Trauma and Its Psychological and Behavioral Manifestations Research Paper

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

Understanding of Trauma

Through this course, I have developed a much clearer understanding of trauma and its psychological and behavioral manifestations, neurobiology and physiology, effects on survivors, PTSD diagnostic criteria, and treatment approaches. Traumatized clients present with various adaptive and pathological reactions based on their age or developmental stage, recurrent exposure, psychological functioning, culture, etc., (Mills & Hulbert-Williams, 2012). Moreover, direct exposure, re-experiences of trauma, and the nature of the stressor (e.g., parental abuse, accident) also affect trauma-related responses.

It is now clear to me that traumatized individual exhibits either a gradual improvement intolerance or an exacerbation of symptoms. While some individuals display effective cognitive coping and resilience, others show pervasive adverse reactions, such as social dysfunction, attention deficit, and maladaptive behavior. After exposure to trauma, most survivors experience intrusion symptoms that manifest within days or persist until a later developmental stage due to delayed expression. Van der Kolk (2015) states that in most cases, the reliving and re-experiencing of the trauma affect the survivor’s emotional response and determines how well he or she copes with the symptoms. While in most trauma victims these repetitive intrusion symptoms increase tolerance, others show symptoms of hyperarousal and avoidance that are characteristic of PTSD (APA, 2013). In my understanding, the traumatic memory of these people is impaired; therefore, every memory replay serves to enhance sensitization and emotional stress.

Exposure to trauma also involves dissociative reactions ascribed to limbic system alterations. Van der Kolk (2015) describes dissociation as an information organization process that results in compartmentalized experiences. In dissociative reactions, the integration of components related to the trauma into conscious memory does not occur. Thus, survivors may experience desensitization and depersonalization to minimize distressing beliefs and feelings.

Through learning the neurobiology of trauma, most of the symptoms related to PTSD now make sense to me. The activation of the fight, flight, or freeze reaction and elevated cortisol and adrenaline concentration accounts for the DSM V criterion E symptoms of aggression, hypervigilance, reckless behavior, exaggerated startle response, loss of focus, and sleep disturbances (APA, 2013). If the flight response is not possible, the individual freezes – a form of dissociation or derealization meant to decrease sensitization and distress. Based on the understanding of these neurobiological and physiological processes, the focus of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy is to develop individualized, needs to be based, and strengths have driven interventions that will ensure effective coping strategies. These strategies may include psychoeducation, relaxation training, affect modulation or expression (self-talk), etc.

Rest of the Course

Throughout the remainder of this course, I anticipate learning appropriate treatment protocols for different client categories based on affective responses to traumatic events. Specifically, I expect to learn effective treatments for traumatized children and adolescents – including psychotropic medications – as well as methods of identifying trauma triggers (Schneider, Grilli, & Schneider, 2013). These concepts will be critical in creating behavioral plans tailored to adolescent needs. This developmental stage is characterized by negative affect, and therefore, a strong therapeutic relationship is required when treating traumatized adolescents.

I also look forward to learning how to control my counter-transference and emotions when treating a client. I recognize that uncontrolled emotional stimulation by a therapist can hamper trust and commitment from the traumatized individual. Working with trauma survivors exposes the therapist to compassion fatigue related to hearing gruesome stories of abuse or trauma narrated by victims. I anticipate learning about compassion fatigue manifestations and coping methods for professionals.

References

American Psychiatric Association [APA]. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: APA.

Mills, S., & Hulbert-Williams, L. (2012). Distinguishing between treatment efficacy and effectiveness in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Implications for contentious therapies. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 25(3), 319-330. Web.

Schneider, S. J., Grilli, S. F., & Schneider, J. R. (2013). Evidence-based treatments for traumatized children and adolescents. Current Psychiatry Reports, 15, 332–341. Web.

van der Kolk, B. (2015). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. London, UK: Penguin Books.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2021, January 10). Trauma and Its Psychological and Behavioral Manifestations. https://ivypanda.com/essays/trauma-and-its-psychological-and-behavioral-manifestations/

Work Cited

"Trauma and Its Psychological and Behavioral Manifestations." IvyPanda, 10 Jan. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/trauma-and-its-psychological-and-behavioral-manifestations/.

References

IvyPanda. (2021) 'Trauma and Its Psychological and Behavioral Manifestations'. 10 January.

References

IvyPanda. 2021. "Trauma and Its Psychological and Behavioral Manifestations." January 10, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/trauma-and-its-psychological-and-behavioral-manifestations/.

1. IvyPanda. "Trauma and Its Psychological and Behavioral Manifestations." January 10, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/trauma-and-its-psychological-and-behavioral-manifestations/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Trauma and Its Psychological and Behavioral Manifestations." January 10, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/trauma-and-its-psychological-and-behavioral-manifestations/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1