Assessing and Treating Trauma and PTSD

The hippocampus gives events a beginning, middle and end.

Bremner (2002) explains that the hippocampus puts memories into a timeline, weighs them and puts them into perspective.

It is also involved in short-term memory, held temporarily, and moved to longterm or forgotten

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Criteria apply to adults, adolescents, and children older than six years.

Horowitz (1999) reminds us that “​​​​​​​talking”​​​​​​​ can be helpful right after a disaster, because it promotes understanding and reduces irrational fantasies about why the tragedy occurred. However, each person has a coping style and they don’​​​​​​​t all process in the same manner. Horowitz (1999) explains: “​​​​​​​Some people seek out every bit of information; others need time for ‘​​​​​​​dosing’​​​​​​​ to take in one tolerable bit of meaning at a time, and still others need to take some time off for recovery.

Adjustment disorders: Emotional and behavioral symptoms that occur within 3 months of the onset of a stressor.

The frontal cortex is occupied with planning, evaluating, organizing, and executing; the frontal lobe is also involved in mood regulation and emotion.

Bremner (2002) explains that elevated levels of cortisol can damage the hippocampus, the structure in the limbic cortex of the temporal lobe, which is involved in learning and memory.

Bremner (2002) explains that the hippocampus puts memories into a timeline, weighs them and puts them into perspective.

Damage to the hippocampus by high levels of cortisol disrupts its ability to form new memories. In fact, too much cortisol can cause atrophy or cell death in the hippocampus.