Final Research Paper: Fictional Character Analysis

Tony Stark is a fictitious personality in the Iron Man and Marvell Universe movies. Stark manages his superhero responsibilities by himself. Stark assists his fellow superheroes in severe instances. The research paper focuses on Stark’s experiences in one battle with the Avengers where he exhibits various signs of the PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). The 5 th edition of the DSM-V ( Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ) will be used to assess Stark’s mental condition. The treatment plan contains the three models of the brief therapy which include cognitive behavioral, dosage and EMDR. The psychoanalytical theory supports the diagnostic examination of the client. 

Description of the Fictitious Character: Background Information and Signs 

Stark encounters a life-threatening challenge in the Avengers film which can end the earth. An antagonistic force steals some endless energy from the world. The aliens use the energy to drill a hole in the world that facilitates their access to the world. The military officers release a missile to weaken the forces of the aliens and protect the world. Stark intervenes to save the people of New York after the military officials are unable to fight against the aliens. Stark makes a quick move and a self-sacrificial choice to fly the nuclear missile through the hole which reaches the outer space. The missile destroys the aliens' ship, and Stark saves the world. Stark becomes unconscious in the outer space due to its atmosphere. Fortunately, Stark falls through the hole and regains consciousness after landing on the earth. Stark’s mental state is affected as a result of the life-threatening experience and traumatizing attacks from the aliens (Black, 2013). 

The new and intermittent psychological signs of Stark are exhibited in the third episode of Iron Man after fighting with the aliens. Stark experiences recurrent attacks that involve severe and attenuate episodes of anxiousness that causes distress (Letamendi, 2013). Stark also experiences sleeping discomforts and difficulties in breathing after being reminded of the New York attack. Stark does not discuss or answer questions about the New York invasion (Langley, 2013). Stark portrays the signs of PSTD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). 

Assessment Plan 

Diagnostic Analysis: The DSM-V Tool 

The DSM-V tool consists of five criteria that analyze PTSD. The first criterion is A that focuses on the traumatic stress. The traumatic stress can take the form of direct or indirect exposure, individual witnessing, recurrent or severe exposure (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Stark experiences direct exposure to trauma after the life-threatening incidence and attack from the aliens. Stark also experiences combat stress because he took part in the battle (Huang & Kashubeck-West, 2015). The exposure to combat stress is an indication of PTSD signs. A high level of exposure to combat stress indicates severe symptoms of PTSD (Huang & Kashubeck-West, 2015). A giant whale chased stark in the city, and this could have triggered the combat stress which portrays severe signs of PTSD. 

The second criterion is B which focuses on intrusive signs. The client must experience more than one intrusive sign which include fantasies, disruptive responses, repeated or unwanted memories. The client has to encounter severe distress after remembering the traumatic incidences (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Stark encounters fantasies about the New York attack. The fantasies become harsh and Stark experiences sleeping disorders. Stark makes his shield at night to get distractions from the fantasies. Stark encounters flashbacks after viewing the objects that were present during the battle (Huang & Kashubeck-West, 2015). 

The third criterion is C which focuses on the avoidance-related signs. The client must portray more than one avoidance-related sign which include repetitive trauma on speculations, sentiments, individuals, items or incidences (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Stark frequently reminds Harley to enclose the information of the war. Stark gets away when a young boy questions him of the way he got out of the pit (Black, 2013). The events in the movie indicate that Stark wants to avoid speculations, sentiments, and discussions related to the incident. The avoidance of the traumatic events can increase the PTSD signs (Huang & Kashubeck-West, 2015). Stark’s avoidance of the related signs is due to the relationship between the relief of the incidences and the recap of the attacks. 

The fourth criterion is D which focuses on detrimental alterations in understanding and personality. The client has to portray two detrimental changes which include low interest in essential tasks, inability to remember the traumatic incidences, feeling lonely and does not experience positive feelings (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Stark has low interest in carrying out activities that were important in his life such as holding parties and taking alcohol. Stark perceives he is not close to his girlfriend (Pepper) and friend (Rhodey) although they care about him (Black, 2013). Stark feels guilty and shameful in the second season of Avengers due to the attack that takes in New York. 

The fifth criterion is E which focuses on disruptions in inspiration and response. The patients must portray more than two disruptions which include aggressive conduct, desperation, exaggerated reactions, difficulties in contemplating and sleeping discomforts (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Stark can stay awake for almost six days while making the suits. Stark is amazed when surprised by his colleagues. 

The last criterion consists of the period, the importance of functions and rejection. The signs must persist for more than one month which results in significance pressure (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). It is presumed that the period between the Avengers film and the third season of Iron Man is more than one month. Stark’s experiences on the attack distract his daily routines and social relations. Stark stopped taking alcohol and is using unknown drugs. Stark’s heart complications could be caused by the anxiety-related signs (Langley, 2013). He needs to seek medical assistance from a cardiologist who is conversant with the arc device and the magnet in the chest. The cardiologist must distinguish the technical defects that control Stark’s anxiety-related signs. 

Other additional assessments will be carried out to reveal any repressed signs. Firstly, Stark should take a SPAN examination that will assess his agitation anger, fantasies, and insensitivity. The SPAN assessment consists of a five-point ratio where the participants indicate the non-stressful and stressful signs over the past seven days (National Center for PTSD, 2015). Secondly, the TSQ (Trauma Screening Questionnaire) will be used to assess the arousals and questions related to disturbing thoughts, physical responses along with flashbacks. The TSQ will be carried out after the first month to allow the client to recover from trauma (National Center for PTSD, 2015). The additional assessment will assist in determining the client’s accurate symptoms. 

Treatment Plan and Prognosis 

Spark’s medication will consist of various brief therapies which include cognitive behavioral, drugs and EMDR. The cognitive behavioral medication is a conventional therapy for PTSD patients. The therapy assists in reducing the signs of PTSD and enhancing the patient’s quality of life in spite of the severe signs (Lowinger & Rombom, 2012). The evidence-based practices related to the cognitive behavioral medication include informal training, behavioral activities, self-driven skills and desensitized modules. The evidence-based methods can assist in decreasing the client's psychological as well as the physiological signs (Lowinger & Rombom, 2012). The therapy aims to assist Stark to accept his condition and overcome the negative, repressed sentiments. The medication will help Stark to reconsider his experience of the traumatic events through the implementation of evidence-based methods such as cognitive reconstruction, patient-focused activities and exposure medication (Lowinger & Rombom, 2012). The therapy will improve the mental and behavioral state of the patient. Stark will recover from the New York trauma after the therapy. The therapy sessions will go for one hour. The therapist will meet Stark at least once per week for several months. Stark should continue with the therapy after recovering from the PTSD signs. Stark has encountered different traumatizing incidences including the torture and adduction in Afghanistan (Black, 2013). The therapist will explore the incidences separately to establish the causes of anxiety and restlessness in each case. 

The drug therapy consists of SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) as well as tricyclic anti-tranquilizers. The appropriate anti-tranquilizers for Stark's condition include amitriptyline, fluoxetine, and citalopram (Puetz, Youngstedt, & Herring, 2015). The SSRIs and tricyclic anti-tranquilizers can be used as a first-line medication on the client. The drug therapy will reduce the signs of preventive and obtrusive memories (Puetz, Youngstedt, & Herring, 2015). Stark can use clonazepam and benzodiazepines during panic attacks. The drug therapy will not prevent the causes of the PESD signs. The drug and behavioral medication are used as a combined therapeutic method for PTSD patients. The drug and behavioral treatment will reduce the symptoms of arousal and response. 

The third medication method is the EMDR. The EMDR method will assist the patient to remember the traumatizing incidences related to the negative perceptions and physical responses (Logie, 2014). Stark will engage in a mutual stimulation process during the treatment. The bilateral stimulation process consists of eight steps which include background formation, preparing the client to process the memories, analyzing the client's memory, processing the ideas, assessing the physical changes and cross-examining (Logie, 2014). The EMDR therapy can be useful in reducing the PTSD signs which can result in full recovery. 

The diagnosis for Stark’s condition of post-traumatic stress disorder could be decisive. Stark's condition can improve as a result of continuous administration of the medication. The purpose of the medication program is to mitigate the sign of avoidance which can be a challenge to the therapist. The average period for the patients who recovered from PTSD in the Katrina disaster was sixteen and a half months. The median period for the patients who recovered from the Katrina disaster was twenty-seven months (Chan & Rhodes, 2014) . Stark might take an extended period before he recovers from the post-traumatic stress disorder. He can take one or two years before he regains stability. The recovery process can be reduced by using the personal aggressiveness approach. 

Theoretical Evidence 

The psychoanalytical principle defines the PTSD condition for Stark. Freud and other psychologist attest that individuals encounter trauma due to distractions of protective obstacles in their cognition. The protective barriers safeguard people from dangerous and severe stimulation (Levine, 2014) . Stark could have adopted the protective behavior while he was a grown up with different levels of success. Stark was hardworking, creative, brave, polite and had outstanding leadership traits before the New York incidence. Stark was aggressive, confident and was sure of his potential (Black, 2013). The traumatic occurrences of New York disrupted and influenced Stark's ideas. Stark traumatic events reveal the intimidations of the world that are uncontrollable and unbelievable to Stark. The creation of the Avengers assists Stark to identify different forms in the universe and the alien life. Stark discovers that the world is prone to external attackers such as aliens (Black, 2013). It is possible that Stark’s trauma is as a result of the original failure of the protective barrier and the perception that death is inevitable (Levine, 2014) . Stark feels insecure in spite of wearing the protective suit that makes him the Iron Man. Stark notes that the protective suit was not a distraction but was a cocoon. Stark concludes in the third season of Iron Man film that he has transformed (Black, 2013). Stark states that individuals face situations that are beyond their understanding and this hinders them from getting immediate solutions. He admits that he has encountered Gods, aliens and other forms that are beyond his knowledge. Stark admits he is a rational human being with a protective suit (Black, 2013). Stark realizes that death is inevitable after encountering the attacks from the aliens in the hole. He feels helpless because his suit could not assist him in the world of aliens. Stark's perception of loneliness triggers the development of the PTSD signs as described in the psychoanalytic principle. 

It is essential to determine the effectiveness of the cognitive-behavioral medication and the psychoanalytical approach. The psychoanalytical principle focuses on the causes of the development of the post-traumatic stress disorder (Levine, 2014) . The cognitive behavioral approach is the appropriate treatment methods because it focuses on analyzing the causes of PTSD (Lowinger & Rombom, 2012). The psychoanalytical method consumes time as compared to the cognitive behavioral principle. The cognitive behavioral approach describes the significance of the client’s role which is crucial to the treatment process of PTSD patients. The introspective views of the psychoanalytic approach can be used in Stack’s diagnostic test. The cognitive behavioral approach will assist Stack to recover from the PTSD condition. 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, Stark has post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the traumatizing situations that he encountered during the battle. The DSMD-V tool indicates that Stark has a PTSD. The appropriate brief therapies for Stark’s condition include the cognitive-behavioral approach, drug and EMDR methods. Stark's diagnosis is definite. The psychoanalytical principle explains that Stark's mental state was affected by the unknown intimidations that surround the dominant forces in the outer space. The theory suggests that Stark's mental condition was influenced by his unavoidable death and the transformations that took place in New York. Stark’s physiological signs such as anxiety episodes will be reduced through the incorporation of long and short-term medication. The long and short-term treatment will facilitate the assessment of his thoughts and sentiments that have caused the PTSD. The purpose of the medication is to restructure Stark's traumatic condition through the implementation of EMDR and cognitive behavioral approach. Stark has to recover from his mental state. The continuous administration of the treatment will have a positive effect on Stark's health and social relationships. The therapy will reduce the PTSD signs and reduce the chances of suffering from a mental disease in future. 

References  

American Psychiatric Association. (2013).  Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders.  (5th Ed.). Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/PTSD-overview/diagnostic_criteria_dsm-5.asp 

Black, S. (2013).  Iron Man 3  [DVD]. The United States of America: Marvel Studios, DMG Entertainment. 

Chan, C. S., & Rhodes, J. E. (2014). Measuring exposure during Hurricane Katrina: a meta-analysis and an integrative data analysis. PLoS One , 9 (4), e92899. 

Huang, H., & Kashubeck ‐ West, S. (2015). Exposure, agency, perceived threat, and guilt as predictors of post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans.  Journal of Counseling & Development ,  93 (1), 3-13. 

Letamendi, A. (2013). ‘Iron Man 3:’ Does Tony Stark have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved from http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/iron-man-3-does-tony-520868 

Levine, H. B. (2014). Psychoanalysis and trauma. Psychoanalytic Inquiry , 34 (3), 214-224. 

Logie, R. (2014). EMDR - more than just therapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder? Psychologist ,  27 (7), 512-516. 

Lowinger, R. J. & Rombom, H. (2012). The effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in New York City transit workers: A preliminary evaluation.  North American Journal of Psychology ,  14 (3), 471-484. 

National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (2015). SPAN. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Retrieved from http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/assessment/screens/span.asp 

Puetz, T. W., Youngstedt, S. D., & Herring, M. P. (2015). Effects of pharmacotherapy on combat-related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety, and depression: A systematic review and meta-regression analysis.  Plos One ,  10 (5), 1-18.