The Pathology - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

The Pathology of Childhood Survival TechniquesUntangling the threads(18 slides)creatively compiled by dr. michael farnworthSlide2

The pathology of survival…What may look like pathologies (neurosis and the like) in an adult were probably just learned (neural templates) coping and survival mechanisms in the child.Neurons that fired, because of stress and threat, became wired together and the options were reduced for responding in appropriate ways in non-threatening environments.Slide3

The Medical BoxThe medical community is based upon a diagnostic paradigm of: single diagnosis = single treatmentIf a man comes in with a broken ankle he is not going to be treated for a thyroid condition. The treatment is determined by the diagnosis.Slide4

Psychiatry and the mechanistic treatment of brain diseasePsychiatry has found fruition and life within the medical model of the single cause-effect, diagnosis-treatment treatment.Innate brain genetic imbalances or environmental causes are the origins of brain diseases which are typically treated with medications and/or talk therapy.Slide5

The multiple car pile up… metaphor A patient is wheeled into the emergency room with a broken thigh, punctured lung, internal bleeding, semi- conscious, low blood pressure, high white blood count and writhing in pain.The single diagnosis single treatment paradigm is out the window and teams of specialists jump into action to stabilize and return the patient to a safe balance of bodily systems.Slide6

A patient comes in to a therapists officeSuffering from mood disorder, hyper vigilance, relationship withdrawal, depression, sleep disorder, avoidance behaviors, suicide ideation and obsessive compulsive disorder.But there is no smoking gun to explain the symptoms so we pick one and start exploring.Slide7

If there were an event in the patient's life (lets say a recent or even long ago, rape or an assault) things would at least make sense.Slide8

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is classified as an event!This event trauma paradigm blinds us to the reality and prevalence of the process trauma paradigm.Process trauma has been referred to as sanctuary trauma that takes place over time but with no major events to cause or mechanize the symptoms. And since we see no real event responsible we remain asleep to the origins of the trauma.Slide9

PTSD was initially characterized as an anxiety disorder that developed in response to a severe trauma in which an individual experienced, witnessed, or was confronted by actual or threatened death, injury, or loss of physical integrity of self or others. DSM-IV stipulated for the first time, that being "diagnosed with a life-threatening illness" or "learning that one's child" had such an illness is a qualifying stressful event. These events elicit responses of intense fear, helplessness, or horror and trigger three clusters of PTSD symptoms: 1. re-experiencing of the trauma (nightmares, flashbacks, and intrusive thoughts), 2. persistent avoidance of reminders of the trauma (avoidance of situations, numbing of general responsiveness, and restricted range of affect), and 3. persistent

increased arousal

(sleep difficulties,

hyper-vigilance

, and irritability)

.

Other

common emotional responses associated with such traumas are despair, guilt over actions taken or avoided,

and/or

consuming loss.Slide10

Post traumatic stress syndromeTrauma is a one time or long term event or process of stress/violence or disruption that overwhelms.There exits a re-experiencing of the trauma via dreams, flashbacks, voices, fears, memories, sensations and energies, etc.There are aroused emotions of paranoia, anxiety and hyper-attention.Emotional numbing, isolation and avoidance behavior is common.Slide11

What would the world look like…What would the world look like if we saw childhood as a venerable time for suffering chronic stress (sanctuary trauma)?And the adjustments attempted by them, as the origins for the neurosis and pathologies we see in the myriad of clients that walk through therapist's doors as adults.But adults

with no conscious memory of any

traumatic event in

their

lives but with personal

issues, a mile

long

.Slide12

Isn’t comobidity a literal fulfillment of that reality…Comomidity refers to the clustering of other disorders and symptoms around the major presenting one.For example, a patient comes into therapy for sleeping problems and you learn she also suffers from anxiety disorder, depression, relationship withdrawal, sexual dysfunction and cognitive distortions to boot.Slide13

Impact of trauma is multifold:Memory lossEmotional swingsSleep disordersSexual disordersRelationship withdrawalRegressive childlike behaviorLoss of belief in meaningful lifeCoordination deficitSlide14

Post traumatic stress disorder:Research into post traumatic stress disorder show that there exists an altered brain chemistry due to hormones that arouse the body for surviving dangerous and severe threat: adrenaline, stress hormone CRH, endorphins, nor adrenaline are all skewed as a result.Slide15

Stress/trauma/arousal template triggers:ThreatsWorryTerrorRageFailureGetting into troubleShamingAnxietyBeing aloneTrafficShame CompetitionPressureMoody spousesMisbehaving childrenRude/mean neighbors

Fears

Risk taking

Being in a crowd

Argument/conflictSlide16

Absorb these pointsIt has been estimated by some that 80% of illness and disease is related to the effects of stress in our lives.Disease and illness (physical and emotional) are brought on by maladaptive attempts to adjust or regulate the systems once they are chronically out of balance.Slide17

The comobidity, many suffer from…Is simply the triggering of survival and arousal templates that were neurologically imprinted in childhood survival behavior while the brain was malleable, vulnerable and organizationally pliable.What is now pathology, was once necessary for surviving.Slide18

the end