The topic of PTSD and overcoming traumatic stress has importance in helping the student understand the disorder, and how its patients deal with it. After traumatic experiences, people are likely to suffer from traumatic stress by feeling sad, envious, frightened, or angry. The chances of people suffering from PTSD are higher for victims of rape and soldiers in military combat. The disorders do not only affect those who have suffered from the traumatic event but may also affect those who witness it and those who clean up the situation such as emergency workers and officers (Bryant, 2019). The topic helps the learner to how traumatic events may lead to PTSD, and how victims of the disorder seek treatment, reach out for support and develop new coping mechanisms, manage symptoms and avoid painful memories from a traumatic event.
The topic of PTSD teaches the types of PTSD, including emotional and psychologic trauma, rape and sexual trauma, racial trauma, and PSTD in military veterans. The topic educates on ways that people with PTSD can seek help, for instance through challenging their sense of helplessness, getting moving by getting involved in physical activities, reaching out to others for supports, and seeking professional help. The topic raises the research questions of why PTSD does not affect some victims of traumatic events, the effect of recurring traumatic events on a victim, whether is it ever too late to seek help, and the effect on children living with parents who are victims of PTSD.
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Assumptions
The assumption that PTSD cannot be avoided through putting on a strong character has been reinforced by the fact there is no right way to deal with trauma, and each individual has their pace and readiness for recovery from traumatic events. An individual cannot be able to stop themselves from experiencing pain from traumatic events, and even though some coping mechanisms have helped reduces the possibilities of the suffering transforming to PTSD, the individual’s contribution is usually minimal. This assumption is shaped by the common knowledge that the brain automatically responds to trauma by creating a fear response, which should be common in every person. The traumatic stress reduces over time as the brain gets preoccupied with new events.
The second assumption is that people with PTSD experience different symptoms. The PTSD disorder is diagnosed through the identification of certain symptoms in the patient, meaning that some symptoms are specific to people with PTSD. There differences in how people experience PTSD is evident in how the male and female gender suffer from the disorder. Females will experience PTSD symptoms for a longer period as compared to men and are likely to get easily startled, feel depressed and anxious, and have trouble with emotions (Olff, 2017). On the other hand, many men will resort to alcohol and drugs. Females are more likely to show ruminative and emotional responses while men are likely to engage in problem-solving.
Discussion of research questions
The topic teaches that not everyone who suffers from a traumatic event will develop PTSD, and many factors play a part in this. Some of these factors are present before trauma, while others matter during and after the trauma. Some risk factors which increase the likelihood of developing PTSD include frequency of exposure to traumatic events, exposure to people getting hurt or killed, childhood trauma, lack of social support, and the possibility of having to deal with extra stress such as losing a loved one or incurring injuries. A special consideration leaned on this research question is the use of religion as a coping mechanism. Latinos are more likely to use religion to escape PTSD as compared to white Americans (Olff, 2017).
The effect of recurring and persistent traumatic events on a PTSD victim is that the victim may undergo brain damage, or develop more extreme symptoms such as suicidal feelings. The victim will experience heightened fear as the events persist, and the brain's functioning may be permanently altered. The Amygdala becomes hyperactive in the case of PTSD, and emotional trauma may lead to chronic stress (Price et al., 2018). It is never too late to treat PTSD, but the victim needs to see a health professional with experience in treating PTSD. The most effective treatment for a patient is solving both the traumatic situation and the symptoms. A victim may seek help at any stage of the disorder, and professional intervention and support from family and friends are usually helpful. Children from a parent or parents suffering from PTSD are likely to suffer from secondary stress and debilitating effects of PTSD. The children may undergo anxiety, stress, and depression
Psychological perspectives
The humanistic perspective was developed by Abraham Maslow and looks at the individual’s viewpoint. It focuses on the belief that all people are capable of making decisions, that is, they have free will. He believed that everyone is seeking to improve themselves, and they want to be in the best state physically, intellectually, and emotionally, and this is referred to as self-actualization. In his hierarchy of needs theory, Maslow posited that individuals have basic needs that have to be met before approaching the next set of needs (Pirson, 2019). Until basic psychological needs are met, the person will direct all their energy and resources in that direction. The strength of the humanist theory is that it fits in with other psychological, meaning that it does not look over other factors. Other psychological perspectives have a part to play in the humanist perspective. The weakness of the perspective is that the experience of different individuals doesn't have to be similar.
The behaviorist perspective explains behavior based on ideas and beliefs, and its key premise is that behavior may be understood by looking into what the person has learned. Behaviors may include personality traits such as confidence, pessimism, and shyness. Behaviourism can be learned through classical conditioning, where the individual develops an unconditioned response. Behaviourism can also be learned through operant conditioning, which is using reinforcement and punishment to change behavior. The strengths of the perspective are that the impact of rewards on behavior is easily understood. The approach uses scientific research methods. The weaknesses of the perspective are that it goes against free will by proposing that the environment impacts our behavior.
Self- Awareness
Learning about the topic of PTSD and overcoming traumatic stress has challenged my assumptions that PTSD cannot be avoided through putting on a strong character and that people with PTSD experience different symptoms. My thinking about the importance of resilience in avoiding and overcoming PTSD has changed, and I now realize that resilience plays an important role in coping with PTSD. I had previously assumed that resilience did not matter and the symptoms of PTSD would always conquer a victim of traumatic situations. The shift in my thinking regarding the assumption will help me in my professional and personal life if I get to come across victims of trauma. I will not assume that some victims are too strong to be taken down by stress.
My assumption that people experience different symptoms of PTSD has changed, and I have accepted that even though there are differences in how genders experience PTSD symptoms, many of these symptoms are the same for both genders. These symptoms begin within three months after the traumatic event and will include re-experiencing symptoms, avoidance symptoms, recognition and mood symptoms, and arousal symptoms. My shifting understanding of PTSD symptoms will help me better diagnose people with the condition.
Conclusion
Exploring the topic of PTSD and overcoming traumatic stress has helped me better understand the symptoms of the disorder, and how people suffering from PTSD can be helped out of their situations. My assumptions about PTSD have been adjusted through informed research, and I now have more accurate information pertaining to the subject. The research questions have been addressed, and I can explain why some people suffer from PTSD while others don't, the consequences of prolonged exposure to traumatic situations, and how children living with PTSD victims as parents are affected emotionally and psychologically. The likelihood of developing PTSD is affected by the frequency of exposure to traumatic events, exposure to people getting hurt or killed, childhood trauma, lack of social support, and the possibility of having to deal with extra stress such as losing a loved one or incurring injuries. Prolonged exposure to traumatic situations may lead to chronic stress and brain damage.
Some of the new research questions that emerged include;
Do children experience PTSD differently as compared to an adult?
How do different coping mechanisms help trauma victims overcome traumatic stress?
Are there differences for various ethnicities in the type of trauma experienced and severity of trauma?
References
Bryant, R. A. (2019). Post‐traumatic stress disorder: a state‐of‐the‐art review of evidence and challenges. World Psychiatry , 18 (3), 259-269.
Olff, M. (2017). Sex and gender differences in post-traumatic stress disorder: an update. European journal of psychotraumatology , 8 (sup4), 1351204.
Pirson, M. (2019). A humanistic perspective for management theory: Protecting dignity and promoting well-being. Journal of Business Ethics , 159 (1), 39-57.
Price, M., Lancaster, C. L., Gros, D. F., Legrand, A. C., van Stolk-Cooke, K., & Acierno, R. (2018). An examination of social support and PTSD treatment response during prolonged exposure. Psychiatry , 81 (3), 258-270.
