Treating Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Formulation for Andrew

Based on the case study, Andrew meets the diagnostic of posttraumatic stress disorder. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychological disorder that can affect persons who have been through or watched a traumatic incident, such as a plane accident (Spiegler 242). From the case study, Andrew was involved in a plane accident. With his age and the description of what he feels, I think he meets the diagnostic of posttraumatic stress disorder. Andrew displays the following characteristic that makes me ascertain that he meets the diagnostic of posttraumatic stress disorder;

1. An actual or dangerous incident as a result of the following: Directly witnessing a tragic plane crash and seeing the plane crash directly as it happened to others. Three passengers were transported to the hospital with head wounds, a flight attendant broke her leg, and many more were bruised. Andrew’s wrist was shattered, and his ankle was twisted, even though he was otherwise unscathed.
2. Starting just after a traumatic incident, the presence of the following intrusive symptoms linked to the traumatic experience: Recurrently upsetting dreams in which the dream’s material and affect are linked to the tragic event. Andrew’s sleep is frequently disrupted by nightmares about the plane accident, and he frequently wakes up sweating and unable to go back asleep(Spiegler 227).
3. Immediately after the traumatic incident, continuous avoidance of stimuli linked with the tragic experience, as demonstrated by the following: Environmental stimuli that provoke uncomfortable recollections or emotions about the traumatic incident are avoided or attempted to be avoided. He has been unable to ride inside any vehicle that he does not operate since the incident. He avoids flights and railway stations, and he has recently failed to properly watch films that feature vehicles other than automobiles(Spiegler 227).

Theoretical understanding of why Andrew is struggling

According to my understanding, after such an accident, most people will get posttraumatic stress disorder, especially the elderly or people who have a history like Andrew. Andrew informed me that he had a father who was agoraphobic. The most efficient therapeutic approaches for agoraphobia are cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure treatment. For Andrews’s case, I would prefer using cognitive behavioral therapy. Andrew meets the diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder based on the case study. Andrew was in a plane crash, according to the case study. I believe he matches the diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder based on his age and description of his feelings. When coping with the consequences of a plane crash, the attention is often on the physical consequences, and the psychological impact of the crash is frequently disregarded. Posttraumatic stress disorder is a psychological condition that affects people who have experienced or seen a traumatic event, such as an aircraft crash. However, as most persons who’ve been in a plane crash will confirm, the psychological consequences can be just as devastating. After an accident, it’s very uncommon to have sensations of worry and anxiety, and these sentiments aren’t limited to when traveling in a plane. Some individuals may easily overcome their stress and worry, but for others, these feelings can become an embedded condition that interferes with the ability to live a regular life. That’s where cognitive behavioral therapy comes in handy. It’s very acceptable to have scary feelings after an accident, but those emotions can become established and prevent you from living the life you had before the accident. After such an accident, cognitive behavioral therapy can help you shift those useless and unhealthy ideas, so they don’t have such a detrimental emotional impact on you (Spiegler 317).

The kind of therapy to use in treating Andrew

To treat Andrew, I will use cognitive behavioral therapy. Obviously, anxiety is normal after being engaged in a plane accident; after all, it is the very unpredictable and disturbing character of an accident that causes worry; the sense that terrible, life-changing events can happen at any time and without notice. Worry is typically characterized by a feeling of being out of control, and the sudden and unexpected intrusion of a road traffic accident might elicit such feelings or exacerbate them if you are already prone to anxiety. However, worry following an accident can be an indication of something more serious, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Cognitive behavioral therapy can assist Andrew in recovering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder by assisting him in coping with the uncomfortable emotions and memories that can come as a surprise. It won’t be able to take those memories away from you, but it will be able to keep them from causing you emotional distress in the future.

Firstly, I’ll educate Andrew and help him understand what trauma is and how it affects people, including the behavioral and emotional responses it causes. This will also entail assisting him with behavior modification techniques. Andrew will learn effective and healthy stress-reduction and management techniques from me. Breathing exercises, guided imagery, and progressive muscular relaxation are examples of relaxation treatments (Spiegler 233).

Secondly, following a traumatic event, extreme emotions such as wrath, fear, and sadness are common. I’ll deal with this by aiding Andrew in recognizing and expressing his overwhelming feelings. I’ll also assist him in developing good coping mechanisms for anxiety and other negative emotions on his own. Andrew may find traumatic events perplexing, struggling to absorb them healthily. I’ll assist him in recognizing and correcting incorrect beliefs about the relationship between behavior, thoughts, and feelings.

Finally, by employing exposure activities, I will assist Andrew in developing their narrative. Exposure, rather than avoiding everything associated with the trauma, is one of the most effective strategies to overcome fear and anxiety. This method aids in reducing their unpleasant feelings to those reminders. It will assist him in determining how to control their emotional responses to unexpected or future reminders. Finally, People who have been through trauma, like Andrew, must learn how to create personal safety skills and how to form healthy relationships. In our sessions with Andrew, we’ll talk about how to avoid further trauma and stay safe, as well as how to keep recovering and improving (Spiegler).

The period the treatment will take for Andrew

Andrew was in a plane accident, according to the case study. I believe he matches the diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder based on his age and description of his feelings, which will take a month of cognitive behavioral therapy treatment to recover from. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is very effective psychotherapy that focuses on how our thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes affect our feelings and behavior. Conventional cognitive behavioral therapy practice normally lasts 12 to 20 weeks and consists of weekly 30–60-minute appointments. Intensive cognitive behavioral therapy is a newer alternative that uses substantially longer sessions compressed into a monthly, weekly, or even a single eight-hour session. Andrew will acquire techniques to reframe thinking processes, including black-and-white reasoning, emotional thinking, and other potentially detrimental thought patterns that fuel mental health issues and impact relationships, employment, and daily life, through cognitive behavioral therapy. Unconstructive or distorted thinking, as well as undesirable behaviours and reactions, are modified using cognitive-behavioral approaches. The coping methods taught in cognitive behavioral therapy treatments will help Andrew deal with a range of challenges stemming from the plane crash throughout his life once he has learned them. People with multiple jobs, like Andrew, who find it difficult to schedule regular visits throughout the week, may be able to commit to a weekend of intensive treatment. Andrew’s treatment will take around a month, in my opinion.

Works Cited

Spiegler, Michael D. Contemporary Behavior Therapy. Cengage Learning, 2016.