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Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Case Study

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Aside from my own experience, I would recommend the following and believe psychologically it is proven that dealing with the drug addiction before the PTSD is the safest and most effective method of recovery. In the case of the comorbidity between drug addiction and PTSD it can be very challenging for those who are treating the patient and present a case of dual diagnosis. The treatment of drug addiction before PTSD can be practiced through the sequential model meaning that patients with drug addiction seek treatment with their addiction before they treat their PTSD symptoms. “One study of cocaine – dependent individuals with PTSD found that improvement in PTSD was typically associated with reduction in drug use (63.6%) and that a worsening …show more content…

If trying an attempt to treat PTSD before drug addiction, using a trauma or exposure focused approach may cause the patient to relapse or continue to use substances. The exposure therapy is an effective model for treating just PTSD without a comorbid drug addiction. “This therapy is based on behavioral principles where the client is exposed to imaginal and/or in vivo cues related to the traumatic event in order for the client to habituate to the cues and thus reduce the fear response elicited by them” (Bashnagel, Coffey, Rash, 2006). Beside the sequential model, another popular method for treating addiction and PTSD is the Seeking Safety method. This model consist of “an average of 25 60–90 minute sessions covering a wide variety of topics such as decreasing risky behaviors, setting boundaries, and coping with substance triggers, to name a few” (Berenz, Coffey, 2012). This model however, is a stage one model of treating these two disorders and does not include any exposure therapy and is used to establish a safeness within the individual. One of the last methods that I found was using Cognitive Behavioral

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There are many types of depression disorders and pain disorders. The two I will be talking about are Somatic Symptom Disorder and Major Depression Disorder. The difference between the two is where Somatic a person complains about pain that no one can find and the other one is depression. In the article that I read about Michelle Adams, 51-year-old former hairdresser. She had gone to a psychiatric clinic.

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Behavior therapy was studied by Ivan Pavlov and his famous dog study in which dogs were conditioned to salivate upon hearing a bell. It was later continued to be studied by John Watson who has the famous “Little Albert” study in which an 11-month old infant was conditioned to be scared of fuzzy white things because a rat was paired with a loud noise. The conclusion of the two conditioning experiences was that, behaviors followed by satisfying experiences tend to increase in frequency and behaviors followed by aversive experiences tend to decrease in frequency” (Thoma, 2015). Watson’s assistant Mary Jones, used this principle to clinical applications reasoning that, “if conditioning could be used to induce a phobia, perhaps it could be used to undo a phobia as well” (Thoma, 2015). Thus, behavior therapy was developed and began being used for

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Josh appears to have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). According to Grubaugh (2014), PTSD is a psychiatric disorder resulting from a life- threatening event and requires a history of exposure to a traumatic event (Criterian A) that results in a minimum threshold of symptoms across four clusters: intrusion, avoidance, negative alterations in cognitions and mood, and alterations in arousal and reactivity (criterion B through E). Josh appears to have PTSD because he experienced a traumatic event of watching his fiancée being hit and killed by a drunk driver, he shows signs of the following symptoms, intrusion, avoidance, negative alterations. Josh appears to show symptoms of intrusion by having nightly traumatic nightmares, about that accident. Josh also is exhibiting symptoms of avoidance by not working out, playing guitar, and

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Treating PTSD has several dynamics that need to be considered when a Veteran is seeking treatment. The process would be in recognizing three main components: medical factors, personal factors and social factors. “Medical factors are represented by the quality of service provided by the healthcare system, the medical providers performance, advancements made in treatments, and timely response to needs of the patient.” (Ghaff) Personal factors are going to depend on the patient and their “willingness to receive care and their compliance with treatments.”

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Andrew J. Saxon, MD, in his online article, “Returning Veterans with Addictions”, argues that “Recent work also provides encouragement that some medications can simultaneously treat substance abuse and PTSD.” (Andrew J. Saxon, “Returning Veterans with Addictions”). This proves that there is still hope for those have fallen to substance abuse. It means that with enough treatment that any returning veteran might be able to recover, right? Wrong.

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In addition to the client’s diagnoses of Acute Stress Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder, Suzy also shows symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); however, a diagnosis could not be made. The client exemplified symptoms such as: witnessing the event personally, having flashback and intrusive memories, decreases in sleep, and distressing dream to name a few. These particular symptoms place the client in the category for the diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This diagnosis was unable to be the primary diagnosis due the time frame of symptoms. PTSD symptoms should be present three months after the event.

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March 22, 2018 Kamienski, Lukasz. “The Drugs That Built a Super Soldier.”  The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 8 Apr. 2016, www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/04/the-drugs-that-built-a-super-soldier/477183/. March 22, 2018 “PTSD: National Center for PTSD.”  PTSD and Problems with Alcohol Use –U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, 1 Jan. 2007, www.ptsd.va.gov/public/problems/ptsd-alcohol-use.asp. March 22, 2018 “Returning Veterans With Addictions.”

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People with PTSD may be more likely to develop substance use problems as a way of coping with their symptoms. The uncomfortable signs and symptoms of PTSD, such as intrusive thoughts, anxiety, or hyper arousal, might be temporarily reduced by substance use. But continued substance abuse can worsen PTSD symptoms and have additional detrimental effects, such as health issues, social isolation, or legal troubles. Moreover, substance abuse can make PTSD and other co-occurring mental health issues like depression or anxiety more severe. Though you think you're helping yourself out of the pain, you may be inflicting even more harm without realizing it.

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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Literature Review Joseph J. Soja University of New England SSW 503 Research 1 For Professor Kerry Dunn 18 November 19, 2014   Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Introduction According to the CMAJ (2010), a large proportion of the American aged population is at risk of contracting PTSD. This is a condition in which individuals who have been exposed to traumatic situations often tend to have emotional and mental problems associate with the kind of trauma that they were exposed to. Beevers (2011) further indicates that amongst the populations at risk, veterans are the ones who most at risk, a belief that is further perpetuated by Galor (2012).

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Slash was born Saul Hudson in London, England, in 1965. He grew up in Los Angeles and learned to play guitar as a teenager. In 1985 he joined Guns N’ Roses and earned international acclaim for riffs on songs like "Sweet Child o’ Mine." After leaving GNR in 1996, Slash did session work and formed other bands, such as Velvet Revolver. Slash suffered heart failure in 2001 and reformed his life, documenting it all in his 2007 autobiography.

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Drug abuse is highly common with many veterans to numb the stress of warfare. And along with the past trauma, coming home can be just as bad dealing with all the stress and change. After coming home from war, veterans transitions are very rough and turn to bad things to cope especially if they have no support system. This creates anxiety and depression and the need for addiction, and these problems grow and increase due to the lack of help and empathy from society. Upon returning home, the transition from a foreign environment to “normal life” can be very challenging and hard to function as a member of american society.

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According the Department of Veteran Affairs, more than twenty percent of those with PTSD experience substance abuse. They spend night after night resorting to alcohol and drugs in an attempt to numb the hellish memories that seem to never stop replaying. Fortunately a third of all of the diagnosed veterans are searching for substance abuse treatment, rather than spiraling further into the pit of guilt and depression (Department of Veteran Affairs). Drugs and alcohol are perpetually consumed in efforts to numb the psychological pain caused by the traumatic damage. Drug and alcohol dependency influences negative behavior, as exhibited by Glenna Tinney’s story of her father’s experience with PTSD: “I remember the day he called me and told me that he had a gun and was going to shoot himself.

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What is Post-Traumatic Stress disorder? Posttraumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder that can develop after a person is exposed to one or more traumatic events, such as major stress, sexual assault, warfare, or other threats on a person's life. Symptoms include disturbing recurring flashbacks, avoidance or numbing of memories of the event, and hyperarousal, continue for more than a month after the occurrence of a traumatic event. Posttraumatic stress disorder can occur upon anyone of any age, who have seen or was expose to a negative, abusive disturbance, which then the individual carries the situation with them and replay the event in their mind over and over again, The events can cause a person to struggle with living a normal civilian

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It may come and go over the years too. The significant impact of PTSD on the lives of veterans afflicted gives doctors a greater understanding of this illness. With knowledge about PTSD, returning veterans can seek the early diagnosis and treatment they need, giving them a chance to recover. Many veterans have spoken and stressed that the PTSD will never go away, even with treatment, group therapy, counseling, or medication. Awareness and understanding can also help and support the families.

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Richard Hammersley (2011) agrees with this claim and adds a new perspective by pointing out that “drug use itself causes[…] trauma” and then, they use drugs to “cope with the negative psychological effects of trauma” which creates a vicious circle. This means that drugs are used to cope with past trauma, but can also cause trauma, resulting in more drugs. The only way to fix this cycle would be to repair substance addiction and trauma at the same time. If they are both not treated, history will repeat itself. Surprisingly, there is a large population of youth that take drugs.

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