Detraining Programs and Their Help with Complex PTSD

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Detraining Programs and Their Help with Complex PTSD

Introduction

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the fretfulness, which could take place due to a traumatic or tragic ordeal and this makes a person’s life threatened through instilling fear in them. After an exposure to such dreadful events, the victims are said to develop PTSD. This is exhibited by their change in behavioral mechanisms, as they act in strange or abnormal ways. Friedman asserts that, the brain of a person suffering from PTSD usually acts in response to the fearfulness after being exposed to horrifying events even though the initial anxiety is passed. Later, the victim can be hypersensitive concerning anything that he or she perceives it to have a capability of getting them back to the tragedy. As a result, PTSD victims could remain silent for a sometime and move away from individuals so as to have a reminiscence of the same events or happenings, (Friedman 129).

It is worthwhile noting that this psychological disorder can affect any person regardless of age, gender or socioeconomic background. The main concept behind this mental disorder is that once a person is exposed to traumatizing events, then he or she develops a mental perception of fear and anxiety that makes them to behave strangely. For instance, soldiers who have gone for wars are mostly affected by these disorders as they are exposed to terrifying and horrifying events associated with killings. However, this assertion does not imply that people in the military are the only ones exposed to such risks. Some people may be involved in fatal road, rail or air crashes but survive (Smith 14). Depending on the severity of the accident, they will have PTSD and this insinuates that the scopes of the activities that can lead to this disorder are many and can affect diverse categories of people.

Review of Literature

Symptoms of PTSD in Victims

A study conducted by medical practitioners on symptoms of this psychological disorder noted the following symptoms:

Continuous experience of tragic occurrences through: upsetting thoughts concerning the action or event that occurred (tragedy); flashbacks (acting or feeling like the event is occurring again); nightmares; the extreme physical reactions to thoughts or reminders of the event such as nausea, pounding of the heart, muscle tension and sweating. There is also increased arousal; irritability, outbursts of anger, lack of concentration; difficulty in sleeping (insomnia), hypervigilance and difficulty staying asleep (Friedman 92). Symptoms of avoidance and emotional numbing: loss of interest in activities, regions, thoughts or feelings that reminds one of the traumas; incapability to remember the important aspects of the trauma; loss of interest in tasks and life at large; and having a sense of limited future.

However, these are not the only symptoms of the PTSD, as there are other symptoms which vary depending on the environment or state of mind of an individual. For instance, other common symptoms include; irritability, substance abuse, depression and hopelessness, headaches, stomach problems, chest pains, suicidal thoughts and problems (Friedman 143). From the analysis of these symptoms, it is evident that various prevention and treatment mechanisms can be used so as to ensure stability in the mental statuses of the people exposed to traumatizing events. Intervention programs, chemotherapeutic and psychotherapeutic methods can be used; this means that use of medication and counseling by experts in the related fields can be of great benevolence. This paper will lay more emphasis on the detraining programs that exist and their significance to people with complex PTSD (O’Brien 69).

Detraining Programs That Exist and Their Help to People with Complex PTSD

The treatment for post traumatic stress disorder mainly entails use of psychological and medical care and interventions. This affirmation implies that offering information about the disorder, helping the victims to manage the symptoms, and discovery and alteration of the erroneous ways of perceiving or thinking about the trauma are some of the commonest techniques used in psychotherapy for this disease (Friedman 129). Information and training of post traumatic stress disorder victims usually encompasses educating the individuals what PTSD is, the number of people suffering from the same disease, the fact that it is triggered by unusual anxiety rather than sheer weakness. The possible ways of treatment, and intervention programs that ought to be adhered to in the course of the treatment ought to be made known to the victim so as to enhance appropriate treatment.

These assertions therefore, increase the possibility that mistaken thoughts a person could have about the disease are dispelled, and any kind of embarrassment that may be associated with the disorder is reduced. It is imperative to note that educating people living with PTSD practical approaches to surviving or deal with what can be exceptionally extreme and disturbing symptoms has been noted to be another imperative way of treating the disease (Brian & Jacques 10). Of significant specificity, helping victims understand how to manage irritation, fright, and anxiety; improve on their communication and critical thinking skills; and the use deep breathing and other relaxation techniques and skills that can help people with the disorder to gain mastery against their emotional and physical symptoms. These activities have to be instilled in the patients or victims by the qualified psychological or counseling practitioners in the medical field. However, in order to attain better results the people with whom the victims interact with ought to aid in enhancing their coping capabilities (O’Brien 78).

Practitioners can also use the exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy by having the person with the disorder trained to remember their tragic events using images or verbal recall while using the coping mechanisms that they were taught to use. Though this could seem impossible and utterly difficult at the initial stages, it is an effectual treatment that enhances coping with the psychological, emotional and physical complications. The Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy is an effective, first line treatment for PTSD. It is usually coupled with Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and delivered in weekly 60-90 minutes sessions of 10-12 weeks in specialty mental health clinics. However, the usefulness of these methods of primary care is limited to few people. This means that individuals in active duty patients with PTSD such as soldiers need both chemotherapeutic interventions and psychotherapy so as to treat the disease.

Individual of group cognitive behavioral psychotherapy can also aid individuals suffering from PTSD know and correct thoughts on trauma and attitude through teaching and informing victims concerning the linkage between emotions or feelings and thoughts (Smith 11). This will enable the health or medical practitioner to discover ordinary harmful feelings faced by distressed people, create other understandings, and by practicing new mechanisms of perceiving events of things. This intervention or treatment program also encompasses practicing learned techniques in the normal real-life circumstances. The attainment of the objective of this model involves the connection between eye movement and reprocessing in which the medical practitioner guides the person who has suffered from the disorder in talking about the trauma experienced and the unconstructive emotions linked to the happenings while aiming at the expert’s quickly stroking a finger or any other object (Shay, et al. 102).

Various researchers note that the eye movement and reprocessing treatment could be successful, it has not been validated if it is better than the cognitive therapy that is conducted devoid of a quick movement of the eye. It is worthwhile noting that psychological approaches of treating or preventing the harmful consequences of PTSD were developed to evade the long term negative impacts resulting from tragic or traumatizing events (Friedman 112). As can be indicated from the foregoing primary psychotherapeutic mechanisms stated, common intervention programs that exist include elicitation of emotional responses, controlling reactions and preparing for PTSD responses. Despite these psychological debriefing or intervention programs being widely used, there is information existing that they can be detrimental to some victims. Due to these contradictory views concerning efficacy of psychological approaches, there has been reluctance in using the approach in some people, especially during initial stages of the posttraumatic stress disorder (Kolk 95).

Stress inoculation training (SIT) is also an imperative psychological treatment that has gained more recognition in treatment of groups of male veteran and sexual assault victims. This method involves a series of techniques such as relaxation, though stopping and exposure of dreaded circumstances so as to manage anxious symptoms (Brian & Jacques 15). This means that the fact that the method is multifaceted, it can be applied in treating other psychological or emotional disorders apart from PTSD. This method is enhanced using exposure therapy using virtual reality (VR); such as smells, sound, and a general feeling of engagement in traumatic situations. The VR technique is stated to be significant as especially to victims of PTSD who have problems envisioning their distress or those defiant to talk therapy. This statement implies that it is exceptionally pivotal to understand the nature of the patient before implementing a specified detraining program so as to treat the disease (O’Brien 91).

Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) are programs applied in treating and preventing the immense negative effects associated with the disorder. The interpersonal psychotherapy is a time-limited therapy that helps people suffering from PTSD to have the ability to use the social environment in processing psychological trauma and enhances perception of environmental safety through enabling them to acknowledge trust in interpersonal relationships (Shay, et al. 118). This means that interpersonal psychotherapy is focused at increasing and developing better social skills, reduce perceptions of helplessness and demoralization. This is accompanied with increased agency, facilitation of corrective emotional experiences, and assisting in the generation of adaptive coping stratagems. Dialectical behavior therapy on the other hand aims at attempting to tolerate or change the victim’s behavior. It is commonly applicable to individuals with personality disorder and among veterans who have a high suicidal risk (Shay, et al. 100).

As affirmed previously, the existent detraining programs encompass both chemotherapeutic and psychological intervention programs. The medications that are usually used include;

Serotogenic antidepressants such as paroxetine, and sertraline. Medications that help to reduce the physical symptoms associated with the disease like prazosin, clonidine, quanfacine and propranolol (Shay, et al. 124). Other less directly effective but nevertheless potentially vital prescriptions in the treatment of this disease include; mood stabilizers like, lamotriquine, tiaquabine, depakote, Antipsychotic mood stabilizers that may also be used include; risperidone, olanzapine, quietiapine. These antipsychotics have proved to be the most useful in treatment of this disease. It helps in those who suffer from anxiety, hypervigilance, dissociation, intense suspiciousness or paranoia, or brief psychotic behaviors or reactions.

Research Methodology

An evidence based research methodology was adopted in this paper to carry out the study. Both primary and secondary sources of data collection were used (qualitative and quantitative). This was aimed at collecting sufficient information so as to make comprehensive and detailed inferences concerning management of PTSD. Questionnaires and personal interviews were used as the primary data collection methods; this was supplemented with information from book, journals and magazines (Smith 12). To determine the sample, a randomized sampling technique was employed so as to ensure proper statistical information is acquired from responses to questionnaires and interviews. The profile of the respondents included military veterans and medical health practitioners who aided in data collection necessary for the effective analysis. The structured questionnaires used were intended to ascertain the symptoms and appropriate treatment mechanisms.

Findings and Discussion

The study indicated that soldiers who engage in wars usually develop psychological disorientations and thus develop post traumatic stress disorder. This is because of the scary and tragic sceneries that they face while in the war; for instance the shooting, scenes of death people and massive destruction of the buildings (Brian & Jacques 15). Research conducted by nurses concerning soldiers who engage in wars shows that most of them develop PTSD while those that do not engage in wars do not. This therefore has an implication that they ought to be given compensation and proper psychological medication through counseling so that they can get rid of the stress and live normal lives just as other human beings. Anger, irritability and substance abuse are some of the symptoms exhibited by the veterans which are attributed to the post traumatic stress that they acquire while in wars (Shay, et al. 108).

It was established that 16% of the veterans who participated in any war were reported to have the post traumatic stress disorder. The rationale behind this was that these soldiers were exposed to frightening events that clocked their minds every now and then making them to develop fear (Kolk 103). Of these populations, 60% were male; this was from the fact that they are involved with some risky activities like mountain climbing and ice skating. Away from this group, the married couples and adolescents were also reported to have high rates of anxiety. This was attributed to the fact that there were misunderstandings among the members of this group.

Some of the causes of PSTD were attributed to the fact that the groups involved was not in a position to share their problems out with guiding and counseling therapists for help and for this reason the problem continued to affect them for long, (Friedman 133). Victims were reported to isolate themselves from other groups thinking that they could make them encounter the same tragedy as before. There were some symptoms observed to be associated with PTSD victims and they include the experience that makes one feel like the events might happen again. For this reason, most victims experienced heart complications, nausea, muscle tension and sweating.

Conclusion and Recommendations

It is revealed that a person should seek medical attention from psychologists or share the problem out with trained counselors in order to reduce the effects PTSD. The victims are also supposed to avoid terrifying experiences that may make them remember those horrifying events in order to avoid depressions and stress. Seeking advance medical attention is vital especially if a person realizes that the emotional stress in taking long to be done away with. A resource centre should be availed in barracks to help soldiers visit the place and solve their problems in order to reduce the high rates in this group (Smith 13).

Works Cited

Smith, M. “Post traumatic stress disorders”. Help guide Articles. Retrieved on 7th December 2009 from: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/post_traumatic_stress_disorder_symptoms_treatment.htm

Friedman, M. Post-traumatic and acute stress disorders: the latest assessment and treatment strategies. Edition4. Boston: Compact Clinicals. 2006.

Brian, S & Jacques, B. A clinician’s guide to PTSD treatment for returning Veterans. Professional Psychology. American Psychological Association. 2011, p.8-15.

Kolk, B. Treating complex traumatic stress disorders: an evidence-based guide. New Jersey: Guilford Press. 2009.

O’Brien, T. In the Lake of the Woods Readers Circle Series Platinum Readers Circle. Center Point Pub, 2007.

Shay, J, et al. Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming. Scribner, 2003.