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The
Many Faces of Traumatic Stress
Several weeks ago, we received
a letter from a physician who was the recipient
of an invitation to join the Academy. He wrote:
"Ladies & Gentlemen:
I have your letter of invitation
to join your organization but as I embark on
my 90th year, I have decided it is a bit too
late to take on new interests. Also, I think
at times there is an effort to make a mountain
out of a molehill about the psychology of individuals
who have been under stress from trauma. I wish
you well in your endeavor."
Fortunately, the zeitgeist
has shifted and there is an increased sensitivity
to the deleterious effects of emotional trauma.
This letter is a reflection of the antithesis
of The American Academy of Experts in Traumatic
Stress.
We should all feel proud that
we have made a commitment to the advancement
of intervention for survivors of trauma. We
understand that traumatic stress disables people.
We understand that traumatic stress causes disease.
We understand that traumatic stress leads to
substance abuse. We understand that traumatic
stress destroys families. Now, we must get the
word out and fulfill our mission - as professionals
committed to the betterment of the field.
Traumatic Stress is defined
by the Academy as, "The emotional, cognitive
and behavioral experience of individuals who
have been exposed to, or who witness, events
that are extreme and/or life threatening."
I believe that it is crucial that we do not
view traumatic stress solely through a "DSM-IV
microscope" (i.e., referring to the Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,
4th Ed.). Traumatic stress is so much broader
than the `scope' of the diagnostic criteria
for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Acute
Stress Disorder, or any other "disorder."
Recently, I had the opportunity
to speak with Sheila, an adult neighbor during
my childhood. We caught up on what our families
were doing _ and then she asked how work was
going. I told Sheila that I was involved with
an organization comprised of professionals who
work with survivors of traumatic events. Sheila
listened intently to my "Brief Intro. to
the Academy, Version 3.5...," and then
said, "There are a lot of people out there
struggling with illness. It must be so stressful
for them." I remember responding, "Thank
you!", feeling an affirmation of my belief
that there are many faces of traumatic stress.
There is a strong tendency
to view traumatic stress as limited to the resultant
effect of a catastrophe or wide-spread disaster.
This circumscribed attitude is exemplified by
my friends' and colleagues' question, "So,
what is the Academy doing in response...."
after every highly publicized event. There is
also a tendency to view traumatic stress as
a "therapist issue."
I recently received a telephone
call from the president of a related association.
She praised the Academy for reinforcing that
traumatic stress is not limited to the providence
of therapists. And, she congratulated the Academy
on finding a mechanism to pull together professionals,
from nearly a hundred different specialties,
under one umbrella. We agreed that strength
and the ability to make a meaningful organizational
impact comes not only from numbers, but from
diversity as well. We further agreed that viewing
traumatic stress as something that only psychiatrists,
psychologists, social workers and counselors
address was like looking at the nighttime sky,
seeing the moon, and missing all the stars!
Professionals from so many disciplines regularly
and appropriately address traumatic stress in
their work.
When I think of traumatic stress,
I think about Michelle, a 29-year-old woman
who found out that she was pregnant and at the
same time, that she had a lump in her breast.
I think about George and Betty who struggled
with the news that their 24-year-old son was
diagnosed HIV positive. I think about Nicole,
a college freshman who was the victim of a date
rape after a party during the second week of
school. I think about Christopher, who became
paralyzed after being involved in an automobile
accident. I think about Rosalie, the teacher
who found a teenager hanging from the ceiling
in a school restroom. I think about Marge's
family, who struggled with her deterioration
due to Alzheimer's Disease.
Certainly, many people experience
traumatic stress resulting from the highly publicized
disasters and catastrophes. It is our responsibility,
as members of the Academy, to educate our world
that there are many other faces of traumatic
stress.
©1996 by
The American Academy of Experts in Traumatic
Stress, Inc.
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