Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Home

Many people--including some mental health professionals and service members themselves--have the misconception that military deployment is highly likely to cause posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This book gives practitioners a more nuanced understanding of military stress reactions and related mental health concerns, from transient adjustment problems to clinical disorders. Drawing on expert knowledge of military environments and culture, Carrie H. Kennedy provides vital guidance for evidence-based assessment, intervention, and prevention. Kennedy emphasizes that overdependence on the diagnosis of PTSD can lead to suboptimal care, and shows how to tailor treatment to each service member's or veteran's needs. A crucial addition to any practitioner's library, the book is illustrated with numerous case vignettes.  

Impulsivity, poor judgment, moodiness, risky behavior. "You don't understand." "I don't care." "Whatever, bro." Engaging and working with teenagers is tough. Typically, we attribute this to the storms of adolescence. But what if some of the particularly problematic behaviors we see in teens - self-destructive behaviors, academic issues, substance abuse, reluctance to engage in therapy or treatment - point to unspoken trauma? Teens nationwide struggle with traumatic stress related to poverty, abuse, neglect, bullying, traumatic loss, and interpersonal or community violence. But youth are also generally reluctant to disclose or discuss experiences of traumatic stress, and adults working with these youth may not immediately perceive the connection between prior trauma and the teen's current risky or concerning behavior. Beyond PTSD: Helping and Healing Teens Exposed to Trauma helps adults recognize and understand traumatized youth, and provides concrete strategies for talking to and engaging the teen, overcoming resistance, and finding the most appropriate evidence-based treatment approach for them. Nearly twenty contributors pull from their extensive and varied experience working in schools and hospitals to child welfare programs, juvenile justice facilities, pediatric offices, and with families to provide concrete tips to manage the challenges and opportunities of working with trauma-exposed adolescents. Chapters present trauma-informed approaches to youth with aggression, suicide and self-injury, psychosis, and school refusal; youth with physical or developmental disabilities or medical comorbidities, those in juvenile justice or child welfare; teen parents; and LGBTQ youth, among others. Throughout the text, tables compare different types of trauma therapies and provide information about how treatments might be adapted to fit a specific teen or setting. Readers will also find "real life" case vignettes and concrete, specific clinical pearls--even examples of language to use--to demonstrate how to work effectively with difficult-to-engage teens with complex symptoms and behaviors. Written to be practical and accessible for clinicians, social workers, pediatricians, school counselors, and even parents, with the information, context, and strategies they need to help the teen in front of them.

Designed for clinicians at every level, The American Psychiatric Association Publishing Textbook of Anxiety, Trauma, and OCD-Related Disorders addresses the origin, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of these disorders in a comprehensive, up-to-date, and compelling manner. Fresh voices are everywhere in this authoritative revision of the classic text, as more than 60% of the contributors are new. They join stalwarts from the previous edition--experts who bring stellar credentials and a discerning eye to the task of revising the text to reflect cutting-edge scholarship and evidence-based clinical knowledge. Following a comprehensive overview of core principles, the book provides detailed coverage of specific DSM-5 diagnoses: generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, panic disorder and agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, specific phobia, and trauma- and stressor-related disorders. Each section presents the latest thinking on phenomenology and pathogenesis, then provides evidence-based clinical recommendations for pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. New and noteworthy material includes the following: * Two new chapters focus on the features, phenomenology, and course of acute and integrated grief, as well as the epidemiology, clinical features, evaluation, and pathophysiology of complicated grief (CG), which affects a significant minority. Proper treatment of CG is critical, because once it persists beyond 6 months, impairment may last for years, if not a lifetime. Accordingly, a separate chapter is devoted to treatment options, including a hybrid of cognitive-behavioral, interpersonal, motivational interviewing, and psychodynamic methods.* The Unified Protocol (UP) for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders is examined in a fascinating new chapter. The UP is a promising treatment with empirical support for reduction of both symptoms and higher-order temperamental changes, such as changes in neuroticism, an underlying mechanism associated with onset and maintenance of emotional disorders.* The chapter on anxiety disorders in late life is completely new and emphasizes the prevalence of anxiety in this population and its likelihood of remaining undetected and untreated. The epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of these disorders are examined in detail so that the reader will recognize the clinical features, be able to differentiate them from depression, and can identify appropriate treatment, whether pharmacological or psychotherapeutic.* Each chapter features a concise list of key clinical points to help the reader focus on the most important material for study, as well as a list of recommended reading for those who wish to learn more. Grounded in the latest research, clinically rich, and pedagogically strong, The American Psychiatric Association Publishing Textbook of Anxiety, Trauma, and OCD-Related Disorders is the go-to text for mental health clinicians looking for evidence-based knowledge and support.

This pragmatic workbook offers evidence-based skills grounded in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to help you find lasting relief from trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If you've experienced trauma, you should know that there is nothing wrong with you. Trauma is a normal reaction to an abnormal event. Sometimes, the symptoms of trauma persist long after the traumatic situation has ceased. This is what we call PTSD--in other words, the "trauma after the trauma." This happens when the aftereffects of trauma--such anxiety, depression, anger, fear, insomnia, and even addiction--end up causing more ongoing harm than the trauma itself. So, how can you start healing? With this powerful and proven-effective workbook, you'll find practical exercises for overcoming trauma using mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance. You'll learn how to be present in the moment and identity the things that trigger your trauma. You'll also find activities and exercises to help you cope with stress, manage intense emotions, navigate conflict with others, and change unhealthy thought patterns that keep you stuck. Finally, you'll find practical materials for review and closure, so you can take what you've learned out into the world with you. If you're ready to move past your trauma and start living your life again, this workbook will help guide you, one step at a time. The practical interventions in this guide can be used on their own or in conjunction with therapy.