16 Chapter 6 Introduction

Trauma- and stressor-related disorders occur in response to exposure to a traumatic or very stressful negative event, like sexual abuse, a natural disaster, a car accident, or violent assault. How we respond to trauma is variable, with some reactions and disorders clearly being based on anxiety and fear, but with other reactions being marked by anhedonia and dysphoria (APA, 2013). The DSM-5 trauma- and stressor-related disorders section includes two childhood disorders (Reactive Attachment Disorder and Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder), as well as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Acute Stress Disorder. In this chapter, we will focus on PTSD. You will read about the symptoms of PTSD, some of the vulnerabilities that people might possess for developing PTSD, as well as how we treat PTSD.