PTSD and Coping with Trauma Sourcebook, 2nd Ed

According to statistics from the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (NCPTSD), about 6 people out of every 100 experience posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at some point in their lives. PTSD is a fear that is developed after any traumatic event, such as rape, military combat, childhood neglect or abuse, an accident, natural disaster, personal tragedy, or violence. About 8 of every 100 women (8%) and 4 of every 100 men (4%) will have PTSD at some point in their life. This is partly due to the types of traumatic events that women are more likely to experience, such as sexual assault, compared to men. Therefore, coping with trauma and the steps that one should take to overcome it are necessary.

PTSD and Coping with Trauma Sourcebook, Second Edition provides information about PTSD basics and coping with different types of trauma. Readers will learn about brain and mental health, genetic risk factors, their impact on the family, as well as statistics on PTSD in the United States. Moreover, readers will get to know about clinical studies and research on PTSD and co-occurring conditions, resilience after trauma and its treatment, and prevention along with suggestions for a glossary of terms related and a directory of additional resources.

Part 1: Understanding Psychological Trauma and PTSD describes the brain and mental health, along with information about stress and trauma, PTSD basics, causes and risk factors, populations at risk, and its impact on family. It also discusses the impact of trauma on social relationships.

Part 2: Types of Trauma discusses about the different types of trauma, such as childhood trauma, emotional and psychological trauma, medical trauma, and refugee trauma, including disaster and mass violence, physical abuse, prolonged combat stress, complex PTSD, the impact of sociopolitical issues on mass violence and disasters, moral injury, physical abuse, and toxic stress and trauma associated with poverty.

Part 3: PTSD and Co-occurring Conditions provides information about the conditions that occur along with PTSD, such as neurocognitive problems, cardiovascular disease, severe mental illness, substance abuse, and more. In addition, it accounts for the impact of trauma on anger and violence, as well as sleep difficulties in PTSD.

Part 4: Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment of PTSD explains the diagnosis and screening instruments of PTSD, violence risk assessment in individuals with PTSD, treatment options, including play and creative arts therapy, and medications such as benzodiazepines, complementary and alternative medicine, PTSD treatment for children and teens, the caregivers’ role in treatment.

Part 5: Living with PTSD provides information about coping with PTSD as well as rights, benefits, and services for people with PTSD, including spirituality and trauma and specific strategies for PTSD at the workplace and your community. It also discusses tools like web-based courses, video coaches, and mobile apps to help manage symptoms.

Part 6: Understanding Resilience and Preventing PTSD introduces and offers information on primary prevention of trauma, early posttrauma interventions to prevent PTSD, psychological first aid to prevent PTSD and other negative sequelae including resilience after trauma: from surviving to thriving and the role of community resilience in moderating effects of trauma.

Part 7: Additional Help and Information includes a glossary of mental­ health terms, and a directory of organizations to provide more information about mental health organizations.