Post-traumatic stress disorder

By: Angel Xing

"You can't patch a wounded soul with a band-aid"

What is the main cause of PTSD? Why do some people from the same event not get affected, while others do?

Questions that will be answered

• What is PTSD? 
• How is the brain related to PTSD? 
• What are the symptoms and treatment of PTSD? 
• What are the causes of PTSD?
• Who are some people who have had contact with PTSD?

What is PTSD?
-A sever anxiety disorder characterized by having flashbacks

Brought to attention after what happened to the war veterans from the Vietnam war

It can happen to anyone

It is like Humpty Dumpty.
No one can put Humpty together again.

How is the brain related?

The Amygdala and the Hippocampus

Amygdala

• Regulates fear
• Processes major emotions
• Works overtime for people with PTSD
• May be reason for some symptoms 

Hippocampus

• Involved with formation of memories
• Makes connections
• Shrunken Hippocampus is bad
• Malfunctions for people with PTSD

CAUSES/RISK FACTORS

Reason 1: A very traumatic event

Reason 2: Background history

Reason 3: The environment

Reason 4: How it was during the event

Other reasons

• Being female 
• Genes
• Gastrin-releasing peptide (GPR)

Symptoms

Three main groups: re-experiencing symptoms, avoidance symptoms, and hyper arousal symptoms.

Re-experiencing symptoms: flashbacks, bad dreams, intense distress when the event or trauma is mentioned, or scary thoughts of the traumatic event.

Avoidance symptoms: avoiding reminders, being emotionally numb, losing interest in past hobbies, feeling detached or feeling surreal.

Hyper arousal symptoms: easily startled, feeling tense, insomnia, sleepwalking, difficulty in concentrating, mood swings

Other symptoms includes: negative feelings, physical pain, and bad habits.

Symptoms for children: It is shown through behavior and play

Symptoms for adolescents: It is quite similar to the ones adults have

Treatment and Therapy

Therapy is very crucial. Seek help A.S.A.P. If not, PTSD would worsen to the point of the person not being able to live a normal life

Trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy. It exposes the victim to their own thoughts and feelings about the trauma. Makes the event more balanced.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Focuses on eye movements and other bilateral forms of stimulation, since this is thought to work by unfreezing the brain. That is because the brain’s processing system gets interrupted with the extreme stress from the event.

Other therapies and help

• Art Therapy
• Medication (painkillers)
• Antidepressants 
• Working with a dog 
• Group psychotherapy 

LOVE & CARE IS VERY CRUCIAL

People who have had contact with PTSD

Mardi Horowitz is a professor of psychiatry. Expert on stress, trauma, grief, psychotherapy, and psychoanalysis. Achieved the Lifetime Achievement Award. Did a lot of work with PTSD

Victim; War Veteran: Sean Prinson. Went back after war in Bosnia.

Symptoms he showed

• flashbacks and nightmares
• hypervigilance (on-edge) 
• Depression and  was moody
• twice he re-enacted his flashbacks

After a long time in therapy, he managed to cope with PTSD. He cannot return to what he was like before he was affected but he can cope.

This is one survivor of post-traumatic stress disorder

other information

• The hippocampus was named after the Greek word for seahorse
• Females respond better to treatment
• Hypnosis can help 

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Class activity:

THAT'S THE END!