psycho exam 2- stress disorders

stressor

event that causes stress

stress response

person’s reactions to the demands/stress

trauma and stress related disorders

acute stress disorder

posttraumatic stress disorder

what triggers stress disorders

actual or threatened death, serious injury, sexual violation

combat

vietnam vets

post vietnam war cliciancs recognized that soldiers experiences psychological distress after combat

first included in DSM 3 in 1980

29% of vietnam combat veterans suffered ASD or PTSD

22% has some stress symptoms

10% still experience

disasters

earthquakes,floods, tornadoes, fire, airplane crashes, and car accidents

civilians’ traumas have been implicated in stress disorders at least 10 times as often as combat traumas

terrorism and torture

brutal, degrading, and disorienting strategies in order to reduce victims to a state of utter helplessness

victimization

people who have been abused or victimized often experience stress symptoms

rape

forced sexual intercourse or another sexual act committed against a non-consenting person or intercourse with an underage person

144,000 cases reported

during and after trauma

temporarily experience levels of arousal, anxiety, and depression

Some symptoms persist well after trauma

linked to the fight or flight response

asd vs ptsd are similar

re-expereincing the event

avoidance

reduced responsiveness/negative mood

acute stress disorder

symptoms begin after the event and last LESS than one month

at least 50% of all cases are ASD

Posttraumatic stress disorder

symptoms must last LONGER than one month

symptoms may begin either shortly after the event or months or years afterward

may be chronic in duration

what triggers stress disorders

can occur at any age and affect all aspects of life

3.5 to 6% of people experience a stress disorder at some point

ratio women to men is 2:1

people with low incomes twice as likely to develop disorder

why do people develop stress disorders

extraordinary trauma can cause it but the event alone is not the whole explanation

biological factors to stress disorders

dysregulation in the fight or flight response

brain circuitry emphasizes amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex

childhood experiences to stress disorders

impoverished or abusive childhood

instability

personality factors to stress disorder

Some studies suggest that people with certain personalities, attitudes, and coping styles are particularly likely to develop stress disorders

pre-existing high anxiety

belief structure

resilience or hardiness

biological vulnerability

either inherited or acquired

911 babies

timing of trauma

clinicians treating disorders

about 1/3 of all cases of PTSD improve within 12 months; the remainder persists for years

empirically supported treatments are considered effective

prolonged exposure

based on systematic desensitization

includes education, relaxation training, and exposure

relaxation training

through breathing retraining

provide coping to counter anxiety reaction

exposure

in vivo-crowds, smells

imaginal- verbal and audio recordings of trauma

cognitive processing therapy

includes a combination of education, cognitive therapy, and exposure techniques

cognitive therapy

works to identify cognitive distortions or maladaptive thinking

ex: if we would have zigzagged, we would have avoided the enemy and he would have lived

exposure techniques

via written and verbal recall

eye movement desensitization and reprocessing EMDR

move eyes back and forth while facing objects/images typically avoided

dissociative disorders

major changes in memory or identity that lack a clear physical cause

dissociative amnesia

inability to recall important information, usually of an upsetting nature, about their lives

often triggered by a specific upsetting or traumatic event

memory for abstract or encyclopedic information usually remains intact

episodic memory disturbed

dissociative fugue

extreme version of dissociative amnesia in which a person travels to a new location and make a new identity

.2%

disorders featuring somatic (body) symptoms

where bodily symptoms are the primary feature of the disorder

stress, worry, and maybe even unconcious needs can contribule to bodily illness

these were once viewed as forms of escape from stress

somatic symptom disorder

excessive distress, concern, and anxiety about bodily symptoms one is experiencing

lives disrupted

symptoms tend to be long standing but varied

multiple symptoms may show up across time

doctor hop

4%