This is an article that I read in an old edition of The scientific American:
Soldier´s stress: What doctors get wrong about PTSD Apparently there is a possible over-diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder. One of the problems with the diagnosis is that a condition of it is an experience of a traumatic event. However, patients with some disorders that have not experienced a traumatic event (such as some anxiety and mood disorders) show almost similar physiological activity. Another problem is that those who are functioning well after their "traumatic" experience, can be diagnosed with the disorder, just because they are dreaming about the event. It is however believed that the dreaming of the event is a natural and healthy way for the brain to integrate the trauma into the normal experience. A third problem with the disorder is that the flashbacks and memories of the trauma might not be accurate memories at all. This is in line with the view on memory to be reconstructive by nature (for example Loftus and Palmer). In fact, most research show that humans are very resilient and can generally cope well with traumatic experiences. Recent research has suggested the same about soldiers returning from the great wars. Only a small fraction of the returning solders had PTSD symptoms, and this could have been because they were more sensitive by their nature or because they have had extreme experiences.
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AuthorThis is my class blog for IB Psychology. Here I will publish reflections on psychology, reviews of psychology books, recommended links, lecture notes, and information on psychology topics that are not covered by the syllabus. You are free to add comments or ask me questions. Archives
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