Psych 270 ECEX3

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Psychology

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Feb 20, 2024

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Psych 270- Extra Credit Exam 3 Nicole Gourley During this semester, we learned about a variety of disorders and group of disorders that I found very interesting and thought-provoking. However, the one that stood out to me was Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. I found this extremely thought provoking because of the discussion posts we did, the videos and media provided, and the overall concept of this disorder. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a disorder that can be characterized by flashbacks, hypervigilance, and avoidance symptoms, lasting for more than a month after a traumatic stressor (Canvas). This condition occurs after a very distressing, anxiety-inducing, or life- threatening event. Some events that could cause PTSD include abuse, sexual assaults, combat, accidents, natural disasters, and witnessing violence or death. The effects of this disorder could last for months or even years (Mayo Clinic). To get diagnosed with PTSD, there are different diagnostic criteria required before formal diagnosis. First is initial exposure to trauma, this can be like the events mentioned earlier, or other events witnessed or experienced causing extreme distress and fear. Second, intrusion is observed in the patient, and this deals with re-experiencing symptoms of the disorder. This could include nightmares, flashbacks, memories, reactions to stressors, feeling psychological distress when exposed to cues, and even physiological reactions like headaches or heart palpitations. PTSD can also cause individuals to avoid the traumatic event, leading to our fourth point of criteria, avoidance. An individual could avoid an entire place, people, memory, time, etc. to avoid thinking about the trauma or avoiding triggers that they know will upset them. Fourth, an individual’s cognition and perception can be affected, seemingly showing them a threatening place when they are completely safe. This could include inclinations through dissociative amnesia, or memory loss, fear, anger, detachment from others, disinterest in activities, inability to experience positive emptions, and negative beliefs about themselves or others. Lastly, arousal and reactivity is assessed, leading to hypervigilance (constantly being on guard), reckless behavior, anger and irritability, problems with concentration, trouble sleeping, and exaggerated response to startling things (Canvas). These criteria are basic guidelines that allow people to get diagnosed and treated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. One thing that particularly shocked me in the modules while learning about PTSD was delayed expression PTSD. This type of PTSD occurs when the full diagnostic criteria stated above aren’t met until on or after 6 months following the event. Originally, the individual will have certain aversive reactions after the traumatic event, but then will lie dormant until the symptoms recoil and feel flooded and haunted with trauma from the event awhile later. It’s very interesting that this can occur in people that long following a traumatic event, my thoughts would lead me to believe that the individual would be immediately traumatized and effected. Another thing I found particularly interesting about PTSD is that watching media coverage of traumatic events can increase the likelihood of a person developing PTSD in the future. This could be like someone watching terrorist attacks, school shootings, major accidents, and natural disasters on the news. This is very interesting and honestly makes a lot of sense that this could set off alarm bells psychologically and therefore create susceptibility in the individual’s future. I had not known that until this class. As someone with diagnosed PTSD, I thought that I knew almost everything about the disorder. However, after taking this class, it’s clear to me that I could not quite fully grasp the concept because mental illness is different for everyone. Some people are treated with exposure

therapy, like recreating the traumatic event and verbalization, psychotherapy or counseling, medication, and other remedies. I enjoyed discussing the VR approach and why it would/wouldn’t be useful in helping with the treatment of PTSD. I think this class has so much to teach me, even about disorders that I have struggled with and think I know everything about. I am grateful for the knowledge that this course has given me and will take it into the future, implementing it when needed and using it to further my career in psychology. Blessings, Nicole Gourley References: “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)”. Canvas . ”psu.instructure.com/courses/2281649/modules/items/38966562. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023. “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).” Mayo Clinic , Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 13 Dec. 2022, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post- traumatic-stress-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355967.

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