Traumatic events can place a tremendous burden on individuals, families, and communities. While many people can recover from these events without experiencing any ill effects, others will experience traumatic stress reactions. A person's response to a traumatic event is based on many factors, including their personality and support system.
Complex PTSD
While there is no single treatment for complex PTSD, most practitioners in the field acknowledge the importance of a multimodal approach that includes somatic and top-down interventions. In an Israel-based study, the prevalence of PTSD and CPTSD was 9% at one month, and women had higher rates than men. In Germany, a nationwide sample showed a prevalence of 0.5% and 0.3% respectively.
Complex PTSD can result from a variety of trauma. Many of the stressors are recurring or ongoing, rather than isolated incidents. They may include long-term physical abuse, commercial sexual abuse, and domestic violence. These stressors can lead to persistent problems with a person's self-esteem and relational functioning.
Reactive attachment disorder
Reactive attachment disorder is a developmental disorder that can be a symptom of abuse, neglect, or mistreatment. Children with this condition have difficulty forming emotional connections with the people who care for them. Consequently, they may react negatively to physical closeness or touch. This may lead to problems with their emotional regulation and cause them to act out. In addition, these children may be unpredictable and hard to discipline or console. Their rage and anger often manifest as tantrums, physical aggression, and other socially unacceptable behaviors.
The DSM-5 classifies reactive attachment disorder as a trauma disorder, and the disorder is often caused by maltreatment, neglect, or social neglect. The main symptoms of this disorder are a child's difficulty forming emotional attachments and a decreased ability to experience positive feelings. In addition, these children rarely seek emotional closeness from others and often exhibit violent or destructive behaviors when held or comforted. Children with reactive attachment disorder may also be difficult to discipline.
Disinhibited social engagement disorder
Disinhibited social engagement disorder is characterized by an inability to engage in normal social interaction with trusted adults and an uncontrollable desire to talk with strangers. It usually develops after a child experiences severe trauma, such as abuse or neglect. The disorder manifests itself in various ways and can progress quickly or slowly. There is no immediate cure for disinhibited social engagement disorder, and healing may take time. Children may regress in their behavior or emotional development, so it's important to be patient and supportive.
Parents of children with disinhibited social engagement disorder should seek out professional help to identify the underlying cause of their child's behavior. Specific therapies can be designed to address the child's behavioral problems and attachment problems. Often, parents and primary caregivers are invited to attend therapy sessions with their child.
Post-induction therapy
Post-Induction Therapy is a treatment option for individuals suffering from childhood relational trauma and/or abuse. The therapy aims to reduce the negative emotional impact of these experiences and helps the client address the five core symptoms of trauma. It involves a combination of individual and group therapy, as well as the use of psychoanalytic methods, such as Gestalt and Transactional Analysis. It also uses techniques developed by Erik Erikson and Carl Rogers.
In addition, this approach is associated with a lower risk of developing PTSD and comorbid conditions. However, this approach may not be effective for all individuals. It may cause harm as well as exacerbate existing symptoms.
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of therapy that aims to improve the function of the brain in people suffering from trauma. It involves the teaching of problem-solving skills that help people cope better during times of crisis and everyday situations. In addition, it helps people develop their self-confidence by confronting fears. Often, individuals need a combination of therapy techniques in order to improve their condition.
Cognitive behavioral therapy for trauma disorders has been proven effective in numerous clinical studies. One of the most common forms of treatment is called trauma-focused CBT. It was originally developed for children and adolescents, but it has shown great promise in treating a wide range of disorders. In its basic definition, trauma is any event that causes a person to become or remain distressed, such as being injured or sick, experiencing the loss of a loved one, divorce, or other life-threatening event. Some examples of traumatic experiences include torture or other physical abuse.
