Introduction The intricate relationship between psychological states and physical health has long been recognized within the realm of medicine and psychology. Among the manifestations of this interaction, psychosomatic illnesses stand as poignant examples, where psychological distress manifests in somatic symptoms without detectable organic pathology. Understanding the etiology and mechanisms underlying psychosomatic illnesses has been a subject of significant interest, particularly in light of their impact on individual well-being and healthcare utilization. This research paper delves into the specific intersection of psychosomatic illnesses and trauma, aiming to elucidate the complex interrelationship between traumatic experiences and the …show more content…
Although there are different definitions, some based on distinct causal frameworks, moral injury is often associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but is recognized as separate from it. While moral injury encompasses feelings of guilt and shame, PTSD is defined by fear and anxiety. Vicarious trauma Normally, merely hearing about or seeing a recording of an event, even if it's distressing, doesn't result in trauma. However, there's an exception to this when considering the diagnostic criteria for work-related exposures. Vicarious trauma affects professionals who witness the trauma endured by their clients. It tends to be more prevalent in environments where exposure to trauma is frequent, rather than infrequent. Engaging empathetically with clients evokes emotions, and empathizing with their trauma may heighten the chances of developing trauma symptoms. Workers can also experience trauma if they witness incidents that happen during the course of their work, such as workplace violence or reviewing violent video footage. The likelihood of experiencing vicarious trauma rises with prolonged exposure to traumatic circumstances and is exacerbated when protective factors, like seeking support and implementing pre-established preventive measures, are lacking. Moreover, individuals with a personal history of trauma are at an elevated risk of developing vicarious trauma. Vicarious trauma can cause workers to adopt more negative perspectives of themselves, others, and the world overall, which can undermine their quality of life and capacity to work
Antwone Fisher presents characteristics consistent with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p. 271). The American Psychiatric Association described the characteristics of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, as “the development of characteristic symptoms following exposure to one or more traumatic events” (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p. 271). The American Psychological Association (2013) outlines the criterion for diagnosis outlined in eight diagnostic criterion sublevels (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, pp. 271-272). Criterion A is measured by “exposure to actual or threatened” serious trauma or injury based upon one or more factors (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p.
R. Brewin. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: Malady or Myth? N.p., n.d. Web. The Web. The Web.
Freud’s approach trauma is based in the treatment of hysteria. According to Ringel and Brandell, Freud and Breuer, considered an “external event” as responsible of determining hysterical symptoms. The common component between hysteria and trauma is the outcome of fright. Freud and Breuer emphasis the importance of cathartic experience as a way of decreasing or vanishing the effect. The “cathartic method” that was developed by Breuer, assisted to release of inhibited emotions. Freud believed that the libido, necessary to be relished for the symptoms to be improved (p. 43).
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), originally associated with combat, has always been around in some shape or form but it was not until 1980 that it was named Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and became an accredited diagnosis (Rothschild). The fact is PTSD is one of many names for an old problem; that war has always had a severe psychological impact on people in immediate and lasting ways. PTSD has a history that is as long and significant as the world’s war history - thousands of years. Although, the diagnosis has not been around for that long, different names and symptoms of PTSD always have been. Some physical symptoms include increased blood pressure, excessive heart rate, rapid breathing, muscle tension, nausea, diarrhea, problems with vision, speech, walking disorders, convulsive vomiting, cardiac palpitations, twitching or spasms, weakness and severe muscular cramps. The individual may also suffer from psychological symptoms, such as violent nightmares, flashbacks, melancholy, disturbed sleep or insomnia, loss of appetite, and anxieties when certain things remind them such as the anniversary date of the event (Peterson, 2009).
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is defined by our book, Abnormal Psychology, as “an extreme response to a severe stressor, including increased anxiety, avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma, and symptoms of increased arousal.” In the diagnosis of PTSD, a person must have experienced an serious trauma; including “actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violation.” In the DSM-5, symptoms for PTSD are grouped in four categories. First being intrusively reexperiencing the traumatic event. The person may have recurring memories of the event and may be intensely upset by reminders of the event. Secondly, avoidance of stimuli associated with the event, either internally or externally. Third, signs of mood and cognitive change after the trauma. This includes blaming the self or others for the event and feeling detached from others. The last category is symptoms of increased arousal and reactivity. The person may experience self-destructive behavior and sleep disturbance. The person must have 1 symptom from the first category, 1 from the second, at least 2 from the third, and at least 2 from the fourth. The symptoms began or worsened after the trauma(s) and continued for at least one
The article under review is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the DSM-5: Controversy, Change, and Conceptual Considerations by Anushka Pai, Alina M. Suris, and Carol S. North in Behavioral Sciences. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault (U.S. Department VA, 2007). PTSD can happen to anyone and many factors can increase the possibility of developing PTSD that are not under the person’s own control. Symptoms of PTSD usually will start soon after the traumatic event but may not appear for months or years later. There are four types of symptoms of PTSD but may show in different
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD, was recognized as a disorder with specific symptoms and was added to the Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1980. However, prior to this acknowledgement, father of psychology, Sigmund Freud, had already developed a theory on it. Freud’s Seduction theory states: “both forgotten childhood trauma and a variety of adult stresses could cause neurosis”, such as we have seen in Euripides’s Medea; in which Medea acted irrationally after having gone through traumatic events. Whether it was Freud in the 1890s or Euripides in 430 BC the idea that PTSD is present in one’s daily live has always been a suggestion.
To understand positive psychology and trauma, one must first understand what each term means. First, positive psychology is the study and focus on the best in human behavior. It is a fairly new perspective being observed and used by psychologists from all over the world. The goal of positive psychology is to study and promote conditions that can help people to achieve happy, healthy, and productive lifestyles. It is derived from research and theories from many areas of psychology and tying them together while focusing on the positive aspects of human behavior. What does it mean to be positive? Being positive is displaying affirmation, acceptance, or certainty toward an object, idea, or person.
POI and Concept Analysis Article The designated phenomenon of interest is compassion fatigue in the pediatric health setting. This refers to healthcare providers who experience emotional and physical turmoil due to the prolonged exposure of suffering while caring for medically complex children. The chosen concept analysis article “Vicarious Trauma in Nursing: A Hybrid Concept Analysis,” investigates the concept of trauma within nursing practice and how it influences nurse’s well-being and professional practice (Wu et al., 2003). Within this article, vicarious trauma is defined as emotional trauma endured by nurses who empathize with the physical/ emotional injury of patients and their families. This is done through Schwartz- Barcott and Kim
It is common to have experienced a trauma at some point in our lives. These traumas can affect our mental health and a series of problems can arise if left untreated. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is most likely to occur after the traumatic event. Some of the common symptoms with PTSD can be nightmares, trouble sleeping, panic attacks, flashbacks, depression, poor concertation, emotional numbness, or alcohol and drug dependencies. Depression can also set in and this brings on different feelings of hopelessness and
At least 50% of all adults and children are exposed to a psychologically traumatic event (such as a life-threatening assault or accident, humanmade or natural disaster, or war). As many as 67% of trauma survivors experience lasting psychosocial impairment, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); panic, phobic, or generalized anxiety disorders; depression; or substance abuse.(Van der Kolk, et al, 1994) Symptoms of PTSD include persistent involuntary re-experiencing of traumatic distress, emotional numbing and detachment from other people, and hyperarousal (irritability, insomnia, fearfulness, nervous agitation). PTSD is linked to structural neurochemical changes in the central nervous system which may have a direct biological effect on health, such as vulnerability to hypertension and atherosclerotic heart disease; abnormalities in thyroid and other hormone functions; increased susceptibility to infections and immunologic disorders; and problems with pain perception, pain tolerance, and chronic pain.(Fesler, 1991) PTSD is associated with significant behavioral health risks, including smoking, poor nutrition, conflict or violence in intimate relationships, and anger or hostility.
A psychosomatic illness “is a disease which involves both mind [psyche] and body [soma]” and “is thought to be caused, or made worse, by mental factors.” These mental factors include stress and anxiety. Stress causes the release of a wide variety of hormones into th...
Liana Meffert Eng 345W 4/23/2015 The God of Small Things: An Exploration of Emotional Trauma Through Poetic Device In The God of Small Things Arundhati Roy explicates character emotions such as fear, depression, rumination, and guilt when confronted with traumatic events. Twins Rahel and Estha experience a series of inter-connected traumas, including the drowning of their eight-year-old cousin, Sophie Mol. Roy uses poetic devices to depict the twins’ emotional response to these traumas. In the DSM V, four distinct symptoms characterize PTSD: “re-experiencing, avoidance, negative cognitions, mood and arousal”(1).
According to Tabor 2011, vicarious trauma is one of the leading contributor of burnout within forensic health care professionals. The term vicarious trauma was first utilized by McCann and Pearlman in 1990, when they used it to describe “the therapist’s reaction to a client’s traumatic events” (Tabor, 2011, p. 203). The study also suggests that nurse’s are at a risk of suffering from vicarious trauma due to the increased levels of mental exhaustion from prolonged exposure to high levels of traumatic stressor (2011). This is in turn may result in changes in the nurse’s beliefs, cognition, memory, sense of safety, trust and self-esteem (2011). The combination of the above mentioned effect and vicarious trauma may potentially result in the nurse developing post traumatic stress disorder (2011). The consequences for this would not only be detrimental to the health of the nurses but also for their family and
14. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The Harvard Mental Health Letter. June (part I), July 1996 (Part II).