PTSD Case study
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental disorder that develops in an individual after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event. They often develop intrusive symptoms such as recurrent flashbacks, distressing dreams, or involuntary painful memories of the event. As a result, the individual develops persistent avoidance of any stimulus associated with the event. Also, they may develop negatively altered cognition and mood, which may manifest as detachment, diminished interest in activities, inability to experience positive emotions, forgetting certain aspects of the event, and blaming oneself. Furthermore, they may experience marked arousal and hyperactivity following the event that may manifest as irritability, reckless behavior, hypervigilance, extreme startle responses, sleep problems, and poor concentration. This disorder impairs the normal function, and for diagnosis, the symptoms must be present for more than one month in duration.
Case study
William Thompson is a 38-year-old African American catholic male who is newly married living in California with his senior brother after defaulting on his mortgage. He is a graduate and works as a financial lawyer. He was an Iraq war veteran, where he served as a captain. He enjoys soccer, listening to jazz music, marathon running, and modern art collection, among others. However, his employment status is at stake due to concerns about alcohol abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder. On mental state examination, he shows a lack of interest in taking part in the session; he appears anxious and has pressured speech. He has no insight on his mental condition and seems to have forgotten about his newly married wife as he mentions all other household members.
From the observations as mentioned earlier, William Thompson is likely to be suffering from PTSD. He observed and endured traumatic war events during the Iraq war. He has negatively altered cognition, as evidenced by diminished interest in taking part in the session, and he believes that his life has fallen on hard times and also being detached from his wife as he forgets to mention her. He also experiences anxiety and has thought problems that manifest as pressured speech. His job is at stake since his occupation functioning has interfered.
Therapeutic approaches
The management of PTSD entails both psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy though psychotherapy takes significant precedence. Before commencing any psychotherapy session, the client undergoes psychoeducation in an attempt to gain insight into the condition. Psychotherapies employed include cognitive behavioral therapy where the therapist assists their clients to recognize and modify their extreme negative cognitions that contribute to emotional and functional impairment. For instance, the clients can modify misinterpretations on the trauma that make them overestimate threats. During the CBT sessions, individuals are taught on stress management such as relaxation training and breathing techniques as well as undergoing exposure to confront memories and situations related to the traumatic events. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing have also been utilized where it helps shift trauma-free memories to explicit memory. Only in rare cases is pharmacotherapy employed where selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are used, such as paroxetine. Following CBT, the majority of the clients report a marked reduction in symptoms and regained their functionality, and they do not require additional pharmacological treatment.
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