The possible effects of post traumatic stress that may occur after a train crash.

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Assignment 2 -Post Traumatic Stress

In this assignment I will be looking into and explaining the possible effects of post traumatic stress that may occur after a train crash. I will be looking at the effects it may have on the general public and those in the public services involved in the event. I will be looking at how stress placed on public service organisations can be reduced and will be examining the effectiveness of various helping strategies.

Post traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder associated with serious traumatic events and characterized by such symptoms as survivor guilt, reliving the trauma in dreams, numbness and lack of involvement with reality, or recurrent thoughts and images. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can develop at any age, including in childhood. Symptoms typically begin within 3 months of a traumatic event, although occasionally they do not begin until years later. Once PTSD occurs, the severity and duration of the illness varies. Some people recover within 6 months, while others suffer much longer.

Both the general public and public service personnel are certainly open to receiving PTSD from the train crash. Members of the public may have to endure the death of those close to them also involved in the train crash or just seeing the carnage and injuries and deaths around them is certainly enough to be liable of PTSD. Members of the Public services can be affected due to having to witness such deaths or injuries and perhaps having to deal with a person dying in front of them or in their arms. A medic may be trying to save someone a are unable to do this and the person dies in front of them, this could easily be the cause of PTSD in the medic.

The public service organisations will work together to clear up the train crash. The police will tend to arrive on the scene first, blocking off the roads and checking the area. The fire service will work in securing the area, making it safe for access by medics and to prevent further injuries to people involved from the crash, such as falling debris, roof caving in etc. The medics will work in searching for and rescuing the injured and removing the dead.

PTSD usually falls into three categories. These are; Intrusion, Avoidance and Hyperarousal. Intrusion involves the memories of the trauma reoccurring unexpectedly in the person. This will include flashbacks and will happen in sudden, vivid memories that are accompanied by painful emotions. It is common that the person suffering from intrusion will sometimes be so strong that they believe they are almost re experiencing the trauma again and seeing it unfold in their nightmares. A person suffering from avoidance will affect their relationship with others, including family members, partners and close friends etc. The person will feel numb at first and will have diminished emotions and can only complete routine, mechanical activities. The person will try to avoid situations or activities that are reminders of the original traumatic event because such exposure may cause symptoms to worsen. The final category is hyperarousal and this will cause the person to act as though they are constantly threatened by the trauma that caused their illness. The person may have difficulty in concentrating or remembering current information and can become suddenly irritable or explosive, even when not provoked. Finally, many people with PTSD also attempt to rid themselves of their painful re-experiences, loneliness, and panic attacks by abusing alcohol or other drugs as a "self medication" that helps them to blunt their pain and forget the trauma temporarily. A person with PTSD may show poor control over his or her impulses and may be at risk for suicide. It is common that survivors of post raumatic events experience stress reactions including; emotional reactions, cognitive reactions, physical reactions and interpersonal reactions. People strongly affected by the event may have reactions such as dissociation, severe depression and hyper-arousal.
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Members of the public services involved in the train crash, such as medics who have to deal with the injured or dead may also suffer from PTSD as a result of the train crash. Other people's problems could have an impact on them as they may become emotionally involved. If the medic is trying to save the life of a seriously injured person who was aboard the train and they die in their arms this could easily result in the medic suffering from PTSD. This could come in the form of guilt and their belief that it was ...

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