Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

PTSD symptoms

Usually begins *within 3 months* of event Types of Symptoms: -Re-experiencing -Avoidance -Arousal & Reactivity -Cognition & Mood

Medications antidepressants SNRI

Venlafaxine (Effexor)

Medications antidepressants SSRI

*Most effective* -Sertraline (Zoloft) -Paroxetine (Paxil) -Fluoxetine (Prozac)

PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)

-A disorder that develops in some people who have experienced a frightening, unexpected, or dangerous event. -Continues to feel stressed or frightened even when no longer in danger.

Other Facts about PTSD

-Can occur at any age. *-Onset can be delayed for months or years* -Is *chronic* in nature and may become worse during stressful times. -Other life events can exacerbate symptoms. -May develop other psychiatric disorders such as depression or anxiety.

PTSD & Kids: Adolescents

-More likely to develop PTSD. -Age, gender, type of trauma, and repeated trauma are related to PTSD rates. -Increased risk for suicide, substance abuse, poor social support, poor physical health, academic problems. -More likely to engage in traumatic reenactment in daily life.

Other tx for children

-Play Therapy -Psychological First Aid

Treatments for PTSD

-Prolonged Exposure Therapy -Cognitive Processing Therapy -Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

PTSD Evidenced by patterns of behavior

-Re-experiences trauma via dreams, recurrent or intrusive thoughts. -Shows emotional numbing such as feeling detached from others. -Irritable, remains on guard, and experiences hyperarousal.

Symptoms in Children/Adolescents

-Worry about dying at an early age -Losing interest in activities -Head and stomach aches -Persistent negative emotional state; inability to experience positive emotions -Having problems falling or staying asleep -Irritability or angry outbursts -Having problems concentrating -Showing increased alertness to the environment -Repeating behavior associated with trauma

Diagnosis of PTSD

Exposure to traumatic event directly: witnessed; or experiencing repeated or extreme exposure to event; or learning about an event that occurred to close or loved one. *Presence of symptoms for a duration greater than 1 month*

PTSD & Kids: Children

More likely to develop if: -Parents have major depression -Experienced child abuse *Sometimes reenact trauma in play*