Is vicarious traumatisation something clinicians treating trauma need to be concerned about, what should they do about it? The notion of vicarious trauma was initially introduced by McCann and Pearlman (1990) in their article, Vicarious Traumatization: A Framework for Understanding the Psychological Effects of Working with Victims. The framework indicated
Knowing the difference between anxiety and paranoia is important for best client care. The challenge for clinicians is to clarify whether beliefs and protective behaviours to keep one safe from potential and unknown threats are different from the beliefs and behaviours that are driven by, and driving paranoia. Many clients
People usually think of PTSD as something you develop if you go to war, are sexually assaulted or suffer a similar easily identifiable trauma. However there is research showing that PTSD does happen in other circumstances. For example, Chan, et al. (2017) study of the course and predictors of post-traumatic stress
Complex PTSD has entered the vernacular of clinicians, yet there is no clear outline in any of the current diagnostic manuals, International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems version 10 (ICD 10) , Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders version 5 ( DSM 5 ) and The Psychodynamic Diagnostic
Childbirth is a significant event in a woman’s life. Awareness of postnatal depression and anxiety is increasing, however PTSD is an often overlooked mental health condition effecting women in the perinatal period. PTSD may arise as a result of experiences associated directly with the birth, or the experience of pregnancy
Many clinicians express concern about re-traumatising their clients. A simple google search recently produced 516,000 results with the term present. Some of the headlines appear below, but they seem to suggest that re-traumatising clients is something clinicians can and ought to avoid. 7 Ways to Avoid Re-Traumatizing A Trauma Victim
PTSD was classified as an Anxiety Disorder in the DSM-IV, consequently fear/anxiety was regarded as the core feature of the presentation of PTSD. This remains the case today, however the DSM5 reclassified PTSD into its own category and has outlined variations in the individual expression of the overall disorder, or
The diagnosis of PTSD has seen several iterations over the decades. These differences reflect factors such as socio-cultural and political changes, as well as developments in evidence-based understanding of trauma and its sequalae. What follows is a brief summary of the changes in the formal psychiatric diagnostic criteria, although long
Why should you know about the freeze response? 1. The freeze response (tonic immobility) is common amongst PTSD sufferers who have been sexually assaulted2. When tonic immobility has been present during trauma, medications may not be effective In a recent study published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica
USA Veterans Affairs and Department of Defence (VA/DoD) release new Evidence-based Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for the Management of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder https://www.healthquality.va.gov/guidelines/MH/ptsd/ Some of the guidelines, with a Cognitive Processing Therapy perspective: Recommendation 11. emphasises trauma focus and structure in the treatment of PTSD. [blockquote1]