Disorders Related to Traumatic and Stressful Events

Following the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders, the diagnostic manual continues with Disorders Related to Traumatic and Stressful Events. Let's try to understand what trauma and stress are, and what these disorders have in common.

Intuitively, we all have an idea of what stress is or at least can recognize when we feel stressed. Suppose a series of demands come from the outside. The quantity, time, and difficulty of these tasks elicit a response from our body. This response is stress. Stress is not always negative; however, in disorders related to stress, it can harm the body.

We might be familiar with the definition of trauma from the medical field. Trauma is a sudden and violent damage to the body. What is psychological trauma? Trauma refers to the set of behavioral reactions that follow exposure to a traumatic event. The diagnostic manual (DSM-5) defines the following traumatic events: exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence (we will see the related modalities in subsequent posts).

All disorders related to traumatic or stressful events are obviously characterized by psychological suffering, which can vary significantly among individuals. Moreover, the most evident symptoms include:

• Anhedonia: Inability or reduced ability to experience pleasure.
• Dysphoria: Significant alteration of mood.
• Externalized anger: Tendency toward aggressive and/or violent behaviors (verbal or physical).
• Dissociation: Detachment from reality (the definition of dissociation is complicated and will be discussed in detail when we talk about Dissociative Disorders).

The diagnostic manual (DSM-5) describes five main Disorders Related to Traumatic and Stressful Events:

• Reactive Attachment Disorder

• Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

• Acute Stress Disorder

• Adjustment Disorders.

Sources:

• American Psychiatric Association (2013) - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.).
• Bernhill, J. W. (2014) - DSM-5 Clinical Cases.
• Selye, H. (1976) - Stress in Health and Disease.

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