PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)

Question 1

How is PTSD classified as both a psychological and neurological disorder?

Answer 1

• Psychological: anxiety related

- Neurological: may have predispositions in brain structures

Question 2

What are the symptom categories of PTSD?

Answer 2

1) Re-experiencing
2) Avoidance or emotional numbing
3) Hyper-arousal and reactive
4) Cognition and mood

Question 3

What is the likelihood of developing PTSD? Risk factors?

Answer 3

• Onset at any age
• Usually within 3 months after the event
• Severity varies: duration, proximity, prior experiences or medical conditions
• Women twice as likely to develop
• 70% have experienced trauma –> 20% develop PTSD
• Neurological predisposition: reduced hippocampus and amygdala; stress injures the frontal lobes and hippocampus

Question 4

What are the treatment types?

Answer 4

1) Psychotherapy: exposure, cognitive restructuring
2) Pharmacotherapy: anti-depressants, anxiolytics, sedatives, B-adrenergic antagonists
3) Virtual reality