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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Essay

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There are hundreds of different kinds of psychiatric disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. (DSM-IV). One of them is called Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Based on the research, post-traumatic disorder usually occurs following the experience or witnessing of life-threatening events such as military combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, serious accidents, or violent personal assaults like rape (Harvard Women’s Health Watch, 2005). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the risk factors, pathophysiology, clinical manifestation, diagnostic criteria and tests, treatment, prognosis and future research and approaches to treat this psychiatric illness of post-traumatic stress …show more content…

5). In contrast, a post-traumatic stress disorder person’s system would seem to be oversensitive. Source says the amygdala may look to be over reactive in PTSD, but it posts a question upon if the amygdala is already over reactive in itself or it could naturally be over reactive responding to trauma (Harvard Women’s Health Watch, 2005). With the help of imaging techniques and its imaging studies, it shows that the hippocampus and the anterior cingulated cortex found to be smaller in PTSD. The two areas of the brain which help maintain the amygdala in check seem to have trouble functioning properly in people with PSTD (Harvard Women’s Health Watch, 2005). Another thought that involves the pathophysiology of PTSD is the role of basal catecholamines. However, the subject is controversial (Miller, 2000). There has been a hypothesis made that cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) concentrations increase in people with PTSD from a study comparing combat veterans and normal volunteers (Miller, 2000). As with any disorder of the brain, the complexities of PTSD are extensive and require a lot of integrating components. Therefore, the pathophysiology of PTSD is unclear.

Clinical Manifestation Post-traumatic stress disorder falls into three general categories of symptoms: Intrusion,

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