Stress Management

Post-traumatic Personality Disorder

Individuals who have been exposed to prolonged traumatic circumstances, especially during childhood, such as childhood sexual abuse are said to suffer from a disorder called post-traumatic personality disorder. These individuals often show symptoms for diseases such as borderline personality disorder, somatoform disorder, and multiple personality disorder.

Patients suffering from post-traumatic personality disorder exhibit symptoms such as:

Impulsivity
Aggression
Sexual acting out
Eating disorders
Alcohol/drug abuse
Self-destructive actions

Affect lability
Rage
Depression
Panic

Fragmented thoughts
Dissociation
Amnesia

Treatment generally focuses on behavioral and affect management in a here-and-now context with emphasis on family function, vocational rehabilitation, social skills training, and alcohol/drug rehabilitation. Long-term individual and group treatments have also been used for such patients.

Next Topic: