Trauma and PTSD Lecture Notes

Flashcards about Polyvictimization, PTSD, and Trauma

Poly-victimization

Having experienced multiple victimizations of different types of abuse, bullying, and exposure to family violence. Emphasizes experiencing different kinds of victimization, rather than multiple episodes of the same kind of victimization.

Attachment (Domain of Impairment)

Problems with boundaries, distrust and suspiciousness, social isolation, interpersonal difficulties, difficulty attuning to other people's emotional states, difficulty with perspective taking

Biology (Domain of Impairment)

Sensorimotor developmental problems, analgesia, problems with coordination, balance, body tone, somatization, increased medical problems across a wide span

Affect Regulation (Domain of Impairment)

Difficulty with emotional self-regulation, difficulty labeling and expressing feelings

Dissociation (Domain of Impairment)

Distinct alterations in states of consciousness, amnesia, depersonalization and derealization, two or more distinct states of consciousness, impaired memory for state-based events

Behavioral Control (Domain of Impairment)

Poor modulation of impulses, self-destructive behavior, aggression toward others, pathological self-soothing behaviors, sleep disturbances, eating disorders, substance abuse, excessive compliance, oppositional behavior, difficulty understanding and complying with rules, reenactment of trauma in behavior or play

Cognition (Domain of Impairment)

Difficulties in attention regulation and executive functioning, lack of sustained curiosity, problems with processing novel information, problems focusing on and completing tasks, problems with object constancy, difficulty planning and anticipating, problems understanding responsibility, learning difficulties, problems with language development, problems with orientation in time and space

Self-Concept (Domain of Impairment)

Lack of a continuous, predictable sense of self, poor sense of separateness, disturbances of body image, low self-esteem, shame and guilt, problems knowing and describing internal states, difficulty communicating wishes and needs

Omen Formation

Belief that there were signs that predicted the traumatic event.

Time Skew

Incorrect recall of the sequence of the traumatic events.

Traumatic Event (DSM 5)

Actual or threatened death, serious physical injury, or sexual violation which must occur to child or close person.

Intrusion Symptoms (PTSD)

Recurrent, involuntary, and intrusive distressing memories of the traumatic event(s). Repetitive play may occur in which themes or aspects of the traumatic event(s) are expressed.

Avoidance (PTSD)

Avoidance of or efforts to avoid distressing memories, thoughts, or feelings about or closely associated with the traumatic event(s). Avoidance of or efforts to avoid external reminders that arouse distressing memories.

Negative Alterations in Cognitions and Mood (PTSD)

Inability to remember an important aspect of the traumatic event(s), persistent and exaggerated negative beliefs about oneself, others, or the world, persistent, distorted cognitions about the cause or consequences of the traumatic event(s).

Alterations in Arousal and Reactivity (PTSD)

Irritable behavior and angry outbursts, reckless or self-destructive behavior, hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response, problems with concentration, sleep disturbance

Depersonalization

Feeling detached from, and as if one were an outside observer of, one’s mental processes or body.

Derealization

Experiences of unreality of surroundings (e.g., the world around the individual is experienced as unreal, dreamlike, distant, or distorted).

Affect/Emotion Dysregulation

Problems in managing or recovering from extreme states of emotions, including both under-regulation of heightened affect states and maladaptive overregulation of affect.

Under-regulation

Limited access to or capacity for deploying strategies to reduce intense affective states and associated difficulties with impulse control and goal-directed behavior.

Overregulation

Non-acceptance and limited awareness or clarity of emotions.