Summary Of Trauma And Recovery

One of the programs used to help patients overcome their PTSD is called the Traumatic Stress Recovery Program. This is currently one of the few in-patient programs in Canada. This diverse program is used to help PTSD patients feel safe, both physically and emotionally. Additionally, this program examines difficult coping patterns that allow past trauma to repeat itself in present life. The program also creates a sense of community, by having past trauma survivors help current trauma survivors through their healing process.

This theory proposes that a traumatic event produces maladaptive assumptions and beliefs about the world, other people, and the self that interfere with recovery (Schultz, Barnes-Proby, Chandra, Jaycox, Maher, & Pecora, 2012). CBITS uses cognitive-behavioral techniques (for example, psychoeducation, relaxation, social problem solving, cognitive restructuring, and exposure). Cognitive-behavioral therapies work to teach people skills to combat these underlying issues, including correction of maladaptive assumptions, processing the traumatic experience instead of avoiding it, learning new ways to reduce anxiety and solve problems, building peer and parent support, and building confidence to confront stress in the future (Schultz, et al.,

Anybody can experience trauma, whether it’s a man, a woman, or even a child. In fact, over half of the population is expected to experience trauma at least once in their lifetimes. However, everyone will respond to trauma in their own, unique, way, making it difficult to properly equip people with the tools needed to heal from trauma in the event they experience it. Whereas the responses a person and his or her body will have in the event of heart attack have been narrowed down to a small list, and can easily be conveyed to the public through general guidelines or PSAs, the responses a person will have to trauma can range anywhere from shrugging it off to suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This is why the role of mental health professionals, such as therapists, is crucial in regards to helping sufferers of trauma. These professionals are specially trained to be capable of identifying and understanding the responses a person is having to a traumatic experience, as well as the optimal ways to go about the healing process. In Daniel Gilbert’s Stumbling on Happiness, specifically the chapter titled “Immune to Reality,” he analyzes what he calls the psychological immune system, a defence mechanism of the psyche which plays a prominent role in how a person will respond in the event of trauma. While Gilbert outlines the mechanisms that cause people to respond to trauma in the way that they do, Dana Becker, author of One Nation Under Stress, looks at the actual

Healing according to Herman’s (1997) tri-phasic model of recovery occurs in three stages: safety, mourning, and reconnection. Before we delve into how these stages apply for the Cahill brothers, it is important to have a basic understanding of the stages of the tri-phasic model. In the safety stage, recovery is focused upon creating a sense of safety within the body which can come in the form of: emotional regulation, stability in the body and in relationships, lack of need for substances or other maladaptive coping mechanisms, and strengthening coping skills. Once safety is achieved and the person can regulate themselves, mourning of the trauma can begin which involves: working through grief and discussing and wading through memories of the trauma. Reconnection occurs when safety and mourning are established and the individual begins to reconnect with family, friends, and community.

The study of psychology refers to collective trauma as the effect experienced by many people in the aftermath of a tragedy or event. The pain of collective traumatic disorders is common among soldiers who experienced military combat, but has the potential to affect an entire community. Although, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can alter relationships with the family and the community, future generations will not have to endure combat directly to experience collective trauma. Many Veterans suffering from PTSD might shy away from others due to stigmas associated with the diagnosis. Some might have difficulty concentrating, or have guilty feelings, cannot find work, feel helpless, fearful, or have a loss of interest in usual activities. All

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders describes posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as an acute stress disorder (2013). Individuals that experience this disorder are exposed to or have had an experience of near death or bodily harm (American Psychiatric Association. 2013). Evidence based therapy that has shown positive outcomes in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) which is based on changing behavior. The use of client-centered therapy can also be beneficial with this type of client if applied in addition to CBT. Joseph stated that a client-centered approach to PTSD could result in Post-traumatic growth (2004). Post-traumatic growth does not try to bring the client back to the original state before the trauma but bring the client beyond their previous level of functioning (Joseph, 2004). When a person experiences a trauma, they can have a myriad of emotions, it is the therapist responsibility to help the client make better sense of the issue and continue functioning in a normal manner. Not all traumas are alike and not all clients can be treated equally. The most significant aspect of treatment in helping this type of client is the approach the therapist takes which should include the temperament of the client and the goals the client seeks. Included here is an examination of a fictitious client that has experienced a trauma and the therapist care plan. The therapist

In Judith Herman’s book, Trauma and Recovery, she discusses her research and work with trauma survivors. In her book, she writes that, “traumatic events are extraordinary, not because they occur rarely, but rather because they overwhelm the ordinary human adaptations to life” (Herman 24). She explores the idea that trauma is as individual as it is common, with reactions and the journey to the post-traumatic self similar despite differences in events. In the case of Barbara Gordon, while the event may vary, her physical and mental trauma can be compared to America’s fear of its forfeiture of power to terror and the loss of the towers after September 11, 2001. Trauma is about more than just the physical ramifications; when the physical aspect is fixed, Barbara’s legs and the building of the 1 World Trade Center, the mental and emotional trauma still remain.

Complex trauma is a term that was established to differentiate traumas that occur repeatedly from traumas that happen in only one instance (herein referred to as “simple trauma”; Coutois, 2008). For instance, complex trauma is typically referred to in the context of abusive childhoods wherein the child experiences repeated traumatic events (e.g., physical or sexual abuse) over the course of their childhood. Often the trauma will occur in parent-child relationships leaving the victim under the control of the perpetrator (Herman, 1992). However, complex trauma is not limited to family violence, but can include other prolonged traumatic experiences, such as concentration camps and torture (Williams, 2006). Some researchers have argued that victims of complex trauma experience different psychological challenges than those who are victimized in one isolated incident (e.g., armed robbery). Coutois (2008) delineated seven problem areas that she believes are related to repeated early interpersonal trauma (i.e., complex trauma): 1) alterations in the regulation of affective impulses, 2) alterations in attention and consciousness, 3) alterations in self-perception, 4) alterations in perception of the perpetrator, 5) alterations in relationships to others, 6) somatization and/or medical problems, 7) alterations in

Suffering has always been a part of life. While the definition of what constitutes as “suffering” or “trauma” may change with the times or cultures, the presence of such unpleasantries is a constant. What is not constant however, is how people react to such troubles in their lives. The way in which people react to trauma is an incredibly interesting phenomenon that varies greatly due to a number of variables including personality, severity of trauma, extent of trauma, and support to name but a few. After synthesizing various accounts and literature about trauma, it is possible to categorize the effect trauma has on the individual into two main categories: the positive and the negative reactions.

CPT is based on the social cognitive theory of PTSD. This theory focuses on how the traumatic event is understood and how it is being coped with by the client who is struggling to regain control over his or her life. CPT also refers to the emotional processing theory of PTSD which is an extension of information processing theory by Foa, Steketee, and Rothbaum (Mullen, Holliday, Morris, Raja, and Surís 2014). This theory states PTSD emerges from the development of fear in one’s memory that creates avoidance behavior and provokes one to escape these memories. Mental fear builds stimuli, responses, and meaning elements (Mullen, Holliday, Morris, Raja, and Surís 2014). Therefore anything that is associated with the trauma may provoke fear that leads to the concept of escaping and avoidance behavior. In individuals with PTSD, the fear is known to be easily accessible. When the fear is activated by the reminders of one’s trauma, one builds intrusive symptoms due to the information trying to process and enter one’s consciousness. In order for an individual to avoid these feelings and thoughts, one tries to avoid it which leads to the avoidance symptoms of PTSD which include yet are not limited to depression, alienation (Mullen, Holliday, Morris, Raja, and Surís 2014). Emotional Processing Theory states the repetitive exposure of trauma in a safe environment such as a therapeutic setting, helps reduce PTSD symptoms by calming and addressing one’s fear (Mullen, Holliday, Morris,

However, Shafran and his associates researched the topic through studying mental representations, examining how one experiences themselves and others. The method used was the Core Conflictual Relationship Theme (CCRT), which assesses central relationship patterns. The relationship patterns have three core components: the person’s wishes, an actualized response from the other party, and the realistic response from oneself. It was found that there is a significant association between relationship patterns and specific psychopathologies and conditions. For example, Shafran explained that for major depressive disorder, the common wish was “to be close and accepting,” while the response of the other party was “rejecting and opposing” and the individual responded by feeling “helpless, disappointed, and depressed.” Similarly, the same pattern was found in adult male combat veterans with PTSD. However, this systematic pattern and association can be extended further; young trauma victims with diagnosed PTSD exhibited specific relationship patterns that were specifically associated with certain types of childhood trauma. In other words, different forms of trauma, whether sexual, emotional or physical. Therefore, it is evident that trauma in childhood plays a role in the trajectory

Because of the depiction made within the media, I also assumed that victims of childhood trauma were only able to overcome through the use of therapeutic care. Therapeutic care is often depicted as the only option that victims use that will ensure that they do not fall into a state of depression or begin to abuse drugs. It is rare to see movies where they are promoting social relationships as a bonus to the use of therapeutic services. Although it is not often depicted, social relationships do help in the quest to overcome the horrors of childhood trauma. Social relationships are any form of bonds created between a person and their

When I decided to take the trauma course, I was hesitant at first to take it. I did not know what to expect nor felt I would be prepare listen to stories about traumatic occurrences, despite of the number of years I have worked in the field of community mental health. Therefore, now that we are in week eight, I am delighted to have taken this course. The impression I had at first, has changed my insight concerning what is trauma, as for many years, I did not understand why a person in many instances, could not process their trauma. In a quote by Chang stated, “The greater the doubt, the greater the awakening; the smaller the doubt, the smaller the awakening. No doubt, no awakening” (Van Der Kolk, 2014, p. 22). The goes in congruence with my understanding on trauma and how it has changed during this course. As a result, I feel I am awakening when acquiring more about trauma.

Pre-existing knowledge tells me that experiences, environments, and traumas from our childhood shape us as adults. This text digs deeper and explains the connections between trauma, neuroscience and psychotherapy. The content that will help inform my conceptualization of clients the most are the vivid illustrations of the stress response and the brain's mechanisms with facts and images that form in the mind without being too detailed or confusing. Through association, we weave all of our incoming sensory signals together; sound, sight, touch, and scent to create the whole

Describing a psychological or mental health response following exposure to a traumatic event has become an unachievable goal since there is no response to it. It is apparent that there are individual differences in resilience and risk factors that play a crucial role in response to potentially traumatic event and prevent a description of a response to an event that would affect people uniformly. During the course of a normal life span, most people at different times in their lives are confronted with the adverse events such as the death of a close friend or relative (Kessler, Sonnega, Bromet, Hughes, & Nelson, 1995).