Approximately 60–80 percent of individuals who survive a traumatic experience will develop post-traumatic stress disorder, impacting an estimated 15 million people in the United States. How does PTSD manifest itself? More critically, how can its effects be mitigated or overcome? Three distinguished experts share cutting-edge insights on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), showing why it occurs, how it affects the development and existence of those it impacts, and how it can be treated. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a comprehensive and thoughtful examination of the nature, causes, and treatment of PTSD. Drawing on the vast experience of its team of authors, the book details the insidious nature and history of PTSD, from the internal and external factors that cause this form of suffering to the ways it manifests itself psychologically and socially. The most cutting-edge research on treatment, intervention, and prevention is thoroughly discussed, as are the spiritual and psychological strengths that can emerge when one progresses beyond the label of "disorder." The book begins with a historical review of the topic. Subsequent chapters offer in-depth exploration of the significant foundations, function, impacts, and treatments associated with PTSD. Each chapter addresses practical issues, incorporating case studies that bring the information to life and ensure an appreciation of the myriad social, psychological, and biological experiences surrounding PTSD. This book answers complex questions like "How does PTSD manifest itself?" and more critically: "How can its effects be mitigated or overcome?" Finally, it discusses how PTSD survivors can move beyond post-traumatic stress to post-traumatic strengths. Features: • A chronology of the history and origination of PTSD related to war and combat exposure • Case studies and examples that provide a view of PTSD from the inside out, rather than the outside in Highlights: • Devotes particular attention to timely issues, such as PTSD caused by bullying, combat, and sexual abuse • Emphasizes post-traumatic strengths and ways survivors of PTSD can turn stress to their benefit • Examines a panorama of treatments for PTSD, ranging from existential psychotherapy to the drug MDMA, and evaluates outcomes • Provides a model for PTSD that explains why some people are traumatized by a given type of event and others are not Reviews and Endorsements: "What could be more timely and more potentially useful for the consumer of books on mental health topics than a brief and well-written volume that describes the essential characteristics, causes, and crucial psychological processes of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? . . . I would recommend this book to anyone who wants an easy-to-read, comprehensive source that summarizes the current clinical and empirical literature on PTSD."—PsycCRITIQUES "What sets this book apart are the numerous case examples that facilitate personal connection with concepts. . . . A first-rate overview of current treatments . . . this book is wonderfully distinctive in that it discusses the positive side of PTSD, i.e., 'post-traumatic strengths.' Highly recommended."—Choice About the Editors: Stanley Krippner, PhD, is the Alan Watts Professor of Psychology at Saybrook University in San Francisco, CA. He is the recipient of the American Psychological Association's Award for Distinguished Contributions to the International Advancement of Psychology, the International Association for the Study of Dreams' Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Ashley Montague Peace Award. Dr. Krippner's two dozen books include Praeger's Haunted by Combat: Understanding PTSD in War Veterans and The Psychological Impact of War on Civilians: An International Perspective. Daniel B. Pitchford, PhD, is faculty for Saybrook University's College of Humanistic and Transpersonal Psychology and the College of Mind-Body Medicine in San Francisco, CA. He supervises and teaches within the traumatic stress specialization track for the doctorate in psychology program as well as for the university's College of Mind-Body Medicine and the College of Humanistic and Transpersonal Psychology. Dr. Pitchford also maintains a private practice providing individual counseling and consultation services on trauma, and provides clinical supervision and management to Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare's enhanced care and outreach service programs for individuals struggling with severe mental and medical difficulties in the Springfield and Eugene areas of Oregon. He has written and lectured on the fundamentals of suicide, PTSD, and traumatic stress, and received the Rollo May Scholarship Award for his humanistic work with traumatic stress. Jeannine Davies, PhD, is a researcher and psychotherapist in private practice based in Vancouver, B.C. She has taught and written on consciousness, human rights, and personal and social transformation. Dr. Davies is the founder of Relational Dharma, an intersubjective and integral model of consciousness, which is being applied as a means toward resolving individual and collective experiences of traumatic stress. |