Approximately 72% of persons with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) report experiencing traumatic nightmares (Casement & Swanson, 2012). Traumatic nightmares are an intrusive symptom of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which can negatively impact persons experiencing symptoms after experiencing, either directly or indirectly, a traumatic experience (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Given the large proportion of persons with PTSD who experience traumatic nightmares, it behooves social workers to be aware of interventions which can benefit persons experiencing traumatic nightmares. Imagery Rehearsal Therapy is one intervention which could help practitioners who are working with persons who have PTSD. Overview of Imagery Rehearsal …show more content…
Confrontation of the dream begins with psychoeducation about Imagery Rehearsal as well as the role of nightmares in PTSD and how nightmares can create and exacerbate insomnia and other sleep disorders which may be co-morbid with PTSD (Krakow & Zadra, 2006). Avoidance of trauma-related nightmares is another aspect of PTSD nightmares which can be addressed through confrontation of nightmares through psychoeducation in treatment. In addition to psychoeducation, confrontation of trauma-related nightmares occurs through either verbal retelling of the dream or writing the dream down (Pagel et al., …show more content…
Similar to confrontation, Step 2 of IRT involves psychoeducation about the nature of nightmares and how imagery and practicing pleasant imagery can positively benefit nightmares. Krakow and Zadra (2006) explain that understanding imagery and its impact on nightmares can help to change the relationship which exists between the person and the trauma-related nightmare. In addition to psychoeducation, the client works to change the end of the nightmare which will be used in imagery rehearsal; the ending does not have to be realistic and should not include an increase in violence (Pagel et al., 2014). Through psychoeducation and writing down a new ending for their trauma-related nightmare, Step 2 of IRT helps the client begin to distance themselves from their nightmares, thus beginning the process of lessening distress from
Both Freud and Jung provided important and interesting theories on dreams; encompassing their functions, their roots, and their meanings. Freud looked at dreams as a result of repressed memories, particularly repressed sexual memories from our childhood. Jung however, believed that dreams delved beyond sexual repression during younger years, to other problems, be it trauma, anxiety etc. Jung also believed dreams changed predominately through middle adult years, while Freud believed the opposite. There is little empirical evidence to reinforce either Freud or Jung’s theories, however, their contributions to the study of dreams in psychology cannot be lessened or denied.
Power can often bring great change in a person, whether it is for the better or for the worse. Many authors showcase how power and its abuse affect others and the person in power in their stories. In the memoir Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, Bryan is a lawyer who aims to expose the discrimination in the legal system by helping those who have experienced bias due to their race or socio-economic status. In the short story “Ashes”, by Susan Beth Pfeffer, Ashleigh is a main character who is being controlled by her father to steal money from her mother. In Just Mercy, Braun Stevenson expertly utilizes dialogue throughout the book to generate empathy for the victims of the legal system while also reinforcing the theme of people tending to abuse power;
EMDR consist of 12-15 sessions and information is gotten about the client history, establish rapport, and explain the treatment. The therapist then asks the client questions about visual images of the trauma, the client’s emotional and physiologic reactions to the trauma, unhelpful self-representations, and helpful self-representations (Briere & Scott, 2013). More so, the purpose of EMDR is to reduce the effect of negative emotions or disturbing memories. EMDR engages the client in a two-sided stimulation (i.e. hand taps, eye stimulation by following the movement of an object or audible voices (Briere & Scott, 2013; Eka,
This paper explores post-traumatic stress and how it is seen as a disorder. Post-traumatic stress can manifest into post-traumatic stress disorder. According to Sareen (2014), Post-traumatic stress disorder is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-5 as having 4 core features that are as follows. First, the person must witness or experience a stressful event. Secondly, the person or persons would re-experience symptoms of the event that include nightmares and/or flashbacks. The person or persons would also have hyper arousal symptoms, such as concentrations problems, irritability, and sleep disturbance. The final core feature dictates
The symptoms that are being treated through this individualized treatment plan related to post traumatic stress disorder are: dissociative reactions, irritable and aggressive behavior, concentration problems, and trauma-related external reminders. The first goal is in place to assist Precious in learning to eliminate intrusive memories, a “notable feature of memory in PTSD is the reliving experiences or “flashbacks” to the trauma” (Berwin, 2003, p. 340), and addressing causes of these memories through the intervention of prolonged exposure. In addition, the second goal that is being implemented, preventing and addressing distortions, is being addressed through prolonged exposure. This technique is “a general treatment strategy for reducing anxiety that involves confronting situations, activities, thoughts, and memories that are feared and avoided even though they are not inherently harmful.” (Foa, 1998, p. 65). The flashbacks and distortions that Precious experiences are being addressed through prolonged exposure, due the fact that it
In the chapter reading, what stood out for me was that of “deconditioning feared thoughts” as a means of providing a kind of self-support to exploring different ways of facing life challenges. Having the client talk about their fears little by little and trying to make sense of why they are not important, helping to make them more manageable. They become less important and soon dissipate. I appreciated the mention of “reinforcing thinking” and using evocatively empathic therapy to do so. Encouraging the client towards independent problem solving by the therapist paves the way for fighting fears and healthier thinking.
Was China's one-child policy all that bad? Ask yourself this, what was China’s one child policy? The one-child policy was put in place to stop the Chinese Han, an ethnic group, from a population overload! Without the one-child policy, China’s overpopulation was causing supply shortages, unemployment, damage to economy and pollution. This policy also had some exceptions to the rules.
The therapists that were used were a nurse therapist and a clinical psychologist. In sessions 1 through 5 of Exposure Therapy subjects were asked to imagine their previous trauma memories. Patients were asked to talk in first person tense about what they experienced, and then were asked to imagine and describe critical aspects of the trauma and "rewind and hold"
When humans undergo traumatic events that threaten their safety and wellbeing, they may become vulnerable to nightmares, fear, excessive anxiety, depression, and trembling. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychological illness that results from the occurrence of a “terribly frightening, life-threatening, or otherwise unsafe experience” (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), 2012). This condition often leads to unbearable stress and anxiety. PTSD is significantly prevalent as indicated by data from the National Co-morbidity Survey which shows that at a particular time in their lives, 7.8% of 5, 877 adults in America suffered from PTSD (Andrew & Bisson, 2009). In the general population, the lifetime prevalence is estimated at 8%,
In this essay, I will be relaying the facts and discussing about trauma and its relationship to dreams. The literature review, where I will review the basic facts and studies that give us clues as
Research has shown that, “people who suffer from PTSD often relive the experience trough nightmares and flashbacks,” (“What”). Survivors’ dreams are most often related to a specific traumatic image or situation the individual was put in, that continues to haunt them years later.
Dreams are generally linked with rapid eye movement sleep, or REM sleep, which is a phase that happens near the end of a sleep cycle. REM sleep is characterized by the random movement of the eyes and heightened body and brain activity. One study proposed that there is a definitive link between dreams and emotions, where the reduction of REM sleep causes a reduction in the ability to comprehend the multifaceted emotions in everyday life (Gujar, 2011, p.117). This phase of the sleep cycle has the highest inclination of vivid dreams and studies of MRIs of the brain during REM sleep show that the amygdala and hippocampus play a key role (Gennaro, 2011, p.1458). The amygdale processes the memory of emotional reactions and the hippocampus stores information from short-term to long-term memory. These findings reveal the core mechanism and perhaps the reason that humans dream. Dreams seem to aid in processing emotions by linking them to a variety of memories. The experiences within dreams may not be real, but the emotions that accompany the images and events during REM sleep are unquestionably genuine. Without processing these emotions, the emotions build up and personal anxiety increases. With less REM sleep, people tend to be more agitated and mental disorders are more easily developed
Signs of repetition include nightmares and flashbacks. The authors then discuss trauma resolution. They make the important point that children’s trauma must be discussed by direct disclosure in order for them to resolve their issues. Simple play therapy, these authors believe, is not adequate to do this.
Usually, people neglect the importance of the brain but who can blame them? Habitually, individuals do not reflect upon the way the brain functions and transmits messages to the neurons when people blink or hold an object. It is crucial for humans to understand and gather information regarding the sections of the brain that are activated daily. Also, it is essential to be to be conscious of how maltreatment increases the risk of psychiatric disorders, and the fact that children need care; the brain is extremely vulnerable because it does not stop developing until the age of 25.
It is universally known that dreams are full of meanings and emotions. In Freud’s theory, all dreams are wish fulfillments or at least attempts at wish fulfillment. The dreams are usually presented in an unrecognizable form because the wishes are repressed. Freud proposes there are two levels in the structure of dreams, the manifest contents and the latent dream-thoughts. The manifest dream, a dream