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Free Psychology Papers >> Free Psychology Essays: Treatments for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Treatments for PTSD
(Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
Construct Description
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is diagnosed when an individual suffers a traumatic event to which s/he reacts with strong fear or helplessness and also develops particular symptoms that continue for at least 1 month (Taylor, Thordarson, Maxfield, Fedoroff, Lovell & Ogrodniczuk, 2003). PTSD usually appears within 3 months of the trauma (American Psychiatric Association, 1999). Its symptoms can be grouped into four categories (American Psychiatric Association, 1999; Taylor, et al, 2003):
1. Reexperiencing, e.g., flashbacks, nightmares;
2. Avoidance, e.g., diminished emotions, efforts to avoid any reminders of the traumatic event;
3. Emotional numbness, e.g., restricted range of affect;
4. Hyperarousal, which may involve feeling irritable and explosive, even when not provoked, insomnia, exaggerated startle reactions, poor control over his/her impulses, and suicide risk.
In this paper we will look at two research studies that compare the efficacy of two types of treatments available for PTSD: prolonged exposure (PE) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) (one of the studies also looks at relaxation treatment in addition to the above two).
Continued here: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Treatments: Part 2
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