Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Core Topics
- Definition
- Impact / Consequences
- Causes
- Treatment
- How it works, medically
- Prevalence
- Stigma
- The public understanding
Reading Assignments
Columbine passages, pages:
- 96-98 (Chapter 19, “Vacuuming”)
- 101-102, 106-107
- 116-122
- 281-292
- 312-314
- 354-358 (Chapter 53, “At the Broken Places”)
Discussion Questions
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What is PTSD ? How does it differ from ordinary trauma? How is the term misapplied?
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List and describe the major criteria for a PTSD case.
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How common is PTSD? Discuss some of the major situations that can bring it about.
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What causes PTSD? Describe the medical process of how it occurs in the brain.
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Are there effective treatments? Describe them. What should victims or people close to them not do in the immediate aftermath?
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How quickly do symptoms of PTSD show up? How long does it usually last?
Further Reading
- Ochberg, Frank. “PTSD 101.” DART Center for Journalism and Trauma.