Demystifying PTSD: A Guide Book for PTSD Victims and Their Loved Ones
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About this ebook
One of the biggest sources of anguish for people with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is that victims of the disorder are baffled as to why they haven’t been able to “be strong”, get over their trauma, and move on with their lives. They beat themselves up constantly and become more depressed and anxious as a result. Even worse, they feel misunderstood and abandoned by their loved ones, the people they count on for support.
Over the author’s many years of observing and treating people with PTSD, Dr. Jones has developed a simple, intuitive Information Processing Model to help PTSD victims and their families understand why trauma victims can’t just “get over it.” The model has been embraced by both PTSD victims and loved ones alike, because it reflects exactly what they’ve been experiencing day after day.
Demystifying PTSD presents this simple model in everyday language, using everyday analogies, instead of using complicated scientific terms. The model gives PTSD victims and their loved ones hope because, for the first time, they feel like somebody finally understands what they are going through.
Demystifying PTSD also tackles the tricky issues of where to find treatment for PTSD, and which forms of psychological treatment are most suitable for different degrees of PTSD severity. The book is a “must have” for anybody who is either suffering from PTSD, or who suspects that their friend or loved one may have this devastating and mystifying disorder.
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Demystifying PTSD - David A. Jones
Demystifying PTSD
A Guide Book for PTSD Victims and Their Loved Ones
By
Dr. David A. Jones
Apparently Normal Publishing
Copyright © 2016 Dr. David A. Jones and Apparently Normal Publishing
Distributed by Smashwords
This eBook is licensed for your personal use only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you’re reading this eBook and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.
The author and publisher do not have any control over and do not assume any responsibility for third party websites or their content.
Cover art and photography:
Used under license from iStockphoto.com or Shutterstock.com.
Cover designed by Dr. David A. Jones.
Ebook formatting by www.ebooklaunch.com
Published by:
Apparently Normal Publishing
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
ISBN: 978-0-9948796-8-4
Version 2016/06/29
This book is available in paperback at most online retailers.
Acknowledgments
Demystifying PTSD is the result of a journey that started for me while I was in Graduate School at the University of Western Ontario. I'd like to express my thanks to my graduate supervisor, Gary Rollman, for all of his wisdom and patience, and for encouraging me to think outside the prevailing Cognitive Behavioural box. I am also grateful for the guidance I received from two very gifted psychologists and teachers, Jack Sweetland and Elizabeth Werth, who opened my eyes to the richness of Object Relations Theory and psychodynamic concepts. Most of all, I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Roger Solomon and Kathy Martin, who enriched my EMDR skills by opening up the world of Structural Dissociation Theory in their Art of EMDR workshops.
Waterloo, Ontario
June, 2016
Other Books by Dr. David A. Jones
Fiction
(Writing as Alex Jones)
WALLS: The Identity Trilogy, Book One
FACES: The Identity Trilogy, Book Two
ANGELA'S EYES: The Identity Trilogy, Prequel
Find out more about the Alex Jones Identity Trilogy at:
http://alex-jones-author.com/index.html
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Other Books by Dr. David A. Jones
Introduction
Chapter One - The Need for Education
Chapter Two - Your Brain Before PTSD
Chapter Three - Diagnosing PTSD
Chapter Four - What is Dissociation?
Chapter Five - Treatment of PTSD
Appendix
References
EMDR Resources
PTSD Treatment Resources
Table 1 - Information Processing
Figure 1 - Dissociation as an Iceberg
Figure 2 - Healthy Dissociation
Figure3 - Dissociation Severity
Introduction
In the first five years after I graduated with my Ph.D. from the University of Western Ontario (now known as Western University) and started practicing psychology, I became aware of three very important trends in my practice. First, I realized that a large number of clients who came to me with previous diagnoses of severe anxiety and depression, were actually suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Second, the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) skills that I learned in graduate school were not working nearly as well as I would have liked for these clients. Third, the way these PTSD victims presented in real life was very different than the picture of PTSD that was painted by DSM-IV, the prevailing diagnostic standard in North America at that time.
One of the most common things I noticed in PTSD victims was how upset these people were with themselves for not being able to just get over it
. Most of them had been functioning well in their jobs and their relationships before they experienced the trauma that triggered their PTSD. But suddenly, everything had fallen apart for them. They were baffled as to why they were completely unable to cope with stress anymore, and why they couldn't put their trauma behind them. I noticed that most of these victims beat themselves up badly because they felt weak and defective, when they had previously felt strong and confident. As a result, these people became even more anxious and depressed over their inability to solve the mystery of what had happened to them.
Even worse, the relationships of most of these PTSD victims with their family and friends had deteriorated badly. I noticed that victims had little tolerance for any kind of sensory or emotional stimulation. They became incredibly irritable