Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Articles

Could your codependency or another emotional issue be the reason you want someone back who left you? When you are codependent, you are typically looking outside yourself for definition or a sense of self. It might be through material things or the roles you play in life, for example. You might ...

Are you aware that you operate under certain beliefs and assumptions that help you to make sense of this world and your life experiences, and that also guide you as you maneuver through each day? Perhaps you’re very much aware of the fact that you have such a framework—often referred to as a world view. For example, you may believe that you were put on this earth for a God-given purpose. Hence, you’re striving to understand and adhere to what that purpose is.

n When you said your vows, what were you expecting? I suspect if you were like most women, you thought you were entering a partnership. You would enjoy shared power, right? I bet you’ve discovered something quite different, though. I bet he likes to have power over you, isn’t that so? And to ...

Recently more clients have expressed an interest in EMDR. What exactly is EMDR? EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy, is a technique that is used to stimulate the nervous system and helps emotional memories and feelings that are “stuck” to be worked through or processed. It is a great way to work through triggers, nightmares, depression, anxiety, unresolved childhood issues, fears, and much much more!

Mike sat in his car, stunned. There had been no horns honking warning him that the white pickup was going to run a red light as he pulled into the intersection. As he slowly looked around he noticed how the passenger door had folded into the other seat. Glass was scattered everywhere. His cell ...

Not only are avoidance behaviors commonplace for those experiencing post traumatic stress disorder; people in general have a tendency to avoid what they don't know what to do with. Avoidance behaviors revolve around our fears. What are you afraid of? You avoid it like the plague I'll bet! Those of us who have been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and even those with depression have a very high level of practicing avoidance behaviors to get through each day. Not

Has verbal abuse infiltrated your relationship or marriage to the extent you're ready to do something about it? Perhaps you intend to suggest marriage counseling to your husband? Or, before you do that, do you suppose if you tell him how much his verbal abuse hurts you emotionally, he will drop ...

Some women endure their husbands’ narcissism, addictions, and abuse silently because they believe they have no right to complain. They realize they are living lives that so many other women only dream about. Really, do they dare express any dissatisfaction and thus come across as ...

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) are two conditions that can be caused by experiencing or witnessing almost any kind of deep emotional trauma, especially one that is unexpected. For many, PTSD and ASD are the body's natural response to trauma - a normal, instinctive coping mechanism. While healthcare professionals and counselors are becoming better equipped to assist those with ASD or PTSD, many sufferers remain reluctant to seek help beca

It should come as no surprise that men and women, while similar in numerous ways, are also very different. When it comes to posttraumatic stress disorder (more commonly referred to as PTSD), both men and women can be affected; however this disorder can impact men and women in very different ways.

Tom (not his real name) could not believe what had just happened! For the fourth time in two years, he had been hit again; each time the car had been on his left side. The first time, he was hit when he attempted to merge into traffic from an on-ramp; others happened in an intersection, in a ...

Mental disorder or mental illness are terms used to refer to a psychological or physiological pattern that occurs in an individual and is usually associated with distress or disability that is not expected as part of normal development or culture. The recognition and understanding of mental disorders has changed over time. Definitions, assessments, and classifications of mental disorders can vary, but guideline criterion listed in the ICD, DSM and other manuals are widely acc

Tom was stunned. The last he remembered he was at home enjoying a cold Sunday winter morning with his family. And now… well, he found himself at a biker’s bar. Instead of his fashionable trousers and shirt, he was wearing leather chaps and jacket. To his shock, he was holding a ...

Who is the author most identified with the concept of codependency and the codependent? I suspect it is Melody Beattie. She herself was a recovering alcoholic and drug addict when, while working in a treatment facility in Minnesota, she was asked to hold groups for spouses of their alcoholic ...

During combat, a soldier must always be on high alert for his or her own personal safety. Danger lurks around every corner, and every day could bring the possibility of certain doom. Therefore, a soldier must take all precautionary measures to avoid being taken by surprise by a foreign weapon or even an enemy soldier. However, when a combat soldier returns home from the battlefield, this incessant paranoia is no longer needed, yet is almost impossible for a soldier to abandon

Subliminal messages in the form of affirmation are some of the best methods to overcome several life issues, from physical to mental health. Sometimes you just want to have them to maintain excellent disposition or outlook about life. Moreover, you have the power to create your own subliminal messages or affirmation. This is excellent since there’s no one else who better knows your current crises than yourself (despite of what professionals may tell you). This can also be a good test on how severe the issues are. Even at the end of formulating the affirmations or subliminalr

Perhaps the most notable flaw in all of the current treatment methods of treating children for stress disorders, including acute stress and post traumatic stress, is that they are modeled largely on the experiences and diagnostic criteria of adults. Not much treatment development has been made from existing research about the bio-chemical nature of stress disorders to address alte ate models for specific treatment of children.

Are you dreading the holiday season, believing you can not have a pleasant family holiday, because your narcissistic husband has a way of making you feel nothing you have done is good enough? Or, perhaps he despises this time of year and wants you and the kids to join him in his misery? Well, I ...

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (ADHD) occur as a result of neurological dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex of the brain. This lack of functioning in the brain causes distraction, short attention span, poor time management, procrastination, poor judgment, trouble lea

PTSD is all about brain chemistry and what happens to the brain during and immediately after the critical, traumatic incident. Essentially, the chemicals that flood the brain during the trauma do so in order to help the person to survive the event, either by running away, or fighting furiously. A third option, to submit to the trauma also has brain chemistry implications. In some individuals, once the brain goes through this chemical ‘rewiring’ to survive the trauma, the wiring stays that way.

Have you ever wanted to walk into a store and ask that question? I know there were days when I felt I might as well acquiesce and place a crown on the top of my husband’s head. It was so frustrating. I had married expecting a partnership, not to become his subject. I wasn’t knowledgeable about ...

The car accident was six months ago, but Chris (not her real name) still was too anxious to drive. The rear end collision that had come while she waited for a city bus to take on passengers left her not only with surgical scars but emotional ones as well. Aware that she was too disoriented about ...

About fifty percent of women will experience trauma at some point during their lifetimes that may or may not lead to the mental disorder known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. However, one of the more common forms of trauma that women experience, and one that often does lead to PTSD, is sexual assault. In fact, did you know it’s estimated that one third of women will ultimately experience a sexual assault? There is not a consensus, however, as to what percentage of these women will develop PTSD.

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (ADHD) occur as a result of neurological dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex of the brain. This is the newest part of our tri-brain system in evolutionary terms. It is the part of our brain that has executive functions. The functions of

She knew she would not be able to stop the car in time. The previous night’s snow was now ice on the road. As though watching a movie she had made up, the woman could feel herself floating outside of the car as it fell down into the gorge 100 feet below. From above, she saw the car move as ...

You have probably heard the expressio "What we focus on becomes stronger." The theory behind Solution Based Therapy (SBT) is that focusing on what we want, rather than what we don't want, can help change old patterns of behavior and free-up energy for our full participation in life. When working with SBT, psychotherapy clients focus on strengths rather than on weaknesses; the present rather than the past.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a condition where an individual, who has suffered a traumatic experience, continues to suffer from anxiety and fear as a result of the trauma they endured. The first step in recovery from PTSD is recognize it and be willing to do the work it takes to recover from it. Recovery is the ability to recall the events without any other cognitive, emotional or behavioral effects. A lot of patients have a dual diagnosis of post trauma stress disorde

How does having an alcoholic spouse affect your holiday season? Is this a time of year you dread because you have to attend parties with a partner whom you fear will get drunk and then behave badly? In fact, do you turn down invitations when you’d prefer to be socializing and celebrating the season, all because of the risk of embarrassment or worse caused by your alcoholic spouse? Some might profess me fortunate. My alcoholic husband didn’t much like to socialize. Actually, that might not be too surprising.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing or EMDR was developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the middle 1980’s. EMDR is one of the newer “power” therapies that has recently been acknowledged and accepted by the professional community and the general public. They are known as “power” therapies because they work much q

Does your partner refuse to do practically anything with you anymore even though you used to go everywhere together? Do you find verbal abuse being slung your way when your partner used to be a kind person? Are you confused by a suddenly sexless marriage when your partner couldn’t keep his hands ...

People have always said that laughter is the best medicine, but is there really any truth to the saying? What sort, if any, medicinal benefits does laughter have on the body? What about the mind? Discovery.com, the on-line database for the Discovery Channel, uses results from studying “psychoneuroimmunology,” or “the relationship between human behavior (in this case, laughing) and the mind, and how it affects the immune system”. That is, laughter has been clinically p

Working with a therapist by telephone allows clients to do therapy in the environment where they feel the most comfortable: their homes, backyards, or offices. Clients usually find working on the phone gives them a deeper freedom of expressing themselves. Initially, some clients are conce ed that they won’t feel as connected to the therapist as they would in face-to-face therapy--but by the end of the first session, are surprised to find this is not true.

Many people make light of nervous breakdowns, often using the term in a joking and over-exaggerative manner. However, nervous breakdowns, although not officially referred to as a medical condition, are still very serious, as they signal several underlying mental issues which must be addressed. According to the Mayo Clinic, nervous breakdowns occur when an individual is exposed to enormous, almost insurmountable amounts of stress and/or anxiety. While stress is a major part of

This book has been designated one of the "BEST BOOKS OF 2009" by the Library Jou al. This book review is part of a series that covers the topic of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat. Dr.

3 Steps To Becoming A Better Therapist We all want to great therapists. We go to classes, learn the work and then come back and try to put it into practice. Some of it comes easily and some not so much. Why is it easier for some information to integrate into our practice and not so easy for other information. More importantly, what can we do to allow it to all be easy. 1. Block Your Energetic Leaks If we pay attention throughout our treatment day we will notice there are times where we are very attentive and other times where are not.

Not many people think about overthinking, which is ironic, since those who overthink are too preoccupied with overthinking to notice just how damaging their overthinking can be. Overthinking occurs when a person continues to dwell relentlessly on one scenario, subject, or problem to the point of exhaustion. Some people might consider overthinking to be some form of obsession, and in some way, it is. Overthinking relates to perfection—how a situation or problem, either in th

The use of traditional behavior modification techniques with stress disordered children needs to be done with caution and extra care. The issue of the primary source of the child’s behaviors needs to take precedence over simply “pressing on” with behavior modification techniques. The key indicator to the clinical team treating the child is that they will find the child’s behaviors getting much worse despite using behavioral methods that should be working. This initially can be mistaken as an “extinction burst”, and the team may be motivated to apply more behavior modification pressure.

Anything taken too much is bad for the health. A little stress is actually good; as it could serve to help you function at your best. However, stress that seems a little too much could take a physical, as well as mental, toll to your body. Stress should be managed in order for depression or ...

NET or Neuro Emotional Technique is one of the newer “power therapies” and stress reduction techniques that along with TFT (Thought Field Therapy), and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) have become popular in the last ten years. These therapies seem to work quicker than traditional talk therapi

Reports of battle-associated stress appear as early as the 6th century BC. Although PTSD-like symptoms have also been recognized in combat veterans of many military conflicts since, the modern understanding of PTSD dates from the 1970s, largely as a result of the problems that were still being experienced by Vietnam veterans. n The term post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD was created in the mid 1970s. Early in 1978, the term was used in a working group finding presented to

This book review is part of a series that covers the topic of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder / PTSD . Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Jef Gazley is t he Official Guide to Post-Taumatic Stress Disorder / PTSD . The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment , by Babette Rothschild, is a valuable resource

To Prevent Suicide: Heal Post Traumatic Soul Disorder Jane A. Simington, PhD. Taking Flight International Corporation September 9-15, 2012 is designated as suicide prevention week. Many are asking how we can prevent the horrific statistics, such as those recently reported about the thirty-eight American soldiers who killed themselves in July, the worst month for suicides since the Army began releasing figures in 2009. Statistics about escalating suicide rates, for all age gr

5 The Stress Episode As therapists, one of our major tools is our words. Most adults, when they witness a child who is severely upset over what appears to not want to follow a directive, will label the behavior a “tantrum”, or at best “acting out”. In most cases, this is a fairly accurate term for the behavior that the child is exhibiting. When a stress disordered child engages in similar behaviors, the source and quality of the behaviors will be different at different times.

It is natural for people to feel anxiety, sad or scared after they have undergone a traumatic or extremely stressful experience. And, naturally as well, people also recover after some time and start to live life normally again. However, for some people who experience severe trauma, the stress is so overwhelming that they are unable to move past the experience. They often have nightmares about the incidence and may not even feel safe. If you or a love one underwent a traumatic

In children it is particularly important to watch for physical as well as emotional/psychological symptoms. These symptoms are frequently misdiagnosed or overlooked. This does not mean that the presence of one or two symptoms means your child has been traumatized as the same symptoms can also indicate other physical or psychological problems. Some common signals of traumatic stress in children following a traumatic event are: -Changes in sleep/eating patternsrn-Startle response -Frequent constipation or diarrhea -Bed wetting or soiling -Wetting or soiling of clothes -Changes in speechr

Many children and adults experience nightmares at various times in their lives but this doesn't usually cause too much stress to the individual. But for people who are extremely anxious or suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), nightmares become much more of a problem. Sleep terrors cause even more distress than ordinary nightmares. Nightmares are a form of dreams that are always upsetting to the individual, causing extreme anxiety with symptoms of fear, very i

In its most distilled form, the definition of a traumatic event is a situation in which one is exposed to great danger and is rendered powerless. The psychological impact of such an untoward experience can be profound: “On the psychological and mental levels, trauma refers to the wounding of the emotions, the spirit, the will to live, beliefs about the self and the world, one’s dignity, and one’s sense of security” (Matsakis, 1994, p. 28) . There are some key reasons why a tr