Scenario Therapy Choice Discussion-Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example

Scenario Therapy Choice Discussion-Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example

The client’s signs and symptoms are synonymous with those of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this regard, individual therapy would be the most appropriate selection. Mainly, cognitive therapy (CT) will be an effective therapeutic modality for the client’s symptoms. Cognitive therapy is strongly recommended by the American Psychological Association (APA) for the treatment of adults with PSTD (APA, 2017-b). This is because CT focuses on eliminating sources/stimuli of psychological stress. Besides, CT encompasses modifying negative self-perceptions/evaluations and traumatic memories that trigger anxiety (APA, 2017-a). Therefore, CT acts by interrupting pessimistic behaviors and thought patterns that affect daily living. (Scenario Therapy Choice Discussion-Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)

For instance, cognitive therapy is crucial for shell shock and PTSD management since it enhances the interaction between the therapist and patient (therapeutic alliance) to bring the client to situational awareness and cognitive restructuring and uses re-experience technique (Reisman, 2016). At the beginning of the video, Paul appears stressed and admits that his day has not been good such that he cannot contemplate going out for dinner with his wife. This shows that the client has developed fears of social situations. The client admits to the nurse that he does not feel okay and is looking for something to calm him down.  Furthermore, the client recognizes that his anxiety is because of traumatic experiences as a combat medic in Iraq, having operated under limited resources and human resources against many needs, wounded people, and legal prioritization on actions. These experiences, he says, were triggered by a car accident (just weeks following return from deployment) that brought shellshock symptoms, which are typical PSTD symptoms and common among American soldiers returning from war.(Scenario Therapy Choice Discussion-Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)

Studies show that traumatic experiences significantly affect psychological, emotional, and physical individual aspects and their loved ones. Individuals experiences post-traumatic psychological and physiological reactions differently, thus, the need for individual modality (Bisson, Cosgrove, Lewis, & Roberts, 2015). In this case, the client’s wife acknowledges that the client behaviors such as isolation, detachment, irritability, recurrent nightmare, and sleeplessness are overwhelming and affects the whole family. These experiences can lead to a total debilitation or vulnerability to re-traumatization. The DSM – V defined PTSD as being comprised of clusters of symptoms, including avoidance, re-experiencing, and hyper-arousal (APA, 2013). These symptoms cause irritability, outbursts, sleep disturbance, restlessness, and lack of concentration, as presented by the client. Nevertheless, CT manages these symptoms by creating individual awareness to encourage caution.(Scenario Therapy Choice Discussion-Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)

The CT modality allows clients and their companions to identify the triggers of anxiety and appropriate measures through re-experience approach. In this scenario, the client and the wife disclose that the workplace accident triggered the client’s PTSD. Equally, the client identifies isolation as a solution for his condition, which in his case, does not help. A CT psychologist can use the client’s needs and perceptions to identify appropriate ways of helping him manage his PTSD. Therefore, CT can help prevent the emergence of stressful resentments and anger, which can adversely affect family relationships.  According to Armenta et al. (2018), PTSD severity associated with combat experiences are the most common triggers of persistent PTSD, leading to comorbid conditions and affecting marriage and general life. However, CT therapy provides appropriate mechanisms for mitigating risk factors.(Scenario Therapy Choice Discussion-Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)

Another crucial significance of the CT modality is its ability to combine with other interventions, particularly antidepressant medication. According to Resiman (2016), combining psychotherapy and antidepressant medication is an effective and recommended first-line intervention for PTSD. Since the client has been prescribed Ativan oral medication, adopting a CT modality by a psychologist would be an effective intervention. In this case, CT will emphasize current thought, behavior, and communication rather than dwelling on past experiences, while Ativan will manage primary symptoms, including insomnia and anxiety.(Scenario Therapy Choice Discussion-Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. (Scenario Therapy Choice Discussion-Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)

American Psychological Association (2017-b). Clinical Guideline Development Panel for the Treatment of PTSD in Adults.(Scenario Therapy Choice Discussion-Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example) Retrieved 30 July 2021, from https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/ptsd.pdf

American Psychological Association (July 2017-a). Cognitive Therapy (CT).(Scenario Therapy Choice Discussion-Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example) Retrieved 30 July 2021, from https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/treatments/cognitive-therapy

Armenta, R. F., Rush, T., LeardMann, C. A., Millegan, J., Cooper, A., & Hoge, C. W. (2018). Factors associated with persistent post-traumatic stress disorder among US military service members and veterans. BMC psychiatry, 18(1), 1-11.(Scenario Therapy Choice Discussion-Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example) https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-018-1590-5

Bisson, J. I., Cosgrove, S., Lewis, C., & Roberts, N. P. (2015). Post-traumatic stress disorder. BMJ, 351. 10.1136/bmj.h6161 10.1136/bmj.h6161

Reisman, M. (2016). PTSD treatment for veterans: What’s working, what’s new, and what’s next. Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 41(10), 623.(Scenario Therapy Choice Discussion-Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5047000/