Psychosocial and Relationship-based Practice by Claudia Megele

Author:Claudia Megele [Megele, Claudia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781909682993
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Critical Publishing
Published: 2015-01-13T00:00:00+00:00

Reflection

1.Drawing on previous chapters can you think of any defence mechanisms in the narrative so far?

2.What are some of the possible explanations for Shane hitting and biting other children?

3.What are some of the intervention approaches to support people experiencing post-traumatic stress?

Discussion

Trauma and its effects

Merleau-Ponty (1962) drawing on Gestalt theory described the dynamic figure ground structure where perceptions, thoughts and feelings may shift from being in focus to lying at the edge/fringe of the experiential horizon and vice-versa. Indeed, the Gestalt principle posits that in meaning-making what lies at the edge/fringe of our experiential horizon (experience) is as important as what is in focus, and that a change in the horizon may transform the meaning of what is in focus of our consciousness. This means that what is not at the centre of our conscious focus does indeed influence our thoughts, emotions, perceptions and cognitions. While van der Kolk et al (1996) suggest that trauma often violates one’s sense of congruence, as reactions may be confusing and misunderstood, and will subsequently shape how one perceives the behaviours of others. Therefore, Teresa’s evaluation of others and her perception of their behaviours are shaded and shaped by her past experiences of multiple and complex trauma.

Furthermore, in introducing trauma and its effects we discussed how the present and the future can be overshadowed by the past, and noted how the perceived impossibility of developing mastery over one’s experience combined with the unpredictability and uncontrollability of traumatic memories can lead to fear. Indeed, the perceived impossibility of resolving the trauma and its recurrence may result in the development of defence mechanisms that further distort and complicate the memory of trauma.

Teresa’s experiences of childhood abuse and unresolved trauma of rape by her grandfather represent multiple and complex trauma that have led to a state of anger and emotional pain that is reflected in her threatening and aggressive behaviour toward others.

Teresa’s refusal to leave the premises and her loud voice and continued use of aggressive and inappropriate language, often with sexual undertones, are abusive. She is trying to penetrate and dominate the space between Jefferson and Shane during the contact.

Research highlights a link between anger and PTSD (Novaco and Chemtob, 2002). However, anger is a complex construct with multiple dimensions (eg psychosocial, cognitive, behavioural, motivational, physiological, etc). Furthermore, as we have seen, anger can be considered based on the directional nature of its expression as either toward self (anger-in) representing the suppression of the emotion (expressed as depression, withdrawal, isolation, etc), or toward others (anger-out) expressed as aggressive behaviour. However, in their meta-analysis, Olatunji et al (2010) highlight a significantly greater relationship between anger and PTSD than the relationship between anger and any other anxiety disorder.

Novaco and Chemtob (2002) conceptualise anger within PTSD as survival mode functioning in which anger is activated by perceptions of threat, with the survival mode function then taking priority over other cognitive processing. Given the mood-congruent memory facilitating and reinforcing the recall of memories that are in consonance with our mood (Baddeley,

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