The presented case study of Ivan S., a Navajo resident, appears to be an instance of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The primary symptoms, which appeared after Ivan’s return from the warzone, were frequent anger bursts and the inability to control them, as well as a lack of other emotional reactions. In addition, Ivan suffered from recurring nightmares and sweating, which are often referred to as signs of PTSD (Lusk et al., 2017). Ivan’s aggressive behavior also led to drinking, illegal behavior, and the consistent beating of his wife and children, becoming a notable problem.
PTSD could be a plausible provisional diagnosis for this condition, given the outlined symptoms. Patients with PTSD demonstrate anxiety and insomnia, as well as drastic changes in mood and behavior caused by trauma (Watkins et al., 2018). Considering Ivan’s military experience and the high prevalence of PTSD among veterans, it is possible that Ivan manifested signs of PTSD (Lusk et al., 2017). Furthermore, this disorder requires consistent psychological treatment and specialized medication, which might explain the lack of conventional methods’ efficacy.
A prominent evidence-based treatment approach for PTSD could be Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This strategy has been proven exceptionally useful for battling the consequences of trauma and helping the patients restructure their beliefs regarding painful experiences (Acosta et al., 2017). CBT allows for a variety of methods to be implemented, separating into numerous evidence-based therapies that were developed specifically for PTSD management. Examples of such treatment based on CBT include prolonged exposure and eye movement desensitization, as recommended by the Veterans Health Administration (Watkins et al., 2018). Therefore, CBT could be an excellent approach for addressing Ivan’s disorder and mitigating the negative consequences of trauma.
References
Acosta, M. C., Possemato, K., Maisto, S. A., Marsch, L. A., Barrie, K., Lantinga, L., Fong, C., Xie, H., Grabinski, M., & Rosenblum, A. (2017). Web-delivered CBT reduces heavy drinking in OEF-OIF veterans in primary care with symptomatic substance use and PTSD. Behavior therapy, 48(2), 262-276.
Lusk, J. D., Sadeh, N., Wolf, E. J., & Miller, M. W. (2017). Reckless self-destructive behavior and PTSD in veterans: The mediating role of new adverse events. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 30(3), 270–278.
Watkins, L. E., Sprang, K. R., & Rothbaum, B. O. (2018). Treating PTSD: A review of evidence-based psychotherapy interventions. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 12.