1. Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders A Closer Look at Psychological Disorders

2. Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders This is a new category in the DSM-5. In all of these disorders, exposure to a traumatic or stressful event is the root cause. Some of these include:  Reactive attachment disorder  Disinhibited social engagement disorder  Posttraumatic stress disorder  Acute stress disorder  Adjustment disorder

3. Reactive Attachment Disorder This is what can come of severe cases of insecure attachment. The cause is purely environmental. The child has experienced a pattern of insufficient care, such as social neglect or deprivation (persistent lack of comfort, stimulation, and affection), or repeated changes in primary caregivers (like repeated changes in foster care). Some of the symptoms include:  The child rarely or minimally seeks or responds to comfort when distressed  Limited positive affect (observable emotional expression)  Episodes of unexplained irritability, sadness, or fearfulness even during nonthreatening interactions with caregivers

4. Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder This is another disorder that is purely environmental. It always comes as a result of serious social neglect (occurring before age 2) in the same form as the previous disorder. Some symptoms include:  Unusual lack of reserve/reticence when interacting with unfamiliar adults  Overly familiar verbal or physical behavior  Diminished or absent checking back with adult caregiver after venturing away, even in unfamiliar settings  Willingness to go off with an unfamiliar adult with minimal or no hesitation

5. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder A condition in which a person who has experienced a traumatic event feels severe and long- lasting after-effects. Intense stress is the trigger, and symptoms include nightmares, persistent fear, difficulty relating normally to others, and troubling memories or flashbacks of the traumatic event. PTSD can be extremely long-lasting, lasting decades after the event. People who are exposed repeatedly or over a long period of time to distressing conditions are more likely to develop the disorder Example: military combat veterans, rape and assault victims, abused children, survivors of natural disasters, etc.

6. Resilience to PTSD Only about 10% of women and 20% of men react to traumatic situations and develop PTSD. Holocaust survivors show remarkable resilience against traumatic situations. All major religions of the world suggest that surviving a trauma leads to the growth of an individual.

7. Examples of PTSD Sylvester Stallone, Rambo  http://www.youtube.c om/watch?v=rjptQSfu Ty8 http://www.youtube.c om/watch?v=rjptQSfu Ty8 Clint Eastwood, In the Line of Fire  http://www.youtube.c om/watch?v=aWeme pbqFPI http://www.youtube.c om/watch?v=aWeme pbqFPI Read about how Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye exhibits symptoms of PTSD here: http://www.cracked.com/articl e_19336_6-beloved- characters-that-had- undiagnosed-mental- illnesses_p2.html http://www.cracked.com/articl e_19336_6-beloved- characters-that-had- undiagnosed-mental- illnesses_p2.html

8. Acute Stress Disorder This is very similar to PTSD in terms of its etiology and symptomology. However, the key difference is that the symptoms must occur within one month of the traumatic event and also resolve in that one month period. If the symptoms persist for more than one month and meet criteria for PTSD, the diagnosis will be changed from acute stress disorder to PTSD.

9. Adjustment Disorder An adjustment disorder occurs when an identifiable stressor (such as a break-up, marital problems, work crisis, painful illness, natural disaster, retirement, etc.) causes emotional or behavioral symptoms out of proportion to the severity or intensity of the stressor. It must occur within 3 months of the stressor and last no longer than 6 months. Adjustment disorders are common, and is associated with an increased risk of suicide.

10. Your Turn: Can you think of examples of people/characters from literature, TV, or movies who suffered from the following disorders?  Reactive attachment disorder  Disinhibited social engagement disorder  Posttraumatic stress disorder  Acute stress disorder  Adjustment disorder