PTSD

**PTSD Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ** media type="youtube" key="hMdxllTmGWc" height="344" width="425"media type="youtube" key="FvFJgNevlzY" height="344" width="425" Where it started PTSD was first reported after the Vietnam War by veterans of the war. Some of these veterans that were suffering from PTSD decided to take their own life by committing suicide just like HAMLET. At first the disorder was called Post Vietnam Syndrome and then later became PTSD. Personally, I know someone that was seriously injured in Iraq, and now that he is home, he doesn't want to go near a beach because it reminds him of the terrible war that he was fighting in, and all of the fatalities that he was a witness too.     PTSD can be caused by witnessing, or suffering from a traumtic event, including: >
 * rape
 * kidnapping
 * murder
 * witness to a natural disaster or other horrifying event
 * any situation in which your life is threatened
 * being involved in war (PTSD has been highly prevelant in vietnam war veterans)
 * violence in the home

 People with PTSD often suffer from:
 * reliving the trauma that they went through/flashbacks
 * Sleep Problems/nightmares
 * Depression
 * Feeling detached or numb
 * Being easily startled (jumpiness)
 * They may lose interest in things they used to enjoy and have trouble feeling affectionate.
 * feeling distant from others (emotional detatchment)

http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=8fd20504d9eef796bb53media type="custom" key="3021742" width="359" height="203"

Seeing things that remind them of the incident may invoke stress. As a result, they may avoid certain places or situations that bring back those memories.  Soldier with PTSD What Happens in Your Brain  Research has shown that PTSD changes the biology of the brain.

During the Event: Your body activates the "fight or flight" response when afraid. This causes the release of adrenaline into your body, a hormone responsible for increasing blood pressure and heart rate. It also increases the amount of glucose taken to your muscles (this will allow you to run quickly away from danger). Normally, when the immediate danger has subsided, the body begins shutting down the "fight or flight" reponse and releases another hormone, cortisol.

If the body does not secrete enough cortisol to completely shut down the stress response, you will continue to feel the effects of the adrenaline.

- Trauma victims tend to have higher levels of other stimulating hormones, catecholamines, as well under normal conditions when trauma is not present. After some time with an increase in these stimulating hormones, the body starts to show symptoms of PTSD. media type="youtube" key="lXCdd77Zdhs" height="344" width="425" Medications often prescribed to control hormone levels: media type="youtube" key="xfsTec-EdfA" height="344" width="425" media type="youtube" key="ZQKg0BmDQ2M" height="344" width="425"
 * sertaline (Zoloft)
 * paroxetine (Paxil)
 * These work similarly to Prozac, an antidepressant.

  Many Afghans are suffering from PTSD. However, the professionals there do not have the experience to treat this large group of people. 
 * __The Mental Health Crisis in Afghanistan:__**
 * Close to 3/4 of Afghan women have clinical depression and PTSD.
 * Their symptoms have become more prevalent in recent years when they lost their freedom under the Taliban and the torture and suffering they experienced during that time.

HOW PTSD RELATES TO THE KITE RUNNER: A look back on the life of Sohrab:
 * His father was killed right in front of his house when he was only a child
 * He was orphaned and taken to a place where there is limited food
 * A war is going on around him
 * People are constantly living in a state of panic, and he must always be ready for an attack
 * He is taken from the orphanage by Assef (we then didn't know it was him-- but SUPRISE!!! we do now)
 * He is forced to dress up and dance
 * With the way Assef was holding him, it seemed as if he had sexually assulted Sohrab in some way. (GROSS)
 * He had to watch Amir get the living crap beat out of him
 * Probably felt like his life was in danger when he shot Assef in the eye and him and Amir ran from the building.
 * Has to deal with looking at Amir everyday in the hospital
 * Doesn't know where he will be going
 * Has the Taliban looking for him

These all seem like perfect causes for PTSD. There has not been much mention of many symptoms that Sohrab might have, but he does seem like he doesn't talk much, which could be related to PTSD. Also, for Children, traumatic events are

**Signs and symptoms of PTSD in children** (according to the National Center for PTSD): **Young children (1-6 years)** **School-aged children (6-11 years)** **Preadolescents and adolescents (12-18 years)** > > > > > > > > > > http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/post-traumatic-stress-disorder http://www.cfah.org/factsoflife/vol6no6.cfm http://www.healthnow.org/site/article.php?articleId=58&menuId=1 http://ayubmed.edu.pk/JAMC/PAST/172/Khalid%20Mufti.htm http://www.cal.org/co/afghan/acult.html
 * Helplessness and passivity, lack of usual responsiveness
 * Generalized fear
 * Heightened arousal and confusion
 * Cognitive confusion
 * Difficulty talking about the event
 * Difficulty identifying feelings
 * Nightmares, sleep disturbances
 * Separation fears and clinging to caregivers
 * Regressive symptoms (for example, returning to bed-wetting or loss of speech/motor skills)
 * Inability to understand death as permanent
 * Anxieties about death
 * Grief related to abandonment by caregiver
 * Somatic symptoms (such as stomach aches, headaches)
 * Startle response to loud noises
 * Freezing (sudden immobility)
 * Fussiness, uncharacteristic crying, neediness
 * Avoidance of or alarm response to specific trauma-related reminders involving sights/physical sensations
 * Feelings of responsibility and guilt
 * Repetitious traumatic play
 * Feeling disturbed by reminders of the event
 * Nightmares, other sleep disturbances
 * Concerns about safety, preoccupation with danger
 * Aggressive behavior, angry outbursts
 * Fear of feelings, trauma reactions
 * Close attention to parents’ anxieties
 * School avoidance
 * Worry/concern for others
 * Behavior, mood, personality changes
 * Somatic symptoms (complaints about bodily aches/pains)
 * Obvious anxiety/fearfulness
 * Withdrawal
 * Specific trauma-related fears, general fearfulness
 * Regression (behaving like a younger child)
 * Separation anxiety
 * Loss of interest in activities
 * Confusion, inadequate understanding of traumatic events (more evident in play than in discussion)
 * Unclear understanding of death, causes of "bad" events
 * Giving magical explanations to fill in gaps in understanding
 * Loss of ability to concentrate at school, with lower performance
 * Spacey or distractible behavior
 * Self-consciousness
 * Life-threatening re-enactment
 * Rebellion at home or school
 * Abrupt shift in relationships
 * Depression, social withdrawal
 * Decline in school performance
 * Trauma-driven acting out, such as sexual activity or other reckless risk-taking
 * Effort to distance self from feelings of shame, guilt, humiliation
 * Excessive activity/involvement with others, or retreat from others in order to manage inner turmoil
 * Accident proneness
 * Wish for revenge, action-oriented responses to trauma
 * Increased self-focusing, withdrawal
 * Sleep/eating disturbances, including nightmares