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Running head: RESEARCH PAPER

Research Paper

Emmanuel Michael

FGCU Canvas
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RESEARCH PAPER
Introduction.

The disorder selected is Post-traumatic stress disorder which is considered to be a mental

health disorder that is usually caused by some terrifying events that one experiences or even

witnesses. Mainly the PTSD is associated with individuals who have been involved in an

accident or even in other traumatic events. The individuals that are said to have the condition

struggle temporarily in adjusting and coping. However, the best thing is that we some good care

and provided the proper medication. They will eventually get better; however, if the conditions

worsen, it tends to impact day-to-day functioning.

Characteristics of PTSD.

One of the populations that I would love to work with our children. I feel that children are

the most vulnerable group when it comes to dealing with PTSD. The population is highly

affected by the disorder to the point that it continues to grow with them to the point where it

comes to affect them in their adulthood (Rothbaum & Rauch, 2020). Some of the characteristics

of PTSD amongst the children include:

 Children have a lot of nightmares and sleep problems because of their condition.

 There is also the lack of positive emotions and even becoming very upset when

something triggers the memories.

 There is also the reliving of the event over and over when they are playing

 There is a lot of intense fear and even sadness.

 Their children become so much irritable and having a lot of angry outbursts.

 The children at the same tend to look for possible threats constantly, and they are

easily startled.  
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It is important to note that in children, some of the causes of PTSD include the events that

they have experienced, such as physical, sexual, or even in other cases, emotional maltreatment.

Another thing that they may cause PTSD in children includes being victims or witnesses of

violence or any form of crime. Other causes include:

 Severe car accidents.

 Natural or human-made disasters.

 Even experiencing the death of a close family or even a friend.

It is important to note that PTSD is included in a new category, DSM-5, Trauma, and

other Stressors Related Disorders. In the DSM-5, there are different criteria for diagnoses of

PTSD. According to DSM-5, children below the age of 6 have a particular type of diagnosis

compared to children above six years, adolescents, and adults. The diagnosis of the condition in

children entails performing a physical examination to check for some medical problems and the

things that may be causing the symptoms (Friedman, 2013). The other step is to check or do a

psychological evaluation that entails discussing the signs and symptoms or events that led to the

issue. Another way to diagnose the condition is by using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of

Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which the American Psychiatric Association published.

Generally, the diagnosis of PTSD requires exposure to a similar event that caused the

threat of death, caused a lot of violence, or even severe injury, and it is done through a series of

ways that caused the trauma. Suppose the children still experience a problem after the exposure

continues for a month or so. In that case, the individual is said to have PTSD, which might

impact the ability to function well in society socially.

Challenges to Obtaining Treatment for PTSD

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Many challenges are associated with obtaining treatment for PTSD. Some of the

challenges are individuals based whereas others are community-based. One of the most

significant challenges resulting from individual-based includes the idea that most children find it

challenging to come out and say what is troubling them. Children who have PTSD sometimes do

not want to talk about what is bothering them either because of threats and fears that arise from

opening up. Most of the children who experience trauma, for example, due to sexual violation

they tend to remain silent because they do not want to open up and say what is bothering them.

As a result of not opening up, it results in getting the suitable mode of treatment.

Another challenge is related to the community. In some of the community, the mental

health disorders such as PTSD are considered proud, or even the victims are rebuked and told

that it is their own doing (ADAA, n.d.). In such a scenario, many challenges are trying to

convince the clients to deal with the disease.

Other challenges associated with the treatment of PTSD include the fact that most of the

victims are stigmatized, and they are not acknowledged as survivors rather than victims. The

other problem that is mainly associated with the condition is that there are limited resources to

help in dealing with the condition. It is important to note that in some cases.

Another main challenge associated with the treatment of trauma amongst the children

population is the ongoing conflicts and disasters. It is essential to recognize that the major causes

of PTSD are associated with war and conflicts. The same things continue to thrive in our society

and eventually make it hard for people recovering from the same to deal with it. Therefore, there

is a lot challenge that comes in the way that might be challenging to deal with when treating

PTSD.

Treatment Modalities.
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In the treatment of PTSD, several treatment modalities are used to help control your life.

The treatment modalities include the use of psychotherapy and, in other cases, might involve the

medication. The combination of different treatment methods may help in the improvement of the

different symptoms through learning skills that are meant to address the symptoms, helping to

think better about oneself as well as others, learning the approaches to cope with the various

symptoms, and even treating the various related problem to PTSD.

The tools used in diagnosing the disorder are based on the evaluation of the various

symptoms and, at the same time, are aimed at looking at the extremes of the same. The behavior

of the individual is evaluated, and then a proper treatment plan is put in place (ADAA, n.d.). The

treatment used in the disorder treatment is the DBT because it is meant to change the unstable

mental behavior and make it even more stable.

The various types of methods used in the treatment include psychotherapy or what is

referred to as therapy. The treatment is aimed at recognizing the way that a person thinks or even

reasons. The different types of therapies carried out include cognitive therapy, exposure therapy,

and even eye movement desensitization and reprocessing EMDR (ADAA, n.d.). However, it is

essential to note that the patient-therapist is the one that determines the type of therapy to be

used.
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References

ADAA. (n.d.). Symptoms of PTSD. Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA.

https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/posttraumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/symptoms

Friedman, M. J. (2013). Finalizing PTSD in DSM-5: Getting here from there and where to go

next. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 26(5), 548-556. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.21840

Rothbaum, B. O., & Rauch, S. A. (2020). How are children impacted by trauma? PTSD.

https://doi.org/10.1093/wentk/9780190930370.003.0006