PsycHe Finer PoinTs

After experiencing a psychologically traumatic event, the individual is prone to reexperience the event and have recurrent and intrusive dreams or flashbacks.
Stressor:
1. Natural disaster
2. Terrorist attack
3. Accidents
4. Combat experiences
5. Victim rape
6. Victim of crime or violence
7. Victim of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse
8. Reexperiencing the events as flashbacks
Assessment:
1. Emotional numbness
2. Detachment
3. Depression
4. Anxiety
5. Sleep disturbances and nightmares
6. Flashbacks of the event
7. Hyper vigilance
8. Guilt about surviving the event
9. Poor concentration and avoidance of activities that trigger the memory of the event
Interventions:
1. Be non judgemental and supportive.
2. Assure the client that his or her feelings and behaviours are normal reactions.
3. Assist the client to recognize the association between his or her feelings and behaviours and the trauma.
4. Therapy Encourage the client to express his or her feelings; provide individual that addresses loss of control or anger issues.
5. Assist the client to develop adaptive coping mechanisms and to use relaxation techniques.
6. Encourage the use of support groups
7. Facilitate a progressive review of the trauma experience.
8. Encourage the client to establish and re-establish relationships.
9. Inform the client that hypnotherapy or systematic desensitization may be used as a form of treatment.

Source: Saunders Comprehensive Review’ Linda Anne Silvestri, MSN, RN