Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, or rape or who have been threatened with death, sexual violence or serious injury at one point in their life.
People with PTSD have intense, disturbing thoughts and feelings related to their experience that last for a long time after the traumatic event has ended. They may relive the event through flashbacks or nightmares; they may feel sadness, fear, or anger; and they may even feel detached or estranged from other people. People with PTSD may avoid situations or people that remind them of the traumatic event and might trigger them. They may have strong negative reactions to something as ordinary as a loud noise from fireworks or an accidental touch.
As Speech and Language pathologists, using a trauma-informed approach is not about providing mental health counseling to our patients, it is about being respectful, supportive, and mindful of the experiences, challenges, and struggles that others might have experienced and we don’t know of.
The outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) has changed a lot our daily life and has been stressful for everyone. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children.
At the beginning of the pandemic, I heard about Rachel Archambault a.k.a @ptsd.slp through a podcast and I was very interested in her story and how she managed to turn a negative event into strength to help others.
Rachel Archambault was in her fifth year as an SLP at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida when a school shooting occurred. After the traumatic event on 2/14/18, she implemented trauma-informed practices during her speech sessions to create a safe learning environment for her students. Rachel has also created an Instagram page @PTSD.SLP to give SLPs and other professionals the tools to work with students who have experienced trauma.
I came in contact with Rachel back in April 2020, and we had a nice conversation about her experience with PTSD, her work, and how this “new reality” of COVID-19 has impacted our everyday life. The interview is divided into two parts.
Thanks a lot to Rachel for doing this with me!
ptsd.slp on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ptsd.slp/?hl=el
(source: mayoclinic.org)