Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a psychiatric disorder that can occur following the experience or
witnessing of life-threatening events such as military combat, natural
disasters, terrorist incidents, serious accidents, abuse (sexual, physical,
emotional, ritual), and violent personal assaults like rape. People who suffer
from PTSD often relive the experience through nightmares and flashbacks, have
difficulty sleeping, and feel detached or estranged, and these symptoms can be
severe enough and last long enough to significantly impair the personís daily
life.
PTSD is marked by clear biological
changes as well as psychological symptoms. PTSD is complicated by the fact that
it frequently occurs in conjunction with related disorders such as depression,
substance abuse, problems of memory and cognition, and other problems of
physical and mental health. The disorder is also associated with impairment of
the personís ability to function in social or family life, including
occupational instability, marital problems and divorces, family discord, and
difficulties in parenting.
Elements common to many treatment
modalities for PTSD include education, exposure, exploration of feelings and
beliefs, and coping skills training. Additionally, the most common treatment
modalities include cognitive-behavioral treatment, pharmacotherapy, EMDR, group
treatment, and psychodynamic treatment.
3.How do I locate specialists or support groups for PTSD?
You can contact any of the following
organizations. They all have referral capabilities: the Sidran Foundation
410-825-8888, Anxiety Disorders Association of America 240-485-1001; American
Psychological Association 800-964-2000; NAMI 800-950-6264
Also, your local Mental Health
Services office (found in the Yellow Pages of your telephone book) should be
able to assist you.
5. As an American Veteran, how do I file a claim for disability due to PTSD?
A determination of "service-connected" disability for PTSD is made by the Compensation
and Pension Service -- an arm of VA's Veterans Benefits Administration. The
clinicians who provide care for veterans in VA's specialized PTSD clinics and
Vet Centers do not make this decision. A formal request ("claim")
must be filed by the veteran using forms provided by the VA's Veterans Benefits
Administration. After the forms are completely submitted, the veteran must
complete interviews concerning her or his "social history" (a review
of family, work, and educational experiences before, during, and after military
service) and "psychiatric status" (a review of past and current
psychological symptoms, and of traumatic experiences during military service).
The forms and information about the application process can be obtained by
Benefits Officers at any VA Medical Center, Outpatient Clinic, or Regional
Office.
The process of applying for a VA
disability for PTSD can take several months, and can be both complicated and
quite stressful. The Veteran's Service Organizations provide "Service
Officers" at no cost to help veterans and family members pursue VA
disability claims. Service Officers are familiar with every step in the
application and interview process, and can provide both technical guidance and
moral support. In addition, some Service Officers particularly specialize in
assisting veterans with PTSD disability claims. Even if a veteran has not been
a member of a specific Veterans Service Organization, the veteran still can
request the assistance of a Service Officer working for that organization. In
order to get representation by a qualified and helpful Service Officer, you can
directly contact the local office of any Veterans Service Organization -- or
ask for recommendations from other veterans who have applied for VA disability,
or from a PTSD specialist at a VA PTSD clinic or a Vet Center.
6. Do you have brochures/handouts/videos available?
Anything on our website is in the
Public Domain and is free for you to use, reproduce, and distribute as needed.
Especially useful are Facts about
PTSD where general facts, facts
about treatment, information for veterans, and specific topics related to
trauma are located.
Brochures are and videos are
currently under development, and will be posted on the website as soon as they
are made available for distribution.
7. Does the National Center for PTSD publish any journals? How do I subscribe?
Yes, the National Center publishes two journals.
The PTSD Research Quarterly contains review articles on specific topics
related to PTSD, written by guest experts. Each article contains a selective
bibliography with abstracts and a supplementary list of annotated citations.
The Research Quarterly is sent free of charge to qualified readers, and is
available to others by subscription from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S.
Government Printing Office. It is received by many government documents
depository libraries. Or you may obtain a copy of any issue from this Web site.
Each issue of the PTSD Research Quarterly is available in Portable Document
Format (PDF), which reproduces the exact format of the paper edition. You may
read the issue on your computer monitor, or print it on your PostScript
printer. In order to read or print PDF documents, you will need the Adobe
Acrobat Reader. The appropriate version for your computer may be obtained free
of charge from the Adobe Web site.
The NCPTSD Clinical Quarterly is published by the Clinical Laboratory and
Education Division of the National Center for PTSD. It is addressed to the
needs of practicing PTSD clinicians and program administrators, providing them
with an overview of the major clinical, theoretical, and programmatic
developments in the field.
To be placed on the mailing list for
either subscription, please contact Michele Scelza at Michele.A.Scelza@Dartmouth.edu or tel. 802-296-5132 ext. 5132.
8.How do I locate books on PTSD?
You can contact your local library
for books, articles, etc. on PTSD and related subjects. Information on the
National Center for PTSD's resource
center is available, including
books recommended
for clinicians, librarians, and a search engine for locating specific
books.
9. I am a professional who would like to know what training is available from the
National Center for PTSD.
Clinical Training Program
The Clinical Laboratory and
Education offers an on-site clinical training program in the treatment of Post
Traumatic Stress. The training program is 35 hours long, and is approved for
category 1 continuing medical education credit.
10. As
a professional, I need to locate a specific assessment instrument for PTSD. How
do I do that?
Assessment instruments created by National Center for PTSD staff, such as: CAPS, CAPS-CA, and TESI-C, can be requested online through the
National Center for PTSD website. For more information, see Assessment.
The information on this Web site is presented for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for informed medical advice or training. Do not use this information to diagnose or treat a mental health problem without consulting a qualified health or mental health care provider.
All information contained on these pages is in the public domain unless explicit notice is given to the contrary, and may be copied and distributed without restriction.
For more information call the PTSD Information Line at (802) 296-6300 or send email to ncptsd@ncptsd.va.gov. This page was last updated on Thu Jul 20 17:01:08 2006.
