Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................................1
Summary........................................................................................................................................1
Application.....................................................................................................................................3
Critical Thinking Questions...........................................................................................................4
Bibliography...................................................................................................................................6
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Introduction
In an effort to better understand what Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is and isn’t, I have
chosen to focus on the first five chapters of Wiley Concise Guides to Mental Health:
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
Summary
In Chapter one, the author provides theoretical and empirical evidence to give the reader
a more concise and clearer picture of the historical roots and findings from studies regarding
PTSD. While emphasizing the impact that memories can create for those who have experienced
trauma and conceptualizing through personal and philosophical perspectives, this chapter allows
us to understand that it is often the avoidance of these memories that prevents healing and can
lead to PTSD. Chapter 1 concluded with a working definition of PTSD:
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is a maladaptive reaction to a traumatic event in which a
person experienced, witnessed, or was confronted with an event that involved actual or
threatened death or serious injury or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others and
experienced intense fear, helplessness, or horror. Afterward the person developed
symptoms of reexperiencing the traumatic event in various forms, avoidance of stimuli
that are associated with the event, emotional numbing, and hyperarousal to a degree that
is disruptive to his or her functioning.1
Chapter 2 focuses on theories of stress and coping. The chapter defined stressors and then
provided examples of environmental, social, sociocultural, and developmental stressors that
people commonly face. Extreme stressors were also listed. In this chapter, stress is defined as
1 Adam Cash,>Wiley Concise Guides to Mental Health: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder>(Hoboken, N.J.: John
Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2006), 15.
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“the physiological and psychological response and experience to a stimulus that strains one’s
ability to maintain his or her equilibrium, ability to adapt, or ability to adjust.”2
The authors also state that “successful coping is a consequence of the interaction between what
resources an individual processes prior to a stressor or stressful event, the event itself, and the
appraisal of such event in attempting to predict a positive or healthy outcome.”3
Chapter 3 analyzes the biopsychosocial effects of traumatic stress. The content found in
this chapter looks at the negative effects of traumatic stress and lists a variety of reactions that
can be caused by experiencing such stress such as physical health problems, depression, suicidal
thoughts, Acute Stress Disorder, etc. This chapter also exposes us to the 6 common patterns and
phases of PTSD.
Chapter 4 provides statistics of those who suffer traumatic events that develop PTSD as
well as the most common types of stressors related to PTSD. It provides the reader with the
knowledge to classify the features of stressors as traumatic, classify the risk factors into the three
categories, and discusses exposure risk. Chapter 4 also reminds the reader that one event can
cause a variety of reactions from people based on their perception of the event, their coping
mechanisms, and personality characteristics. Risk factors are discussed heavily in this chapter
providing the reader with a variety of things to consider when working with someone who has
PTSD.>
2 Cash, Wiley Concise Guides to Mental Health, 20.
3 Ibid., 32.
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Chapter 5 analyzes several different theories and models regarding cognitive and
behavioral effects of PTSD. Through each of these models and theories, we are able to see the
importance of processing through events and emotions so that the stimuli aren't heightened to a
level that can result in PTSD. The various models and theories each provide a depiction of what
can lead to PTSD after exposure to a traumatic event. This allows the reader to visualize
instances and processes that may have led to the inability to healthily cope with/through actual
events or the memories that follow the event.>
Application
In reading the first five chapters of this book, I have a more concrete understanding of
what PTSD is and how it comes to be. Looking forward, I plan to use this information to more
accurately explore how to mitigate risk factors for myself, my family, and my soldiers. Each
chapter pointed out in one way or another that healthy coping mechanisms play a huge role in
processing through traumatic events which really showed me that being proactive, before
something traumatic happens, allows you to be better prepared mentally, physically, and
emotionally.>
The information learned in this reading can definitely help me in my career when I
become a military chaplain. It not only reminded me of the day-to-day stressors that many of the
soldiers might experience but also pointed out the extreme factors that many of those in the
military often face. By reading about the effects these stressors can have on people, I feel as
though I am better equipped to recognize signs and symptoms of those who may have PTSD. I
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believe this will allow a better understanding on how to help others process through the
underlying cause of their actions, behaviors, and coping mechanisms
I also plan to study the models and theories described in this book more in depth so that I
can better understand how to help people process through their experience and identify where the
disconnect is happening between healthy processing and the continued impacts of PTSD. By
having a clearer “roadmap” to which steps must happen for someone to process through events,
cope with said events, and be able to face the memories without the negative ramifications, I
believe I am more likely to be an effective chaplain when soldiers confide in me with what is
bothering them. Instead of simply listening to understand, this also helps me listen to gather
relevant information to help them towards healing.
Critical Thinking Questions
Question 1: The Dual Representation Theory states that there are two levels of memory: VAMs
and SAMs. If SAMs are only activated by cues and are usually shown in flashbacks, dreams, or
situational arousal is the person recalling these memories more likely to share the events with
accurate descriptions of what happened or lean towards an emotional or skewed perspective that
shares that underlying fear towards that traumatic event? In other words, will the person listening
to their story be able to better understand the whole event or just what the perceived trauma is
from the perspective of the one recalling the information?
Question 2: When analyzing the exposure risk of PTSD for firefighters, paramedics, law
enforcement, etc.> We see an alarming percentage of those who present symptoms of PTSD.
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What proactive efforts are taken to help those who are constantly exposed to these direct and
indirect exposures to trauma? And is their training to disconnect work from home a contributing
factor in avoidance instead of processing?
Question 3: The personality trait of sensation seeking has been implicated in increased exposure
risk. “Zuckerman et al. (1979) define sensation seeking as the need for varied, novel, and
complex sensations and experiences.”4 What factors contribute to this exposure risk; dangerous
events, feeling let down in the experience itself, or living in the mundane without being able to
fulfill the sensation?
Question 4: “High self-efficacy and perceived control lend themselves to lower levels of
perceived challenge and threat or loss. Individuals that score low on self-efficacy measures tend
to become more distressed in stressful situations (Jerusalem & Schwarzer, 1992).”5 If an
individual has low self-efficacy what measures can be taken to increase this in order to help
reduce the stress felt in situations that are challenging or stressful? Can these measures be
incorporated successfully before, during, after one experiences trauma? Or must the work be
done on the front-end to help combat the distress?
Question 5: Would reevaluating the cognitive appraisal process after a stressful or traumatic
event and listing resources that could have been used be beneficial or hinder the process of
coping with the aftermath of the events?
4 Cash, Wiley Concise Guides to Mental Health, 60
5 Ibid., 29.
