Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Following a Single Event

Following is an example of how post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop after a single traumatic incident. Tony had a somewhat stable childhood. Though his parents divorced when he was 8, he, his mother and siblings stayed in the same house and he regularly saw his father, who remained in the same town. He had some difficulty with learning in school, and as a result often felt discouraged. His grades reflected this. However, he found success and acceptance in athletics, and always had a lot of friends. Tony joined the Army when he was 18, looking to see some different parts of the world, serve his country, and perhaps one day go to college. For the most part, he enjoyed being in the Army — he found camaraderie with his “brothers,” stable pay, and he enjoyed training in communications. While deployed in Afghanistan, he was riding in a convoy when his vehicle drove over an improvised explosive device. The others riding with him were killed and he was grievously wounded. He recuperated in Bethesda, mostly recovered but for the loss of one eye. Tony is on partial disability and misses his former career, friends and the future he’d imagined. It has been two years, and he is working as a tattoo artist and finds his trauma symptoms are interfering with his life. He and his girlfriend have been fighting a lot, and recently, during an argument, he threw a glass at her. It missed, but it scared him that he could lose control like that. While some of Tony’...
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Anger Disabilities Disorders General Men's Issues Psychotherapy PTSD Treatment Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Posttraumatic Stress Disorder single event Traumatic Event Source Type: news