Discussion 1:
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
While historically post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been addressed chiefly as an issue faced by veterans, it has only been quite recently that the awareness of the impact of war has begun to increase. As veterans return from combat, we are learning even more clearly the dire need for mental health approaches to address the impact of war on soldiers. The media has started to highlight the need for interventions to address this mental health issue, publishing the staggering statistics on veteran suicides. According to the Suicide Data Report, 2012 (Kemp & Bossarte, 2013, p. 18), veterans and active duty military are taking their lives at the rate of 22 a day. This number can be reduced with the proper type of prevention and intervention strategies. Consider Jake Levy and his struggle with PTSD, and the most recent interventions used to address its symptoms.
For this Discussion, review the program case study for the Levy family.
· Post your description of the interventions used by the practitioner.
· Identify the specific skills and tools used with Jake to address PTSD.
· What other skills might you use with Jake to address his symptoms?
· Explain why these might be important to help Jake heal emotionally.
References (use 3 or more)
Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. M. (Eds.). (2014a). Sessions: case histories. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].
· The Levy Family (pp. 15–16)
Sharpless, B. A., & Barber, J. P. (2011). A clinician’s guide to PTSD treatments for returning veterans. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 42(1), 8–15. doi:10.1037/a0022351.
Thyer, B. A. (2013). Intervention with adults. In M. J. Holosko, C. N. Dulmus, & K. M. Sowers (Eds.), Social work practice with individuals and families: Evidence-informed assessments and interventions (pp. 147–176). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Yoder, M., Tuerk, P. W., Price, M., Grubaugh, A., L., Strachan, M., Myrick, H., & Acierno, R. (2012). Prolonged exposure therapy for combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder: Comparing outcomes for veterans of different wars. Psychological Services, 9(1), 16–25.
Levy Family Episode 3
Levy Family Episode 3 Program Transcript
JAKE LEVY: We’d be out on recon in our Humvees, and it would get so hot. We used to put our water bottles in wet socks and hang them right outside the window just so the water would cool off of a bit, and maybe then you could drink it.
Man, it was cramped in there. You’d be drenched, nowhere to breathe. It’s like riding around in an oven. And you’d have your helmet on you, 100 pounds of gear and ammo. I swear, sometimes I feel like it’s still on me, like it’s all still strapped on me.
FEMALE SPEAKER: How many tours did you do in Iraq?
JAKE LEVY: Three. After that last recon, I just– There were 26 of us. Five marines in the Humvee I was in. I remember I was wearing my night vision goggles. We passed through a village and everything was green, like I was in a dream or under water.
And then there was a flash, bright light just blinded me. There was this explosion. I can’t– I can’t–
FEMALE SPEAKER: It’s OK, Jake. Take it easy. I understand this is difficult. There’s something I;d like to try with you. It’s called exposure therapy, and it’s a treatment that’s used a lot with war veterans, especially those struggling with anxiety and PTSD.
JAKE LEVY: Exposure therapy?
FEMALE SPEAKER: Yes. It’s to help someone like yourself to confront your feelings and anxieties about a traumatic situation that you’ve experienced. It’s a– It’s meant to help you get more control of your thoughts, to make sense of what’s happened, and to not be so afraid of your memories.
JAKE LEVY: Put that in a bottle and I’ll buy 10 cases of it.
FEMALE SPEAKER: Well, one part of it is learning to control your breathing. And when you practice that, you can learn to manage your anxiety, to get more control of it, not let it control you, to protect yourself. Do you want to try it?
JAKE LEVY: Right now?
FEMALE SPEAKER: Sure.
JAKE LEVY: Why not?
©2013 Laureate Education, Inc. 1
Levy Family Episode 3
FEMALE SPEAKER: OK. Well, I know this sounds crazy, but a lot of people don’t breathe properly. And it really comes from bad habits. When they inhale and exhale, all the effort is here in their chest and shoulders. And the problem with that is you get a really short, shallow breath. And that really increases the stress and anxiety in your body.
Instead, a more natural breath should always involve your diaphragm, right here in your abdomen. When you breath in, your belly should expand. And when you breath out, your belly should fall. OK?
JAKE LEVY: OK.
FEMALE SPEAKER: So, let’s practice. Close your eyes. Now, I want you put one hand on your abdomen and the other across your chest. Good. Good. Now, I just want you to take a few breaths, just like normal. What are you feeling?
JAKE LEVY: I feel my chest moving up and down. But my belly, nothing.
FEMALE SPEAKER: OK. So that’s what I was just talking about. That’s OK. Let’s try this. I want you take a breath. And this time, I only want you to allow your abdomen to expend when you breathe in and to fall when you breathe out.
OK, let’s try it. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out.
You feeling better? More relaxed?
JAKE LEVY: Yes.
FEMALE SPEAKER: And the more you practice it the easier it will become. So when you find that stress and anxiety coming on, just do your breathing. You can keep yourself from getting swept by all those bad thoughts. OK?
JAKE LEVY: Yes. Thank you.
FEMALE SPEAKER: So, do you want to try to go back to what you were telling me about before?
JAKE LEVY: I can try. It was night. We were out on recon. It was my third tour in Iraq.
Levy Family Episode 3 Additional Content Attribution
MUSIC:
©2013 Laureate Education, Inc. 2
Levy Family Episode 3
Music by Clean Cuts
Original Art and Photography Provided By: Brian Kline and Nico Danks
©2013 Laureate Education, Inc. 3
