

Avoidance/ emotional numbing (avoidance of places/ thoughts etc. which remind of trauma, loss of interest in life, feelings of detachment & emotional numbness)

Negative alterations in cognitions and mood (inability to remember aspects of trauma, persistent negative beliefs about self & the world,
persistent distorted blame of self or others, persistent negative emotions, constricted affect, decreased interest in activities, feelings of alienation)

Increased arousal (insomnia, irritability/ outbursts of anger, difficulty concentrating, jumpy/ easily startled, self-destructive behavior)

Question 6

Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) diagnosis?

Answer 6

• Exposure to traumatic event

9 or more symptoms of
• Intrusion
• Negative Mood
• Dissociative symptoms
• Avoidance
• Arousal

• Clinically significant distress or impairment in functioning
• Disturbance lasts for a minimum of 2 days, and maximum of 4 weeks, and occurs within 4 weeks of the traumatic event

Question 7

5 Symptoms of “Severe Dissociation”?

Answer 7

• Extended periods of “lost time”
• Unintentional trance states
• Extensive amnesia
• Persistent depersonalization or derealization
• Altered sense of identity, sense of self

Question 8

Diagnosis?

Perceptual alienation & separation from one’s body

Answer 8

Depersonalization Disorder

Question 9

Diagnosis?
Psychogenic, clinically significant inability to access memories.
May include “Dissociative fugue” – extended travel with associated identity disturbance.

Answer 9

Dissociative Amnesia

Question 10

Diagnosis?

The experience of having two or more personalities (“alters”) within oneself

Answer 10

Dissociative Identity Disorder

“Multiple Personality Disorder”

Question 11

Diagnosis?

“Multiple Personality Disorder”

Answer 11

Dissociative Identity Disorder

Question 12

Do most trauma victims have continuous, partial, or complete loss of memory?

Answer 12

• Most victims of trauma have continuous memory

- 40-60% have a period of partial or total amnesia

Question 13

During Depersonalization Disorder, does reality testing remain in tact?

Answer 13

Yes

Question 14

Which of the Dissociative Disorders is “least severe” & cannot be diagnosed if any others are present or if ASD, PTSD, Panic, other mental disorder(s) is/are present?

Answer 14

Depersonalization Disorder

Question 15

Diagnosis?
Persistent or recurrent experiences of feeling detached from, and as if one is an outside observer of, one’s mental processes or body.

Answer 15

Depersonalization Disorder

if NO other mental issues present, basically

Question 16

Depersonalization Disorder usually comes on following _______.

Answer 16

Onset following severe stress

Question 17

Depersonalization Disorder - usually acute or chronic?

Answer 17

Chronic

Question 18

Depersonalization Disorder - does it usually present w/ relatively steady level of depersonalization or w/ exacerbations & remissions?

Answer 18

Exacerbations (following new stresses) & remissions

Question 19

Diagnosis?
“The predominant disturbance is one or more episodes of inability to recall important personal information, usually of a traumatic or stressful nature, that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness.”

Answer 19

Dissociative Amnesia

Question 20

Typical onset of Dissociative Amnesia?

Answer 20

Follows severe trauma (highest risk events: combat, witnessed murder, sexual trauma)

Question 21

Can Dissociative Amnesia be diagnosed along w/ other dissociative/traumatic disorder?

Answer 21

No, it is not diagnosed if part of another dissociative disorder, ASD or PTSD

Question 22

Dissociative Amnesia - age of onset?

Answer 22

Can occur @ any age

Question 23

Dissociative Amnesia - timeframe?

Answer 23

Can be transient or long-term

Question 24

Which diagnosis may include “fugue” - sudden, unexpected travel elsewhere and re-establishment of new identity w/ no recall of past?

Answer 24

Dissociative Amnesia

Question 25

Risk factors for Delayed Recall / Recovered Memories?

Answer 25

• Repeated trauma
• Children or adolescents
• Sexual abuse
• Violence
• High levels of self-reported distress

Question 26

Dissociative Identity Disorder - Age of onset?

Answer 26

Onset of symptoms in adolescence or before (although diagnosis often quite delayed)

Question 27

In Dissociative Identity Disorder is there a genetic predisposition to dissociation?

Answer 27

Yes (hypnotizability)

Question 28

Dissociative Identity Disorder - Gender?

Answer 28

female > male

Question 29

Which of 3 Dissociative Disorders takes precedence over the other 2?

Answer 29

Dissociative Identity Disorder

Question 30

What is the Goal of treatment in Dissociative Identity Disorder?

Answer 30

Goal is integrating memories of the trauma into individual’s life story in tolerable, reframed way
(while also treating symptoms)

Question 31

Define “Trauma”

Answer 31

Direct or indirect experience of an event that

involves actual or threatened death or serious injury, or other threat to one’s physical integrity

Question 32

Common non-war related cause of trauma in US?

Answer 32

Intimate Partner Violence