| 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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