New Zealand Case Study

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a relatively new diagnosis that was associated with survivors of war when it was first introduced. Its diagnosis was met largely with skepticism and dismissal by the public of the validity of the illness. PTSD was only widely accepted when it was included as a diagnosis in 1980 in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) of the American Psychiatric Association. PTSD is a complex mental disorder that develops in response to exposure to a severe traumatic event that stems a cluster of symptoms. Being afflicted with the disorder is debilitating, disrupting an individual’s ability to function and perform the most basic tasks.

PTSD is a vast disorder, meaning that it does not have only one cause or treatment. The brain is a complicated and unique part of the body and it can be affected by many different factors. When evaluating the causes of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, it is easy to see that no two cases are exactly the same, a group of people could go through the same event, hurricane Katrina, in New Orleans, for example. Countless people were affected by Katrina, many of them in a similar and yet, every person was emotional and mentally affected differently. Some of them now have PTSD and some do not, this is because every person is different. Factors such as, gender, race, background, affect how a person will react to a traumatic event, which makes PTSD a

The aftermath of war not only has long term effects on the men and women who served or currently serve in the military, but their families and social institutions as well. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a very serious illness, and if left undiagnosed and untreated can result in serious life-threatening effects to include death.

PTSD, just the name strikes horror into the minds of millions of soldiers, and survivors. When PTSD is spoken of, only memories of pain and suffering will appear, as this disorder ravaged the minds of millions, and left them in a mentally weak state. Definition wise, this disorder can be defined as a disorder characterized by failure to recover after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event. With this definition in mind, PTSD should be seen as a more serious subject/disorder, and should be treated more seriously, rather than being shrugged off.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental condition that is normally associated with military combat veterans. Specifically, it is classified as an anxiety disorder that sometimes occurs after being exposed to a traumatic or terrifying event or incident. The Mayo Clinic defines PTSD as a mental health condition that 's triggered by a terrifying event. It is also defined as an anxiety disorder that can develop after the exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened (Staff, 2014). PTST affects a significant number of our military combat veterans; it can affect anyone who has been subjected to such things as terror events, natural disasters, domestic violence, serious traffic

PTSD is defined as mental health disorder triggered by a terrifying event (Mayoclinic). This ordeal could be the result of some sort of physical harm or threat to the individual, family members, friends or even strangers. (NIMH) While PTSD is typically associated with someone who has served in the military, it can affect more than just that genre of individuals. It could affect rape victims, victims in a terrorist or natural disaster incident, nurses,

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is brushing through the lives of individuals like a plague. It is an high risk illness that has negative impacts to a great degree, however once in a while goes untreated on account of the lack of awareness of specific people. Some believe it is a "fake" illness and is not a reality, but rather it is a reality, a dull reality that effects the lives of numerous people and even ruins groups and families. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is an emotional sickness. As per the Mayo Clinic (2006), "Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychological well-being condition that is activated by a frightening occasion. Side effects may incorporate flashbacks, bad dreams and terrible anxiety, and wild thoughts or

PTSD is considered one of the newest diagnoses, but the notion has been around for years. The APA defines this disorder “as an anxiety (emotional) disorder which stems from a particular incident evoking significant stress (Chu, 2011).According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat (Wilson & Keane, 2004). The history of this disorder is usually centered on wars that have occurred over the years which had left many combat veterans tormented by the events that happened. Although PTSD was first publicly revealed in its connection with military war veterans, it also was recognized in victims that suffered from rape, robbery, torture, captives, wrecks/crashes (plane, car, boat, or any other type of vehicle involved), and natural disasters (floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes). These events are not the normal experiences that are exposed to the human race (serious illness, divorce, and other downfalls of life) which most people were capable with coping with the stressors that came about from such ordinary events (Chu, 2011). Every one that is exposed to some type of traumatic event or events doesn’t develop PTSD which is one of the reasons it was confronted with doubt and dismissal from the general community. Before PTSD was accredited, many people were under the impression that those who were affected (showing the symptoms of PTSD)

PTSD can happen to people of all ages, there is no set number in determining when someone will develop it. There are however certain factors that may increase ones probability of the condition being reached. These factors include: experiencing long lasting trauma, experiencing other trauma earlier in life, such as child abuse or neglect, having a job that exposes more traumatic events than normal jobs do, having mental health problems, a lack of support from family and friends, and having blood related family who have mental health problems. (Help Guide, 2014)

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental disability that can stem from an individual experiencing a traumatic event in his or her life such as a car accident, being raped or molested, warfare, or anything that is individually seen as harmful to self. According to The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM–5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013) Diagnostic criteria for PTSD include:

According to a study done by the Nebraska Department of Veteran Affairs, “An estimated 7.8 percent of Americans will experience PTSD at some point in their lives, with women (10.4%) twice as likely as men (5%) to develop PTSD”. The common reasons for men to get PTSD is rape, combat exposure, childhood neglect, and childhood physical abuse. Women are more susceptible to PTSD because of rape, sexual molestation, physical attack, being threatened with a weapon, and childhood physical abuse. In 2013, the Boston marathon was bombed and 3 people died and over 200 were injured. Only a minority of people who were exposed to this attack as well as the subsequent manhunt and city wide shut down, will develop PTSD because the brain has other ways to heal itself. Some might develop relatively temporary anxiety and/or depression for example, they may have “survivor’s guilt”. Where the person who goes through a life-threatening experience and lives becomes depressed because he/she believes that they should not have been the one to live or they feel like it might be their fault that they were the ones to cause the incident in the first place. But for most, they will have the usual emotional response but will not have any illness at all. The most common place most people hear about PTSD might be from the news when they talk about the soldiers who come back from war. A study by the RAND Center for Military Policy Research shows that, out of 2.7 million Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans, more than 20% of veterans will be diagnosed with PTSD or have signs of PTSD. Out of those 20%, studies show that 5% to 50% of veterans will not seek out treatment and those who do only report “minimally adequate” treatment

According to Chaplain Kathie, through her years with helping individuals with this disorder she witnessed a distinct difference between her patients who were civilian as opposed to her verteran patients with Post Tramatic Stress Disorder. She stated, “There is one kind of PTSD survivors experience after a crime, natural disaster, accidents and abuse but there is another type when people are part of the traumatic event itself. Then there is the type after violence was used in response coupled with the constant threat of more events.” (Kathie). She made the notion that although

PTSD is the abbreviation for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The general classification according to the DSM-V is 309.81 with an Axis I. This disorder is no longer classified as an anxiety disorder rather it is now classified as a trauma and stressor related disorder. That means anyone who experienced (direct exposure), witnessed or was confronted with an event that they might have feared for their life, and or caused serious injury to them, such as a sexual trauma event like rape. This can happen to anyone at any age, it is not just a soldier’s disorder and it haunts them for a very long time. In order to be diagnosed with PTSD there is a criterion that they use to evaluate or meet the individual’s needs for treatment. The

In the current edition of DSM 5th edition, PTSD is defined as a mental disorder that has a small chance to develop when a person is exposed to one or more traumatic events such as war, natural disasters, terrorist attack, accidents, different kinds of life threat, or physical or sexual assaults. Most survivors of the events might feel anger, fear, shock or even guilt, but these reactions are common. Through time and good care, survivors usually can get better and move on. However, some survivors might experience serious stress reactions, numbing memories and hyper arousal of the traumatic events. When the symptoms get worse for a

Students often forget that educators have active lives outside of the classroom. Have you ever wondered what your professor does when he or she isn’t grading exams, answering emails or preparing the next lesson? Linda Ludwig, Director of Field Experience at Northern Michigan University, is one NMU faculty member that lives a life that is far from dull. I met Linda on flight to New Zealand. As I boarded the plane, I thought “I hope I sit by someone I can tolerate for the next 18 hours.”