Abnormal Psychology and Therapy

We have compared and contrasted the similarities/differences of Normal psychology vs. Abnormal psychology. We will now begin to highlight some mental disorders and mental illnesses to show those similarities and differences. Then upon the completion of this portion we will discuss therapies for treating such illnesses as currently utilized among the mental health professionals in the United States today.  We will begin by discussing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or (PTSD) as it is more commonly referred to as in public discourse.

Post-Traumatic Stress disorder has an unusual history as it has likely been with us since the biblical reference to the murder of Abel by his brother Cain. It is most often associated with military personnel that have directly or at least closely involved in a combat environment. PTSD was not recognized as a mental health issue until Vietnam and was poorly understood by the military leadership, general public, as well as the mental health community. Prior to its acknowledgement during the Vietnam era it was often referred to as “combat-stress” or “battle-fatigue”. 

 It’s most public display of ignorance in regards to its existence and being a serious issue worthy of medical treatment was the slapping incident involving General George S. Patton during WWII. General Patton was attending to his wounded soldiers at a field hospital when he chanced upon a visibly unwounded soldier, when Gen. Patton asked the soldier why he was not at the front fighting the soldier’s reply was “Sir, I can’t take it anymore.” Gen. Patton became incensed at this apparent “cowardice” and struck the soldier with a leather glove in the face. Gen. Patton berated the soldier and ordered him immediately to return to the front or face a court-martial for cowardice in the face of the enemy. The remaining history of this incident is public record and not pertinent to this discussion.

Yet even with the acknowledgement of the existence of PTSD during Vietnam, it was at least 20 years before the Veterans Administration began to seek new methods of treatment or simply even acknowledge a veteran was suffering from the condition. I saw this first hand as a boy, my father had served from 1968 till 1971 in Vietnam and saw direct combat. He rarely if ever spoke to anyone about his experiences there but I saw much of his suffering directly if he had an episode. The most graphic was back in 1987, it was during the night and we were experiencing a severe thunderstorm with hail. 

My father was apparently triggered by the hail, it sounded like gunfire to him. I was sleeping in a bedroom over our garage. He low-crawled all the way from his bedroom and up the stairs into my room, I was awaked by him hissing in a low voice “Gooks are in the fucking wire, man your position and be ready to kill them when the move towards the perimeter.” Needless to say this frightened me but I learned much about my father after that when I began to slowly discuss it with him. Despite his own wounds from his service he did not discourage from me seeking to become a soldier myself upon graduating high-school in 1992

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To provide some more technical details of PTSD, it is defined as Disorder and not a Psychosis. This simply refers to the fact that most disorders are at least treatable and often a “cure” can be found to mitigate the effects of the disorder. The symptoms are somewhat vague and are often mistaken for an anxiety or depressive issue but there are clear distinctions of PTSD from a regular anxiety or depressive disorder.  Individuals that suffer from PTSD in any form often will “re-live” the incident that caused the disorder over and over, will experience arousal in response to a trigger such as a smelling cooking meat on a grill or a sound. PTSD is not simply a disorder suffered by the military but by any human being such as victims of sexual assault or abuse or anyone whom is likely to encounter life-threatening situations either for themselves or others.

I am currently actively seeking treatment for PTSD due to my service in Iraq and can say that we have learned much but still have many gaps in our knowledge of how to treat this disorder. I currently have been provided both counseling and medication to deal with my PTSD. One of the more popular and successful approaches used today is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. CBT involves the active participation of the patient and provider to find ways to deal with or prevent the PTSD from being triggered or how to mitigate its effects once triggered. This usually involves one on one or group therapy with others whom suffer from PTSD. By active discourse and by learning how to recognize triggers, the patient can be better prepared for his or her own issues as they arise. 

PSTD is not a death sentence but if left untreated can become aggravated and lead to other behaviors that are either self-destructive or potentially dangerous for society as a whole. This is not to insinuate that anyone who suffers from PTSD is a danger but that we should be cognizant of its severity and the risks if left untreated. Like any mental illness education and raising awareness of the issue is critical to avoiding the stereotyping of the disorder and its victims.

Reference

Laugharne, J., Lillee, A., & Aleksandar, J. (2009, November). Role of psychological trauma in the cause and treatment of anxiety and depressive disorders [Abstract]. Current Opinion in Psychiatry,, 1-5.