Post Traumatic Occupational Therapy

PTSD has become almost romanticized in a way. It’s become this conversation piece that adds credibility and validity to a veteran’s service. It’s become a sign to stick in your yard on the 4th of July. It’s become an excuse for just about everything these days and that means the impact of PTSD is being watered down. It’s the age old “Boy Who Cried Wolf” adage,” writes an author on OAF Nation.

Hundreds of thousands of United States veterans are not able to leave the horrors of war on the battlefield (“Forever at War: Veterans Everyday Battles with PTSD” 1). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the reason why these courageous military service members cannot live a normal life when they are discharged. One out of every five military service members on combat tours—about 300,000 so far—return home with symptoms of PTSD or major depression. According to the Rand Study, almost half of these cases go untreated because of the disgrace that the military and civil society attach to mental disorders (McGirk 1). The general population of the world has to admit that they have had a nightmare before. Imagine not being able to sleep one

Today, hundreds of thousands of service men and women and recent military veterans have seen combat. Many have been shot at, seen their buddies killed, or witnessed death up close. These are types of events that can lead to Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder ("Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD: A Growing Epidemic. “) Anyone that has gone through a traumatic event can be diagnosed with PTSD but research shows, military men and women are more susceptible to having PTSD (PTSD: A Growing Epidemic.) And, with little help from the US, many Veterans do not get the help they need or get treated for PTSD. Military men and women begin to

Being that I want to work with Veterans in the future, the approached that seemed to have a more significant over the others in this field, would be narrative therapy. Narrative therapy is a strength-based social constructive model that stresses empowerment and the inter subjectivity of the client(Day, 2009, pg. 86). This would be a great approach to use on veterans suffering from this disorder but it also depends on the gravity of their disorder. If a veteran is having severe issues, a more conventional approach might be taken like, cognitive-behavioral therapy or a collaboration of two. In narrative therapy we look for unique outcomes in people life 's that tell us about, life events and narratives that are not consistent with the person 's life story tend to be abandoned(Palgi & Ben-zra, 2010, pg. 8). These events are then used to form a new narrative

One scholar that has contributed a substantial amount of research that has impacted the occupational therapy profession and clients within the occupational therapy services is Dr. Tracy Chippendale. Dr. Chippendale is an occupational therapist that received her Masters and PhD at New York University. Dr. Chippendale is currently an assistant professor teaching courses on human development, research, and occupational therapy practice with older adults in the occupational therapy department at New York University. Dr. Chippendale has over seventeen years of experience working with older adults, which has influenced her research that focuses on geriatrics. This research places emphasis on intervention methods that allow elderly individuals to

Research has shown that approximately 41 percent of veterans in the Vietnam War were diagnosed with PTSD. The term Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder was first coined in the late 1900s right after the Vietnam War. This is no surprise as most veterans fighting in the Vietnam War faced many traumatic events fighting in combat and PTSD came about as a result. After a traumatic experience most soldiers will feel frightened, sad, anxious, disconnected, and even experience sleeping disorders, along with many other mental and emotional problems. If this continues and does not fade, soldiers will continue to feel overwhelmed with the feelings of continuous danger and painful memories. These symptoms all point to Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. These feelings will make people feel as though they are stuck in time in a deep hole, but it can be overcome. By reaching out and seeking therapy, soldiers can move on with their lives. However, it can be hard for the person experiencing PTSD because most people cannot relate to this disorder. Only a select few who experience a traumatic event will be affected by this disorder. A well-known appreciated author who once suffered from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is Tim O’Brien. He transcribes his experience in the novel, “The Things They Carried.” Tim O’Brien does a phenomenal job of illustrating the disorder through a collection of fictional short stories. In addition, he also speaks about the therapy he went through to suppress the feelings of

PTSD in America’s Military is a silent obstacle that must be overcome by not only the veterans suffering from the disorder, but also by the American people. To discuss how Americans deal with PTSD, we must first understand what it is. PTSD stands for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, as defined by the Department of Veteran Affairs PTSD “is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault.”(Department of VA). PTSD is a mental disorder that causes people to not behave as they normally would, due to them being “haunted” by some traumatic event that occurred. Some symptoms include: “recurring memories or nightmares of the event, sleeplessness, loss of interest, and feelings of numbness, anger or irritability, or being constantly on guard”(Make the Connection). These symptoms can lead to difficult, and even damaging problems to arise that affect not only the person suffering PTSD, but also those around them. Some of these problems include, but are not limited to, “feelings of hopelessness, shame, despair, depression, substance abuse, pain, and social difficulty.” (Department of VA). These problems lead to more problems, and if left untreated long enough can lead to even death. As you can see, PTSD is a debilitating disorder, that must be faced by veterans and Americans alike.

The video of “art can heal PTSD’s invisible wounds” produced by Melissa Walker informs the reader about PTSD and how people can get over the effects of their TBI through art.In November 2016, the T.E.D talk informed people about the mental and physical effects of PTSD.Melissa Walker had explained to the audience that she has seen many patients with PTSD or TBI and later went on to tell us about her grandfather who had PTSD after his time serving which is why she went to school to study psychology and got a degree for art therapy and a job at Walter Reed Hospital.Melissa had said that some would get over PTSD by painting,collage,sculptures,etc, but the most effective one was mask.They would make mask on how they felt or what they remembered

War has caused many veterans to suffer from a condition known as PTSD. PTSD or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a condition where a veteran or soldier suffers from stress and anxiety on a regular basis that affects their everyday decisions. According to (Gabriela Acosta), “depression, post traumatic stress disorder(PTSD), anxiety, traumatic brain injury and other conditions as a result of their service, and these issues affect not only the service member, but also their spouses, children, extended families and friends.” There are many veterans whose mental health has changed the way they live and the way their peers around them live. This creates a more difficult environment for many of the closer peers and can affect their lives as much as it has affected the veteran’s life. This has long term effects that can lead to depression in the veterans and feelings of loneliness caused from a veterans experiences serving and being in the field of

Do you know the symptoms and treatments of Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD)? The summary, of this PTSD PSA, is a longer than normal video on the symptoms and treatments of PTSD covering all three appeals. The video utilized a variety of graphic pictures, large text, and somber music to inform the viewer about the warning signs and therapies for both men and women. Some of the triggers are not always known ahead of time, and some people do not want other to know for the fear of being labeled. In the Public Service Announcement (PSA), “PTSD,” produced by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the Administration’s presentation of logos overshadows their less successful presentation of pathos and ethos concerning the topic of

Imagine walking through the front door of your home after a long day of school excited to see your parents. You slam the door behind you, hearing a huge thud and someone scream “Get on the ground!” You are shocked and follow the noise, only to discover it was your father, who had just returned from war just weeks earlier and was diagnosed with a severe case of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The door slamming gave him a flashback of war and he had felt like he was back in service under attack. This is a possible situation for many men and women who have returned home from war or other traumatic experiences during their service. This type of scenario influenced a group of veteran friends who were looking to give

This is a Phase 2, two-armed, randomized controlled trial study of a CAM intervention (Healing Touch with Guided Imagery) compared to treatment as usual. It was conducted at the Marine Corps Base Camp in Camp Pendleton, California with 123 active duty military personnel, of which 21 participants dropped out. Participants were chosen by hanging flyers at the Deployment Health Clinics and the mental health department at Camp Pendleton. Health care providers at these locations also provided candidates that were potentially eligible that were currently experiencing at least one or more of the hallmark PTSD symptoms. These include re-experiencing of trauma (i.e. flashbacks, nightmares), exaggerated arousal (i.e. insomnia, irritability), emotional numbing, and/or avoidance of people, places, situations that remind them of the trauma. From there, potential candidates were screened via telephone by research staff and, if eligible, they made an appointment to sign consent and complete pretest questionnaires. Each participant was randomized using a computer-generated randomization table by a statistician and assigned their groups; either Healing Touch with Guided Imagery (HT+GI) or TAU (Jain et al., 2012).

Occupational therapy is a valuable tool used to aid patients with their everyday activities, sustain their mobility, and retain their freedom and independence. Occupational therapists and therapy assistants intervene with therapeutic tasks that are personalized to motivate and encourage patients; therefore, giving patients meaning and purpose to complete directed tasks. Occupational therapy is designed to aid individuals across the lifespan. Some patients require early intervention, such as those born with a birth defect, while others may not require occupational therapy until the geriatric stage, such as those with Alzheimer’s and Dementia (“Occupational Therapy Assistants”, 2014).

The program conducted serves adult military personnel who are diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The program implements Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) through a twelve-week program consisting of twenty-four, sixty minute sessions. The stakeholders include military personnel and their family, veterans and their family, The U.S. Department of Veterans Affair, and the U.S. Government. The program will be dissected in order to identify the goals, data and instrumentation, data analysis, and dissemination of the program evaluation.

Occupational therapy is a therapeutic approach that promotes the health, well-being, and spirit of every individual regardless of diagnosis or disability. The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process text (2014), defines occupational therapy as, “the therapeutic use of everyday life activities (occupations) with individuals or groups for the purpose of enhancing or enabling participation in roles, habits, and routines in home, school, workplace, community, and other settings” (pg. 1). Ever since the 20th century, occupational therapy has focused on the individual on a holistic approach, that encompasses all of the individual (2012, pg. 17). Occupational therapy is client-centered that focuses on the whole individual