Fantastic Seminar at Daytona State College—Managing Psychological & Behavioral Manifestations of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the Military Veteran or Uniformed Officer    Date: 05/23/16 

By Robert J. Cipriano Jr., Psy.D., ABPP –Licensed Psychologist in Florida; Board Certified in Police & Public Safety Psychology (ABPP)

What are our initial thoughts surrounding someone who is diagnosed with PTSD?  This seminar at Daytona State College encompassed an in-depth discussion of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – Signs and Symptoms of the condition, how the condition may manifest, how stigma and stress play a factor in triggering it, and how and what strategies appear to be successful for public safety professional(s) in the field in managing those who may suffer from it.  

The focus of training was on cultivating a more insightful appreciation regarding those who experience post trauma stress reactions & some of the challenges involved with problem solving in everyday life.  Pre-Deployment, Deployment, & Post Deployment challenges were discussed and processed.  A significant portion of the didactic was on discussing the dynamics surrounding suicide prevention/intervention along with threat assessment.  Communication tactics were highlighted, especially the use of primary level empathy, the use of open ended questions early on in dialogue, and the possible use of self-disclosure when attempting to build rapport.  PTSD is a condition of mistrust that manifests in anxiety based reactions; building trust via rapport is an important ingredient that can aid and facilitate that process.

The focus for the day was not only on educating the attendees, but attempting to generate a heightened level of insight into what some individuals and families experience via penetrating the “stigma dynamic” and  “normalizing” certain behavioral and psychological reactions that some individuals experience following a traumatic event.  I believe we were successful as a group in doing just that!