Verified Document

PTSD Vignette Essay

¶ … vignette I have experienced a traumatic event and do have some symptoms; however, my presentation is not consistent with the diagnostic criteria in the DSM -- 5 (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). Therefore, I do not have PTSD; or at least at this point I do not qualify for a formal diagnosis of PTSD. There are a couple of reasons for this: First, at this point I have experienced a traumatic event (criterion A). Following the event I have had a nightmare, some flashbacks, and some autonomic nervous system symptoms such as increased respiration and dizziness. So there are two intrusion symptoms (flashbacks and nightmares; criterion B), and some anxiety -- related type symptoms such as heavy breathing and feeling dizzy which appear to be best satisfied by criterion E (APA, 2013). Some of the diagnostic criteria for PTSD such as criterion C (avoidance), criterion D (negative alterations of cognition) are not met or at least not addressed (APA, 2013).

Second and most importantly, criterion F. And criterion G. do not yet appear to be satisfied. For instance, there is no information on whether or not the symptoms are causing me significant distress or impairment in my functioning (criterion G; APA, 2013). However, even if I had symptoms that were covered by all of the criteria A through E, because the duration of the symptoms...

Thus, no matter what my presentation is a few days after the traumatic experience I could not be formally diagnosed with PTSD.
The onset and duration of the symptoms could make one believe that I might qualify for a diagnosis of acute stress disorder; however, again there are not enough symptoms described here for a formal diagnosis of acute stress disorder to be made (in order to be diagnosed with acute stress disorder there must be nine or more symptoms from any of or all of five different categories; APA, 2013). There is a strong relationship between the onset of PTSD symptoms immediately following a traumatic experience and a later diagnosis of acute stress disorder or PTSD (APA, 2013). However, the research literature also indicates that most of the people who witness or experience a very traumatic event have similar symptoms and yet do not develop a psychiatric disorder such as PTSD (Ozer, Best, Lipsey, & Weiss, 2008). Thus, at this point it would be pertinent for me to talk to someone regarding how I'm feeling and have a mental health professional or counselor and follow me for short period of time. The majority of cases such as this one typically resolve over time (Resick, Monson, & Rizvi, 2008).…

Sources used in this document:
References

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Ozer, E.J., Best, S.R., Lipsey, T.L., & Weiss, D.S. (2008). Predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder and symptoms in adults: A meta-analysis. Psychological trauma: Theory, research, practice, and policy, Vol S (1), 3-36

Resick, P.A., Monson, C.M., & Rizvi, S.L. (2008). Posttraumatic stress disorder. In DH

Barlow (Ed.), Clinical handbook of psychological disorders: A step-by-step treatment manual (pp. 65-122). New York: Guilford Press.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Ethics Vignette Several Ethical Issues
Words: 1260 Length: 4 Document Type: Research Paper

Her condition was not beyond my ability, but just because the client needed more attention and supervision, which I was not able to provide at my facility. However, the ethical code requires that the correct procedure be followed. For instance, I have to identify myself and give proof of my claim. In other words, I was required to fax the release form to verify my claim. In addition, I

Psychopathy in Relation to Potentially
Words: 1018 Length: 3 Document Type: Article Review

Instead, the mock jurors were most likely to sentence dangerous defendants to death, regardless of the PCL-R label attached to those defendants. In fact, defendants who were considered a high-risk of future violence but were not psychopaths were most likely to be sentenced to death. This study was fascinating in many ways. First, like many studies, it suffered from a representation sample problem. The participants were first year psychology students,

Children, Grief, and Attachment Theory
Words: 22384 Length: 75 Document Type: Term Paper

Figure 1 portrays three of the scenes 20/20 presented March 15, 2010. Figure 1: Heather, Rachel, and Unnamed Girl in 20/20 Program (adapted from Stossel, 2010). Statement of the Problem For any individual, the death of a family member, friend, parent or sibling may often be overwhelming. For adolescents, the death of person close to them may prove much more traumatic as it can disrupt adolescent development. Diana Mahoney (2008), with the

Couples Dynamics in Sexual Addiction Recovery
Words: 1155 Length: 3 Document Type: Research Paper

Sex Addiction Counseling The Story Jim (50) and Mary (48) have been in a relationship for 27 years. They are married with four children. Jim was a victim of childhood sexual abuse at age 13, and, after that, began significant involvement with pornography and regular masturbation. His sexual experience prior to marriage included a single failed experience, but since being married he has continued to use pornography and has used escorts

Social Work Preparation Exercises
Words: 1160 Length: 4 Document Type: Case Study

Social Work Exercises Preparing for 3 Clients Mrs. Nancy Cannon telephoned from her place of work ( the Capital Insurance Company -- phone [HIDDEN] She sounded concerned. She said that on the previ-ous Saturday night, her 14-year-old daughter Amy had come home after her 9: 00 p. m. curfew, smelling of alcohol. She says that she " grounded" her daughter but now wants to talk with a social worker about the situation.

Analyzing Psychology of Trauma
Words: 2109 Length: 7 Document Type:

Psychology of Trauma PTSD: Diagnosis and Treatment The PTSD diagnostic criteria of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) of the American Psychiatric Association was revised. The criteria for diagnosis for PTSD include exposure history to traumas that are qualified by specified stipulations and signs from a cluster of four: negative alterations, avoidance, intrusion, mood, changes are arousal creativity and alterations in cognitions. The sixth edition

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now