PTSD

Question 1

What are some sxs of posttraumatic stress disorder?

Answer 1

re-experience the event through intrusive thoughts, upsetting reminders, nightmares.

Relaxing, concentrating and sleeping become significantly difficult

often feel detached from loved ones

Question 2

PTSD can occur in ppl who have experienced or witnessed…

Answer 2

a life threatening event such as a natural disaster, serious accident, terrorist incident sudden death of a loved one, war, rape, etc.

Question 3

What are the 4 main types of sxs that characterize PTSD?

Answer 3

1. re-experiencing traumatic event i.e. flashbacks/nightmares
2. emotional numbness and avoidance of place, ppl and activities that are reminders of the trauma
3. Feeling cut off from others and other negative alterations in cognitions
4. marked changes in arousal and reactivity, including dif. sleeping and concentrating, feeling jumpy, easily irritated/angered

Question 4

Is there a gender dif in PTSD?

Answer 4

women 2x as likely

Question 5

What is PTSD?

Answer 5

syndrome resulting from exposure to a real or threatened serious injury or sexual assault

Question 6

Pathophysiology of PTSD?

Answer 6

reduced hippocampus size, amygdala overly reactive, medial prefrontal cortex overly reactive w/ emotion. Low to norm circulating levels of cortisol despite on-going stress

Question 7

What can you use to dx PTSD?

Answer 7

PCL-5

CAPS-5: gold standard in PTSD assessment

interview/ PE

Question 8

Tx of PTSD

Answer 8

• Psychological First Aid (PFA): reassuring victim that food, shelter and access to loved ones is guaranteed. Help them find tolerable meaning to event, reassurance that rxn is norm.
• CBT
• meds: (prevention) aggressive pain control, hydrocortisone (esp. those with love levels at time of event)

(after dx) SSRIs, prazosin for nightmares/insomnia

• EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing