PTSD Workshop

Presented by: Dawn-Elise Snipes Ph.D., LMHC, CRC, NCC

WHO
 People's Basic Needs

Biological (Food, water, warmth)

Safety

Love and belonging

Esteem
 Types of Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder

Combat

Rape Trauma
− Victim
− Parent of Victim

Gradual Onset
− Definition
− Law Enforcement, Nurses, Psychologists, Fire/EMS

Domestic Violence

Other Trauma. . .(Discussion)
 Diagnosis/Definition

Exposure

Actual or threatened death or serious injury or witnessing such

Response involves intense fear, helplessness, or horror

Persistent reexperiencing of the traumatic event

Avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma

Numbing of general responsiveness

Hypervigilence

Irritability

Clinically significant distress for more than 1 month
 Complications/Impact of PTSD

Emotional

Mental

Physical

Social

Spiritual

Environmental

Occupational/Financial
WHAT/WHY
 Discussion

Above all people with PTSD are PEOPLE who

continue to experience a loss of basic needs
 Anger and Fear

Fear as Anger/Fight or Flight

Six basic fears
− Death
− Isolation
− Rejection
− Loss of Control
− Failure
− The Unknown
 Initiation

Discriminitive Stimuli
− Triggers
− Person/Place Significance

Why here, Why now, Why not?
− Reward vs. Punishment
− Ambivalence
WHEN
 Activity

When would someone with PTSD be motivated to
take hostages?

When would someone with PTSD be motivated to
commit suicide?
INTERVENTIONS
 Rapport

Rapport=Trust
− Why would this person NOT trust you?

Crime victims and trust

The addicted family and trust

Domestic violence and trust
 Rapport: Communication

Characteristics of effective communication

Top communication blockers
 Transference


Definition

Options
− Building a positive bridge
− Rewriting the story
 Counter-Transference

I'm rubber and you're glue
 PTSD Triage

Similarity

Proximity

6-month stressors

History of mental health issues

Social support
 Don't Fix It

Characteristics of the Hostage Taker/Suicidal Person
− Hopeless
− Helpless
− Feel unheard/ignored

New Roles
− Scientist/Anthropologist
− Parent (A good one)
− Minister
 Brief Interventions

Miracle Question
 Linking

Information and Referral

Receiving facilities

Victim advocates

Department of Children and Families

VA Hospital

Detoxification

Crisis Teams

Domestic violence shelters
Summary