Fourth Interview Questiions

1. What is the most effective way to treat PTSD? 
2. What do patients respond to the most/least?
3. What specific medications do you prefer? 
4. What is a common misconception you would like to clarify about PTSD?
5. What treatments do you feel is not effective?
6. What do you think about the way PTSD is diagnosed?
7. What is the treatment processes like from a doctors' perspective?
8. What is the most difficult thing to do as a doctor?
9. What is the most difficult part of the treatment process as a patient?
10. What do you do to keep yourself from being overwhelmed?
11. What do/can you do to keep patients from quitting a recovery program?
12. What is the most rewarding part of this?
13. What schools do you think have the strongest psychiatry programs?
14. What do you think about  exercises such as yoga and tai chi for someone suffering from PTSD?
15. What are the pros/con of having a patient take SSRI's for long periods of time?
16. What is the most important step in the recovery process?
17. How does you personal background benefit you when treating people PTSD?
18. What is the most important step that friends and family of a person suffering from PTSD should take?
19. What should friends and family of a person with PTSD never do to that person?
20. How do you know when a person is fully recovered?

Independent Component 2 Approval

For my second Independent Component I will be educating myself and others about sexual abuse through the Project Sister Organization. I plan on fulfilling my hours by being involved with the Know It Forward Club that meets on a weekly basis. Though the underclassmen can only stay for their assigned lunchtime, we often stay afterwards discussing various factors of sexual abuse. I realize this still leaves a hole, but we are expected to volunteer for Denim Day almost all day after school adding anywhere from 7-10 hours in.
Sexual abuse awareness relates to my essential questions in a number of ways. Firstly, it helps combat the ever present idea most of us like to have that these things can't happen to us, and the feeling of loneliness if produces for those who do find themselves in that situation. All this leads to people having the courage and motivation needed to start treatment for PTSD. Secondly, I can research the theory of "pre-exposure" therapy. This is a therapy that many first responders must take because it is thought to help prevent PTSD. Basically, making people aware of what can happen and what you can do about it takes away a lot of the shock that come from these experiences.

 My log can be found here: log.

Independent Component 1

Here is my log, and click  to see my notes.

Literal
I, Jo Ruiz, affirm that I will complete 30 hours of work by March 20. I am aware that this is past the due date, but it's the best I can do at the moment.
Though I have yet to complete my independent component one, I have gotten relatively far in my research. I read Why Gender Matters by Leonard Sax, The PTSD Breakthrough by Dr. Frank Lawlis, and I am starting The Source of All Things by Tracy Ross. I have also attempted to create a diet plan that fits Dr. Lawlis's recommendations without the use of supplements, but have come to discover this might not be possible.

Interpretive
Though it may not seem like much, reading these books takes much more time then I had anticipated. Because these are library books, taking extensive notes is essential. It would be impossible to memorize all the fact and numbers, so I felt like I had to write everything down. This of course, made for notes that have too much. I figured it be better to write down too much than too little. The work I had been attempting to do with the diet plan seemed like a great way to show what I learned, but I have been unsuccessful due to bias what were supposed to be nutritional websites written by enthusiast. (My favorite was one that said American diets damage auroras.) I have learned quite a bit, though. I found myself understanding why PTSD has to be treated in so many different ways, as well as possible proof that cognitive-behavioral therapy works. However, I would like to take a look at the studies that Dr. Lewlis used as evidence before introducing other people to his methods.

Applied
This research has helped me look at my question with a different idea of the possibilities.

Presentation 2 Rough Draft

20 Minute Presentation Rough Draft

Answer 1

   My first answer is that there is yet to be an effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. It's actually quite disappointing. Most of the treatments available are psychological approaches, yet researchers agree that it is a biological problem. The hormones released into the brain during intense levels of stress cause a chemical reaction so big that the brain has a sort of melt down. Epinephrine and norepinephrine (the chemicals released) are known to help people do extraordinary things, when the right amount is released. Over production of these chemicals also attacks the brain and induces confusion and memory loss.
  As far as the psychological approaches goes, most methods treat it like depression or anxiety. Even the medications used are also known to be effective for depression and anxiety, not the actual affliction itself. For example, if a person is having a hard time keeping up with day to day needs because of PTSD, the only options would be to put them in a cognitive-therapy class or put them on Paxil and Zoloft.
   My answer to this would be to fund scientific research on PTSD. There needs to be a medical approach to this problem.



Sources
Butler, Katy. "The Biology of Fear." Psychotherapy Networker July-Aug. 1996. Alt-PressWatch. Web. 14

Oct. 2011. <http://search.proquest.com/docview/233311531?accountid=10357>.

Lawlis, Frank. The Ptsd Breakthrough The Revolutionary, Science-based Compass Reset Program. Napville: Source, 2010. 7-19. Print.

Service Learning

For my service learning, Griselda and I have been preparing to present to the fifth grade class of Golden Springs Elementary on bullying and conflict resolution. Our contacts include Mrs. Ortega and Mario Ruiz (a fifth grade teacher at Golden Springs). So far I have accumulated a total of 19 hours and 50 minutes in preparation. This includes researching, making the powerpoint that we're using for the presentation, meetings, and rehearsals we've done for the presentation.

Third Interview Questions

1. How do you feel about the effectiveness of current PTSD treatments?
2. Would you be more likely to put someone on medication or in group-therapy? Why? Would the cause of PTSD or gender of the person change what treatment you would give them?
3.   When seeing a patient with multiple conditions (i.e. PTSD, alcoholism, and extreme anxiety) do you prioritize to address first?
4. Where do you see the developments in the research of PTSD going in the next ten years?
5.  Do you have preferences over Paxil or Zoloft? Why?
6.  How do you, personally, develop a treatment plan for a patient with PTSD?
7.  People diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder usually suffer from at least one other affliction. Are there any specific afflictions that you noticed are common in PTSD patients?
8.  When treating a person with PTSD with talk therapy, how often do you typically see them?
9. What treatments have the most side-effects?
10. When are PTSD patients easiest to treat? When are they most difficult?
11. What treatment do you usually get the best results from?