Clinical Psychology United States Discussion 2022

Running head: CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
Name of the student:
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CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
Discussion 1:
Posttraumatic stress disorder has emerged as a mental disorder that established in patients
exposed to traumatic events such as sexual abuse, war associated trauma or child abuse. In the
United States, 3.5% of the individuals are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and 9%
of the population develop PTSD at some point in their life (Hagan et al., 2018). Women are more
likely to develop PTSD compared to men. The common symptoms are frequent nightmares,
difficulties in concentrating and developing a tendency of self-harm. Mr. A, a 55 years old ex-
Vietnam Veteran, recently diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and admitted to the
hospital. He recently exhibited agitation, fear, poor sleeping patterns followed by flashbacks of
wars and exhibited a tendency of self-harm after the death of his wife. Wang et al. (2019),
suggested that common symptoms of PTSD are agitation, paranoia, poor sleeping, and loss of
interest in pleasurable activities. The common risk factors for PTSD include intimate partner
violence, sexual assaults, war associated trauma and death of an unborn child. Considering the
etiology, Dworkin et al. (2018), suggested that due to the presence of risk factors discussed
above, the amygdala becomes overly active to adopt fight and flight response which results in
flashbacks, poor verbal communication, the tendency of self-harm and poor concentration. Over
time, the constant exposure to the environmental triggers results in the smaller hippocampus
which impacts the short term and long term memory of the patients. In this context, for
supporting the patient with post-traumatic stress disorder, Eye movement desensitization and
reprocessing (EMDR) can be provided since it is non-traditional psychotherapy that can alter the
rhythmic eye movements and associated emotional changes (Hagan et al., 2018). It will reduce
trauma and distress associated with past events and provide patients with a purposeful life.

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Discussion 2:
Somatic symptom and related disorders are a group of condition where physical pain and
signs experienced by individuals are connected to psychological factors. In the United States,
approximately 5 to 7% of the individuals experience Somatic symptom and related disorder
which impacted their lives. Mr. B, 37 years old presented at the emergency for severe headache
and fatigue and diagnose with somatic symptom and related disorder. While assessing history, he
suggested that he frequently experienced abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea and often experience
excessive weight gain and loss. Heimann et al. (2018), suggested that the common symptoms of
the disorder include abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, and pain during sexual activities, paralysis
of an arm, seizure and sensory loss. The common risk factors of the disease include anxiety,
depression, having a medical condition, strong family history with multiple diseases and
experiencing stressful life events. On the other hand, social as well as mental stress experienced
by individuals can worsen a range of physical disorders, such as diabetes mellitus, lung disorder,
coronary artery disease, and asthma. Considering the etiology of the disease, it can be said that
due to the presence of risk factors amongst patients, the issues with the nerve impulses that send
signals of pain, pressure, and other unpleasant emotions to the dorsal area of spinal cord and
patients exhibit clinical manifestations of somatic symptom and related disorder (Okur Güney et
al., 2019). Since it can be genetically inherited, 2 to 3 generations can carry the symptoms of the
disorder. Individuals living with clinical manifestations of somatic symptom and related disorder
often experience negligence, stigma, and frustration as no one beliefs individuals are sick. While
no specific treatment is present, Cognitive behavior therapy, as well as mindfulness-
based therapy, are considered as an effective therapy for treating of somatic symptom disorder
(Okur Güney et al., 2019). On the other hand, common medicines that can treat somatic

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symptom disorder of the patient observed in this scenario include Amitriptyline and selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitors

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References:
Dworkin, E. R., Bergman, H. E., Walton, T. O., Walker, D. D., & Kaysen, D. L. (2018). Co-
Occurring Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Alcohol Use Disorder in U.S. Military and
Veteran Populations. Alcohol research : current reviews, 39(2), 161–169.
Hagan, B. O., Wang, E. A., Aminawung, J. A., Albizu-Garcia, C. E., Zaller, N., Nyamu, S.,
Shavit, S., Deluca, J., Fox, A. D., & Transitions Clinic Network (2018). History of
Solitary Confinement Is Associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms
among Individuals Recently Released from Prison. Journal of urban health : bulletin of
the New York Academy of Medicine, 95(2), 141–148. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-017-
0138-1
Heimann, P., Herpertz-Dahlmann, B., Buning, J., Wagner, N., Stollbrink-Peschgens, C.,
Dempfle, A., & von Polier, G. G. (2018). Correction to: Somatic symptom and related
disorders in children and adolescents: evaluation of a naturalistic inpatient
multidisciplinary treatment. Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health, 12(1),
47. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-018-0239-y
Okur Güney, Z. E., Sattel, H., Witthöft, M., & Henningsen, P. (2019). Emotion regulation in
patients with somatic symptom and related disorders: A systematic review. PloS
one, 14(6), e0217277. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0217277
Wang, H. E., Campbell-Sills, L., Kessler, R. C., Sun, X., Heeringa, S. G., Nock, M. K., Ursano,
R. J., Jain, S., & Stein, M. B. (2019). Pre-deployment insomnia is associated with post-

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deployment post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal ideation in US Army
soldiers. Sleep, 42(2), zsy229. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsy229