preview

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd )

Good Essays

Mental diseases and disorders have been around since humans have been inhabiting earth. The field of science tasked with diagnosing and treating these disorders is something that is always evolving. One of the most prevalent disorders in our society but has only recently been acknowledged is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Proper and professional diagnosis and definitions of PTSD was first introduced by the American Psychiatric Association(APA) in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(DSM-III) in 1980 (Friedman, 2016). The introduction of PTSD into the DSM-III was a step forward to helping victims of traumatic experiences. To be able to help people cope with these traumatizing experiences …show more content…

These symptoms can come right after the tragic event; however, a lot of times symptoms will take several months to years to manifest themselves (Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 2016). According to the fifth edition of the DSM, a person must meet the four clusters of intrusive behavior, repetitive avoidance of events that can be related to the event, a negative impact on cognitive ability, and a noticeable change in arousal or reactions. These four clusters must cause significant difficulty or impairment within the persons normal lifestyle. They must also show symptoms lasting for over a month to be considered for diagnosis of PTSD (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Another new topic of discussion with diagnosis of PTSD is whether a new category should be created for people who were exposed to repeated traumatic experiences over a long duration. Dr. Judith Herman from Harvard University insists that a new diagnosis be created for this Complex PTSD. The person diagnosed with Complex PTSD has all the same symptoms of regular PTSD; however, it also includes more severe symptoms such as their personal view of themselves can be altered. These can be brought on by child prostitution rings, or Prisoner of War camps. These symptoms can also lead the individual to feel helpless which then can lead to becoming depressed. The trauma’s faced by somebody can lead to depression and a study of

Get Access