1. Post-traumatic stress disorder

2. بدأت أعراض هذا الـ diso. بعد الحرب الأهلية الأمريكية بين الشمال و الجنوب و بعد حرب فيتنام كذلك.
Diagnostic Criteria: Temporal relationship bet. a reasonable traumatic event & the develop. of symp.s that result in impairment of psychological, physical, social functioning, for ex. natural disaster outside the range war bombardment, of normal experience assault, scene of death or torture, road accident. For ex. someone tells the Dr. that they enforce him to eat his stool →dehumanization.

3. Presenting complaints
The patient may present initially with:
 • irritability
• memory and/or concentration problems
• associated difficulties in interpersonal relationships
• impaired occupational functioning
• low mood
• loss of interest
• physical problems
 Presentation may be delayed for several months following the trauma.

4. PATHO-REACTION:
non-resolving symp.s.
Severe symp.s.
Maladaptive response.
Moderate or severe impairment in job + social fun.
Inhibited delayed onset.
Symp.s of P.S.T.D.: we've 2 types: chronic type (أكثر من 6 أشهر) & delayed type.
It has special characters:
Sleep disturbance (insomnia بأنواعها)
Flashback phenomena (i.e. memorizing the event with the same power for ex. scene of someone)
Nightmares.
Re-experiencing the events.على سبيل المثال حدثت هذه الحالة بعد الحرب و ذلك عند سماع صوت الرعد, يُخيّل لهم أنه صوت القصف.
5. Feeling of anxiety.
6. Exaggerated startle reflex.

5. PHASES OF PTSD:
Out-cry phase: acute alarm stunt.
Denial phase: lasting weeks or months before manifesting emotional response.
Intrusive phase: recollection of trauma without passing into denial phase, exaggerated startle, thoughts.
Working through phases: examine the meaning. Consider new phase for coping with the future.
Completion phase: recognize the impact of the trauma, resume mark &leisure activities.

6. Diagnostic features
• History of a stressful event or situation (either short- or long-lasting) of an exceptionally threatening or catastrophic nature, which is likely to cause pervasive distress to almost anyone. The trigger event may have resulted in death or injury and/or the patient may have experienced intense horror, fear or helplessness.
• Intrusive symptoms: memories, flashbacks and nightmares

7. Diagnostic features
• Avoidance symptoms: avoidance of thoughts, activities, situations and cues reminiscent of the trauma, with a sense of ‘numbness’, emotional blunting, detachment from other people, unresponsiveness to surroundings or anhedonia

8. Diagnostic features
• Symptoms of autonomic arousal (eg hypervigilance, increased startle reaction, insomnia, irritability, excessive anger, and impaired concentration and/or memory).
• Symptoms of anxiety and/or depression.
• Drug and/or alcohol abuse are commonly associated with this condition.
• Significant functional impairment.

9. Differential diagnosis
• Depression (if preoccupation with, and ruminations about, a past traumatic event have emerged during a depressive episode).
• Phobic disorders (if the patient avoids specific situations or activities after a traumatic event, but has no re-experiencing symptoms).
• Obsessive compulsive disorder (if recurrent, intrusive thoughts or images occur in the absence of an event of exceptionally threatening or catastrophic nature).

10. Essential information for the patient and family
• Traumatic or life-threatening events often have psychological effects. For the majority, symptoms will subside with minimal intervention.
• For those who continue to experience symptoms, effective treatments are available.
• Suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder is not a weakness and does not mean the patient has gone ‘mad’. The patient needs support and understanding, not to be told to ‘snap out of it’.

11. Advice and support to patient and family
• Educate the patient and family about post-traumatic stress disorder, thus helping them understand the patient’s changes in attitude and behaviour.
• Avoiding discussion about the event that triggered this condition is unhelpful. Encourage the patient to talk about it.

12. Advice and support to patient and family
• Explain the role of avoidance of cues associated with the trauma in reinforcing and maintaining fears and distress. Encourage the patient to face avoided activities and situations gradually.
• Ask about suicide risk, particularly if marked depression is present.
• Avoid using alcohol or cigarettes to cope with anxiety.

13. Treatment
Urgent Rx: they’re finding solutions & support shelters for those whom their places and houses were destroyed in wars or earthquakes.
Rehabilitation: may be useful, used in western countries.
Drug therapy:
Reassurance.
س: لماذا يحدث هذا الاضطراب لدى بعض الأشخاص و لا يحدث لدى آخرين؟
ج: لأنها تعتمد على كثير من العوامل, مثلاً:
1- Previous psy. Hx Family Hx of psychological diso.s المهاجرونimmigrants يكونون أكثر
عرضة للضغط من أهل البلد نفسه.
4- Children & old people are more vulnerable.
These groups are most vulnerable.
Some people have coping ability or adaptation.

14. Medication
• Consider antidepressant for concurrent depressive illness. See ‘Depression .
• Antidepressant medication, including tricyclics and SSRIs, may be useful for the treatment of intrusion and avoidance symptoms.Drug treatments for this condition generally need to be used in higher doses and for longer periods than those used for treating depression. There may be a latent period of eight weeks or more before the effects are seen.
• Startle and hyperarousal symptoms may be helped by beta-blockers

15. Referral See general referral criteria.
Referral to secondary mental-health services is advised if the patient is still having severe intrusive experiences and avoidance symptoms, and there is marked functional disability despite the above measues. If available, consider behaviour therapy (exposure) or cognitive techniques.