Conversation 37: The post-traumatic syndrome and the "directory of internalized characters"

By Prof. Levine & Dr. Salganik

Greetings,

In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association revised the diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD]—also called post-traumatic stress disorder—in the fifth edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [DSM-5]. PTSD is included in a new category in the DSM-5, Trauma and Stress Disorders. All the conditions included in this classification require exposure to a traumatic or stressful event as a diagnostic criterion.

It should be noted that DSM-5 introduced a subtype of preschool PTSD for children aged six years and younger. The criteria below are specific to adults, adolescents and children over the age of six.

Below are the criteria required for a PTSD diagnosis.

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Conversation 36: What is the effect of the threats of survival in a war situation on the board of internalized figures?

By Prof. Levine & Dr. Salganik

Greetings

We are currently [October 2023] in the midst of a war. This war poses a considerable survival threat.

Let's examine the question, which is what does an existential threat and uncertainty related to war do to the individual.

The University of Utah in the United States published an article authored by Dr. Steve Sugden, [a colonel in the US Army Reserve and a psychiatrist at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute (HMHI)] about the psychological impact of total war on civilians who contract it through the media. Bellow are the highlights of this article:

"Thousands of kilometers away from the conflict, you may be watching the war in Ukraine in real time through a screen. Images of destruction, people in shelters, injured Ukrainian citizens and many other disturbing and tragic events.

The events in Ukraine, dubbed the first "social media war", are broadcast live not only on traditional media but also on apps like Instagram, Twitter and TikTok at a rate never seen before. Violent images and videos are spreading like wildfire. Some of the videos tagged with #UkraineWar have been viewed 600 million times in a matter of days. These images, videos and audio clips can be triggers with a huge psychological impact.

Global conflicts have always been problematic. Still, with the recent civil unrest in Syria, the instability in Iraq, conflicts in other countries, and the coronavirus pandemic, the invasion of Ukraine is yet another in an already long list of traumatic events that can negatively impact our mental health”.

"The long-term effects of trauma are significant," says Dr. Steve Sugden. Sugden knows firsthand what it's like to be on the battlefield and how trauma can affect our mental health. Sugden claims that there are some common effects of war on mental health and that those who watch Traumatic content are also at risk.

"Civilians, soldiers and those who consume the sights and sounds of war through social media can develop a typical psychological profile of trauma."

And here the question arises, how does the war affect our mental health?

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