Psychological trauma related to stress

Human Rights

Components of family abuse

1. Physical

—  beating,

—  denial of food or shelter,

—   burning,

—  cutting

2.  Sexual

—  forced sexual intercourse,

—  forced oral or anal sex

3. Psychological

—  threats,

—   name-calling,

—  social isolation,

4. Neglect

—  abandonment,

—  failure to give medical care,

—  failure to provide food or shelter,

—   failure to provide for education,

—   failure to keep a safe environment.

Vulnerable People

1. Children
2. Female
3. Old Age

Clinical signs of abuse

1. bruises,
2.  injuries,
3. burns,
4. malnutrition,
5. poor hygiene,
6. Emotionally withdrawn/very shy or quiet,
7.  fearfulness,
8. injuries to genitalia

Reaction to severe stress, and adjustment disorders

1. Acute stress reaction
2. Post-traumatic stress disorder
3. Adjustment disorders
4. an exceptionally stressful life event producing an acute stress reaction, or
5.  a significant life change leading to continued unpleasant circumstances that result in an adjustment disorder.

Acute Stress Reaction

(a)show a mixed and usually changing picture; in addition to the initial state of "daze", depression, anxiety, anger, despair, overactivity, and withdrawal may all be seen, but no one type of symptom predominates for long;

(b)resolve rapidly (within a few hours at the most) in those cases where removal from the stressful environment is possible; in cases where the stress continues or cannot by its nature be reversed, the symptoms usually begin to diminish after 24-48 hours and are usually minimal after about 3 days.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

1. This arises as a delayed and/or protracted response to a stressful event or situation (either short- or long-lasting) of an exceptionally threatening or catastrophic nature, which is likely to cause pervasive distress in almost anyone (e.g. natural or man-made disaster, combat, serious accident, witnessing the violent death of others, or being the victim of torture, terrorism, rape, or other crime).
2. The onset follows the trauma with a latency period which may range from a few weeks to months (but rarely exceeds 6 months)

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

1. In addition to evidence of trauma, there must be a repetitive, intrusive recollection or re-enactment of the event in memories, daytime imagery, or dreams.
2. Conspicuous emotional detachment, numbing of feeling, and avoidance of stimuli that might arouse recollection of the trauma are often present.

Somatoform Disorders

1. The main feature of somatoform disorders is repeated presentation of physical symptoms, together with persistent requests for medical investigations, in spite of repeated negative findings and reassurances by doctors that the symptoms have no physical basis.
2. If any physical disorders are present, they do not explain the nature and extent of the symptoms or the distress and preoccupation of the patient.
3.  Even when the onset and continuation of the symptoms bear a close relationship with unpleasant life events or with difficulties or conflicts, the patient usually resists attempts to discuss the possibility of psychological causation; this may even be the case in the presence of obvious depressive and anxiety symptoms.

Somatization Disorder

1. A definite diagnosis requires the presence of all of the following:
2. (a)at least 2 years of multiple and variable physical symptoms for which no adequate physical explanation has been found;
3. (b)persistent refusal to accept the advice or reassurance of several doctors that there is no physical explanation for the symptoms;
4. (c)some degree of impairment of social and family functioning attributable to the nature of the symptoms and resulting behaviour.