Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Essay example -- Post-traumatic stress d

There atomic number 18 hundreds of different kinds of psychiatric disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical manual(a) of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. (DSM-IV). One of them is called Post-traumatic stress disorder (posttraumatic stress disorder). Based on the research, post-traumatic disorder usually occurs following the experience or witnessing of life-threatening events such as military combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, serious accidents, or violent personal assaults like rape (Harvard Womens health Watch, 2005). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the risk factors, pathophysiology, clinical manifestation, diagnostic criteria and tests, treatment, prognosis and future research and approaches to treat this psychiatric illness of post-traumatic stress disorder. Risk Factors As to all otherwise kinds of disorders, determining the risk factors is a major influential aspect of a persons life in exposing herself to such diseases and illnesses. The fac tors that put people at risk for post-traumatic disorder are having a history of physical, emotional and sexual abuse. In addition to that, people who have been abused as children or who have had other previous traumatic experiences at a time in their lives are more highly to develop the disorder (Harvard Womens Health Watch, 2005). Other risk factors that contribute to PTSD include motor vehicle crashes, disasters, torture, and comorbid substance abuse (Miller, 2000). The most common precipitating events for PTSD in women were rape and physical assault. For men, physical assault and other traumas were the most prevalent. However, both genders are at heightened risk for PTSD when it comes to motor vehicle accidents. These are the major risk factors people may face that address the likelihood of post-traumatic stress disorder to occur. Furthermore, according to Harvard Womens Health Watch 2005, people do not necessary have to encounter the traumatic events without delay in order fo r PTSD to develop. Pathophysiology Until now, there has not been a definite understanding of how post-traumatic stress disorder occurs in the brain. The exploration into its pathophysiology is fairly recent. However, there is research around it discussing about PTSDs pathophysiology and coming to a complete understanding. In a normal person without the disorder, a stress hormone, adrenaline, releases from the body and prepares it to fly the coop o... ...ive therapy is say to process the strengthening of a cognitive plan that can guide thinking and behaviour in future potential encounters with trauma, (Wells & Sembi, 2004, p. 308). early research also includes postmortem brain studies because it is significant in understanding psychiatric disorders to the neurobiology level (Soboslay, Martin, & Kleinman, 2004). Scientists are attempting to determine which treatments work best for which type of trauma. working CitedThomas Miller, Assessment of Life Stress Events the Etiology a nd Measurement of Traumatic Stress DisorderInternational Journal of Social Psychiatry, Vol. 38, No. 3, 215-227 (1992) J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2004 dec 35 (4)307-18 15530845 (P,S,E,B)Metacognitive therapy for PTSD a preliminary investigation of a new brief treatment.My paper Adrian Wells, Sundeep Sembi Deep-Soboslay A, Martin CE, Kleinman JE.The development of a posttraumatic stress disorder brain collection.Psychiatry. 2004 Winter67(4)416-8.Harvard Womens Health Watchhttp//www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Womens_Health_Watch_resources.htmDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed.