| Imagine, if you will, that you are
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| | here is beginning the initial medication
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| walking alone at night in an unfamiliar
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| | treatment within two weeks of the trauma.
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| neighborhood. You think you hear
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| | Then the goal of therapy, breaking the
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| footsteps behind you so you walk a little
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| | pattern of self-defeat by reexamining the
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| faster. Suddenly someone steps out from
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| | traumatic event and the patient responses
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| behind a bush. You turn around but
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| | to it, can begin. Education about the
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| someone is behind you as well. They are
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| | disease and recognition of cues or
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| both bigger than you and you are scared
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| | situations that trigger symptoms are
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| to death. Possibly you are mugged or
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| | invaluable. Complete education and
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| raped. Maybe you escape harm, but you've
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| | healing consists of:* ExposureExposure to
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| still had a harrowing experience. You
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| | the event via imagery allows you to
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| could end up suffering from Posttraumatic
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| | reexperience the event in a safe,
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| Stress Disorder (PTSD) if you have an
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| | controlled environment where your
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| experience like this or have exposure to
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| | reactions can be monitored.*
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| any real or a perceived life-threatening
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| | ExaminingExamining feelings such as
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| trauma where you responded with intense
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| | anger, shame, guilt, etc. allows you to
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| fear.PTSD is a medically recognized
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| | work on resolving these feelings.* New
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| anxiety disorder that occurs in normal
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| | Coping SkillsNew coping skills teach you
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| individuals under extremely stressful
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| | how to handle reminders, reactions and
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| situations. Symptoms may appear
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| | feelings without becoming overwhelmed or
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| immediately and then disappear after
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| | emotionally numb. This can help foster
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| several months. At other times symptoms
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| | your relationships with others. Some of
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| may take up to 6 months to emerge and may
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| | the techniques used are:* Relaxation
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| never completely go away. Half of those
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| | (i.e. breathing techniques,
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| who meet the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD
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| | visualization)* Biofeedback* Cognitive
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| will still suffer from symptoms a year
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| | restructuring* Managing Anger* Preparing
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| after diagnosis and 1/3 will still have
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| | for stress reactions* Addressing urges to
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| weekly symptoms ten years after the
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| | use alcohol or drugs* Communications and
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| trauma.CRITERIA FOR PTSD* Exposure to a
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| | relating effectively with peopleGroup
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| traumatic event marked by intense fear,
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| | treatment has also proven to be quite
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| helplessness or horror* Symptoms from
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| | helpful for PTSD sufferers. This type of
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| each of the three symptom clusters:*
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| | setting allows you to share with others
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| Intrusive recollections (evoke panic,
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| | who are more empathetic to your feelings.
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| fear, dread, nightmares, grief, despair,
| |
| | Being able to share instills more
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| daytime fantasies, etc.)* Avoidant
| |
| | confidence and helps you to trust again.
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| numbing symptoms (avoidance of trauma
| |
| | After being allowed to share your trauma
|
| related stimuli, trouble leaving the
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| | you are freer to engage proactively in
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| house, cannot tolerate strong emotions,
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| | current relationships.Eye Movement
|
| etc.)* Hyperarousal symptoms (symptoms
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| | Desensitization and Reprocessing
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| resemble panic attacks, generalized
| |
| | (EMDR)This is a relatively new treatment
|
| anxiety, insomnia, irritability, startle
| |
| | that combines elements of exposure
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| response, hypervigilance that may come
| |
| | therapy, cognitive behavior therapy and
|
| across as paranoia)You may also use the
| |
| | then uses techniques (eye movements, hand
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| mnemonic "DREAMS"D = DETACHMENTR =
| |
| | taps, sounds, etc.), which creates an
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| REEXPERIENCING THE EVENTE = EVENT HAD
| |
| | alteration of attention back and forth
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| EMOTIONAL EFFECTSA = AVOIDANCEM = MONTH
| |
| | across the person's midline. Fourteen
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| IN DURATIONS = SYMPATHETIC, HYPERACTIVITY
| |
| | controlled studies have been done on
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| OR HYPERVIGILANCESTATISTICSCertain
| |
| | EMDR. The last five done on trauma
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| populations are more at risk than others.
| |
| | patients (abuse, rape, accident victims,
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| Here are just a few examples:* 2% in
| |
| | etc.) have found that 84-90% of the
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| post-partum women* 18% in professional
| |
| | individuals suffered no PTSD after only
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| fire fighters* 34% in adolescent
| |
| | three sessions. In a study for combat
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| survivors of car accidents* 48% in female
| |
| | veterans, 77% showed no PTSD symptoms
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| rape victims* 67% in prisoners of warUp
| |
| | after twelve sessions. Like all therapy
|
| to 80% of patients with PTSD will have a
| |
| | the progress rate depends on the
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| comorbid psychological or psychiatric
| |
| | individual and the type of trauma. To
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| disorder. The most common diseases that
| |
| | administer EMDR, therapists must undergo
|
| occur with PTSD are:* major depression*
| |
| | special training.Although PTSD manifests
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| substance abuse* dysthymia* bipolar
| |
| | itself in a wide variety of symptoms
|
| disorder* generalized anxiety disorder*
| |
| | there is a common factor. If you have
|
| panic disorder* phobias* dissociative
| |
| | lived through any type of experience that
|
| disordersTREATMENTSMedicationsTypical
| |
| | has caused you to feel threatened by
|
| first line treatment is with selective
| |
| | death (either real or perceived) or
|
| serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI's)
| |
| | threatened serious physical injury to
|
| such as Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft or Lescol.
| |
| | yourself or to others, and you felt
|
| Trazadone and nefazadone (Serzone) are
| |
| | intense fear, horror or helplessness, you
|
| being re-studied since the have SSRI
| |
| | could be suffering from PTSD and may not
|
| properties and they also reduce or
| |
| | even be aware of it. If you have
|
| suppress REM sleep, thus reducing or
| |
| | experienced a traumatic event, lived an
|
| eliminating nightmares. Tricyclic
| |
| | abused life, or cannot deal with
|
| antidepressants and MAOI's have been
| |
| | something that you were confronted with,
|
| tried but there is no proven efficacy for
| |
| | please seek the help of a professional.
|
| these types of
| |
| | No one should have to live a life in
|
| medications.Benzodiazepines were once the
| |
| | constant fear or helplessness.Terry J.
|
| first line of treatment but the efficacy
| |
| | Coyier is a 37-year-old college student
|
| has not been proven in controlled
| |
| | studying for an Associates of Applied
|
| studies. They can also cause dependency
| |
| | Sciences degree. She is also a freelance
|
| problems for people who must deal with
| |
| | writer who writes about bipolar disorder
|
| substance abuse issues. These types of
| |
| | and other mental illnesses. Terry was
|
| medications also come with a variety of
| |
| | diagnosed with bipolar ten years ago.
|
| discontinuation
| |
| | She lives with her son in the Dallas/Ft.
|
| problems.PsychotherapyOnce medications
| |
| | Worth Metroplex. Terry is an author on
|
| relieve the most distressing symptoms a
| |
| | which is a site for Writers and her
|
| patient can then concentrate on
| |
| | personal portfolio can be viewed here.
|
| psychotherapy. A key element to success
| |
| |
|
