Abnormal Psychology: Coping With Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome

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Coping with Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome Dorsey Lonsinger PSY303: Abnormal Psychology Instructor: Anita Jacob June 14, 2013 Coping with Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome Post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) is a rapidly growing diagnosis in the world today. “There are 7.7 million Americans age 18 and older who have PTSD” (Anxiety and Depression Association of America). When someone is in danger they commonly feel afraid and worried. This feeling activates immediate changes in their body to get them ready to defend themselves or to run away from the danger. This reaction in the body is known as “fight or flight” and is completely normal. The problem with PTSD is that the fight or flight response is damaged and individuals with…show more content…
“Among injury victims relatively high prevalence rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been found. PTSD is associated with functional impairments and decreased health-related quality of life”(Haagsma, Polinder, Olff, Toet, Bonsel, & Van Beeck 2012). People who suffer with PTSD have reported agitation, excitability, dizziness, fainting, felling there hear beat in there chest, and headaches. Young children have their own set of symptoms, they include: wetting the bed, not talking, unusually clingy to a parent or other adult, and when playing they may act out the event. Older children and teenagers often show symptoms in the same manner that an adult does, however they could become disruptive, disrespectful, and even feel guilty for allowing the event to happen…show more content…
The most important and useful thing I have learn is how to be an active listener. I have found that by truly listening to an individual is sometimes the only way into that persons mind and the only way to build trust. Without being an active listener the person talking to you gets the feeling that you ether do not care or something else is more important to you. In either case you will not gain that persons trust and without that trust how can you expect them to take your ideas for treatment seriously. When you are an active listener your body language dose all the talking for you, and when you actively listen to someone that could be all they really need, the caring ear of another goes a long way in the healing

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