2. 2. 2 PSTD related Trauma
According to Eric (2001), by the much unexpected nature of
trauma, one can totally live prepare for it. And because each individual
respond differently to emotional upset, it is impossible to predict trauma
after-effects. Under certain circumstances, trauma can induce PTSD.
Unrecognized and untreated PTSD can have a long life negative impact on the
affected individual. Teachers, who spend up to eight hours each day with the
children in their charge, can influence the environment in which PTSD is less
likely to develop to the point of life impact.
He goes on saying that emotionally upsetting experiences will
cause PTSD. Trauma sufficient to induce PTSD has specific characteristics and
circumstances, including situations like: perceived as life-threatening;
outside the scope of a child's life experience; not daily, ordinary or normal
event; during which the child experiences a complete loss of control of the
outcome and when death is observed.
Disasters, violence, and accidents are just some of the
experiences that can lead to PTSD. Preparing children for trauma involves
giving them skills and knowledge to survive the experiences and emerge with as
little potential as possible for developing PTSD.
2. 2. 3 A brief history of PTSD
According to Richard (2005), during the First World War, many
soldiers experienced a shell shock and in the Second World War, combat fatigue
was used to describe a similar reaction, characterized by terror, agitation or
apathy, and insomnia.
Following the Vietnam War, the syndrome was named Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and appeared by that name in DMS-III (1980).
The term describes an anxiety disorder which occurs in responses to an extreme
psychological or physical trauma outside the range of normal human experiences
(Thompson, 1997 cited by Richard 2005). Apart from war, such traumas include
physical treat to one's self or family, witnessing other people's deaths, and
being involved in natural or human-made disasters.
PTSD may occur immediately following a traumatic experience o
weeks, months and even years
later. In the Vietnam War, there were
relatively few cases of shell shock or combat fatigue, but
on their return to USA soldiers found it more difficult
adjusting to civilians' life that did those who fought in the two world
wars.
2. 2. 4 PTSD and other Stress
Research has pointed on the fact that intrusive memories are
also important in depression. Reynolds and Brewin (1997) cited by Richard
compared matched samples of patients with PTSD and depression. While PTSD
patients were a little more likely to have intrusive memories (which are also
somewhat more vivid and frequent), they are otherwise very similar. Both groups
were likely to experience very vivid and high distressing memories on average
several times per week and lasting several minutes per week and lasting several
minutes (up to an hour). Also for both groups, they mostly accompanied by
physical sensations and a feeling helpless of reliving the event. One of the
few differences was that PTSD patients were likely to report feeling helpless
and to have a dissociative experience, such as feeling they were leaving their
body or seeing them-selves as an object in their memory.
Not everyone exposed to catastrophe reacts in the same way,
says psychiatrist Randy Boddam in,
http://www.soulselfhelp.on.ca/ptsdtorstar.html
a major acting as clinical adviser on PTSD to the Canadian Forces' surgeon
general.
Some may have no stress. Others may have post-traumatic stress.
But simply feeling upset after a trauma is not a disorder.
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