Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook.Pdf
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder SOURCEBOOK Second Edition ALSO BY GLENN R. SCHIRALDI World War II Survivors: Lessons in Resilience The Self-Esteem Workbook The Anger Management Sourcebook Conquer Anxiety, Worry and Nervous Fatigue: A Guide to Greater Peace Ten Simple Solutions for Building Self-Esteem Facts to Relax By: A Guide to Relaxation and Stress Reduction Hope and Help for Depression: A Practical Guide Stress Management Strategies The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder SOURCEBOOK Second Edition @ A GUIDE TO HEALING, RECOVERY, AND GROWTH @ Glenn R. Schiraldi, Ph.D. @ New York Chicago San Francisco Lisbon London Madrid Mexico City Milan New Delhi San Juan Seoul Singapore Sydney Toronto Copyright © 2009 by Glenn R. Schiraldi. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, with- out the prior written permission of the publisher. ISBN: 978-0-07-161495-5 MHID: 0-07-161495-8 The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: ISBN: 978-0-07-161494-8, MHID: 0-07-161494-X. All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than put a trademark symbol after every occurrence of a trademarked name, we use names in an editorial fashion only, and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark. Where such designations appear in this book, they have been printed with initial caps. McGraw-Hill eBooks are available at special quantity discounts to use as premiums and sales promotions, or for use in corporate training programs. To contact a representative please visit the Contact Us page at www.mhprofessional.com. The information contained in this book is intended to provide helpful and informative material on the subject addressed. It is not intend- ed to serve as a replacement for professional medical or psychological advice. Any use of the information in this book is at the reader’s discretion. The author and publisher specifically disclaim any and all liability arising directly or indirectly from the use or application of any information contained in this book. A health-care professional should be consulted regarding your specific situation. TERMS OF USE This is a copyrighted work and The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (“McGraw-Hill”) and its licensors reserve all rights in and to the work. Use of this work is subject to these terms. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act of 1976 and the right to store and retrieve one copy of the work, you may not decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer, reproduce, modify, create derivative works based upon, transmit, distribute, disseminate, sell, publish or sublicense the work or any part of it without McGraw-Hill’s prior consent. Yo u m ay u s e the work for your own noncommercial and personal use; any other use of the work is strictly prohibited. Your right to use the work may be terminated if you fail to comply with these terms. THE WORK IS PROVIDED “AS IS.” McGRAW-HILL AND ITS LICENSORS MAKE NO GUARANTEES OR WARRANTIES AS TO THE ACCURACY, ADEQUACY OR COMPLETENESS OF OR RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED FROM USING THE WORK, INCLUDING ANY INFORMATION THAT CAN BE ACCESSED THROUGH THE WORK VIA HYPERLINK OR OTHERWISE, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. McGraw-Hill and its licensors do not warrant or guarantee that the functions contained in the work will meet your requirements or that its operation will be uninterrupted or error free. Neither McGraw-Hill nor its licensors shall be liable to you or anyone else for any inaccuracy, error or omission, regardless of cause, in the work or for any damages resulting therefrom. McGraw-Hill has no responsibility for the content of any information accessed through the work. Under no circumstances shall McGraw-Hill and/or its licensors be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, punitive, consequential or similar damages that result from the use of or inability to use the work, even if any of them has been advised of the possibility of such damages. This limitation of liability shall apply to any claim or cause whatsoever whether such claim or cause arises in contract, tort or otherwise. Contents Acknowledgments ix Introduction xi PART I ABOUT PTSD Chapter 1 PTSD Basics 3 Chapter 2 Making Sense of the Bewildering Symptoms: Understanding Anxiety and Dissociation 13 Chapter 3 Associated Features 28 Chapter 4 Frequently Asked Questions 38 PART II ABOUT HEALING, RECOVERY, AND GROWTH Chapter 5 Principles of Healing, Recovery, and Growth 51 Chapter 6 Treatment Approaches: Professional, Medication, Group, and Self-Managed 59 PART III PREPARING FOR THE RECOVERY PROCESS Chapter 7 Stabilization and Balance 73 Chapter 8 Taking Care of Your Health 78 PART IV MANAGING SYMPTOMS Chapter 9 Affect Management 91 Chapter 10 Reducing General Arousal 96 Chapter 11 Breathing Retraining 100 Chapter 12 Relaxation 109 Chapter 13 Managing Anger 119 v vi Contents Chapter 14 Eye Movement 134 Chapter 15 Intrusion Management 137 Chapter 16 Before Starting Memory Work: Helpful Strategies 144 PART V TREATMENT Chapter 17 Principles of Memory Work 159 Chapter 18 Cognitive Restructuring 162 Chapter 19 Confi ding Concealed Wounds 185 Chapter 20 Resolving Guilt 194 Chapter 21 Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) 211 Chapter 22 Thought Field Therapy 217 Chapter 23 Other Brief Processing Techniques 220 Chapter 24 Prolonged Exposure 228 Chapter 25 Dream Management and Processing 234 Chapter 26 Healing Imagery 238 Chapter 27 Healing Rituals 243 Chapter 28 Grieving Losses 248 Chapter 29 Making Sense of Trauma: Coming to Terms with Suffering 259 Chapter 30 Hypnosis 262 Chapter 31 Expressive Art Therapies 265 Chapter 32 Life Review 274 Chapter 33 Building Self-Esteem 285 Chapter 34 Unfi nished Business: Resolving Anger 299 Chapter 35 Innovative Treatments 309 Chapter 36 Complementary Approaches 316 PART VI MOVING ON Chapter 37 Transitioning 321 Chapter 38 Intimacy and Sexuality 326 Chapter 39 Meaning and Purpose 340 Chapter 40 Spiritual and Religious Growth 344 Chapter 41 Happiness, Pleasure, and Humor 350 Chapter 42 Relapse Prevention 362 Chapter 43 Summing Up 372 Contents vii Appendix A The History of PTSD 375 Appendix B Assessing Abuse 377 Appendix C The Brain and Memory 379 Appendix D Psychiatric Disorders 381 Appendix E 72-Hour Emergency Preparedness 384 Appendix F Meditation 386 Appendix G Rape and Sexual Assault Facts and Myths 388 Appendix H Medication Facts and Guidelines 390 Appendix I Victim, Survivor, Thriver 394 Endnotes 397 Bibliography 419 Additional Resources 425 Index 435 This page intentionally left blank Acknowledgments In recent years, so much has been learned about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). No one compiles a synthesis such as this one without relying on the cumulative efforts of many brilliant theorists, researchers, and clinicians who have advanced our understanding of PTSD and its treatment. I am grateful to dissociation pioneers Drs. Pierre Janet, Richard P. Kluft, Frank W. Putnam, and Richard J. Loewenstein. I am thankful to Dr. Bessel van der Kolk for his insights regarding the brain and trauma and to Drs. George S. Everly, Jr., Charles R. Fig- ley, Edna B. Foa, Judith L. Herman, Mardi Horowitz, Donald Meichenbaum, James W. Pennebaker, Beverly Raphael, Francine Shapiro, John P. Wilson, and many others who have so diligently labored to further our knowledge. I am most grateful for those who gave so generously of their time to review this book and suggest helpful improvements. These include Drs. Bethany Brand, George S. Everly, Jr., Charles R. Figley, David Keller, Donald Meichenbaum, Raymond M. Scurfi eld, Francine Shapiro, Mary Beth Williams, John P. Wilson; and Robert L. Bunnell, John W. Downs, Esther Giller, and Mary Beth Quist. It is rare to fi nd an editorial team that functions with such conscientious, thoughtful, and sensitive attention to detail; my thanks to Rachel Chance, Julia Anderson Bauer, and John Aherne. Finally, I am exceedingly grateful to the survivors of trauma—in all walks of life—who have battled to overcome their symptoms and by their courage, inspired us all. ix x Acknowledgments Portions of this book have been adapted from some of my previous works: Conquer Anxiety, Worry and Nervous Fatigue: A Guide to Greater Peace; The Anger Management Sourcebook; The Self-Esteem Workbook; Facts to Relax By: A Guide to Relaxation and Stress Reduction; Hope and Help for Depression: A Practical Guide; and Stress Management Strategies. Introduction We are never prepared for what we expect. —James A. Michener, Caravans A fi refi ghter cradles a lifeless little girl. Seven months later, he leaves his beloved profession because of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In a dimly lit cam- pus parking lot, a bright coed is assaulted. Three weeks later she drops out of college. PTSD has claimed yet another victim. Life doesn’t prepare us for trauma. Following exposure to traumatic events, millions of people develop PTSD or lesser forms of this condition—with symp- toms ranging from nightmares to headaches, fl ashbacks, withdrawing from people, profound sadness, anxiety, anger, guilt, fatigue, pessimism, sexual prob- lems, and emotional numbing. Unless proper treatment is found, many, perhaps most, of these people will secretly and needlessly battle distressing symptoms for life. The good news, however, is that PTSD can be treated successfully. With the right treatment, victims can begin to heal and return to the journey of joyful living. This book is written for all victims of trauma. You will fi nd it useful if you are a survivor of rape, abuse of any kind, domestic violence, war, crime, natural disasters, industrial disasters, accidents, terrorism, and other traumatic events.