PTSD Treatment Plan: Marcos Chaves Rachelle Lopez Liberty University

Running head: PTSD TREATMENT PLAN1

PTSD Treatment Plan: Marcos Chaves

Rachelle Lopez Liberty University 

PTSD TREATMENT PLAN2

PTSD Treatment Plan: Marcos Chaves

Client History United States Marine Corps veteran GySgt Marcos Chaves is a 35-year-old Hispanic male who is seeking professional help for anger, violent outburst, destruction of property, inability to focus, and recurring nightmares. GySgt Chaves, have been in the Marines for 17 years with 3 tours of duty in Iraq. He has also been married for 15 years to his high school sweetheart, they have twin boys. During his last tour in Iraq, he witnesses the senseless killings of Iraqi women and children that was carried out by al Qaeda leaders during a street demonstration on a day that he was on patrol in the neighboring towns. He was astonished at the way the children were slaughtered, he hears on the radio to retreat because the Iraqi soldiers began to open fire on the convoy. As the truck began to quickly reverse, GySgt Chaves noticed a young girl laying there crying for help, he yelled for the driver to stop the vehicle, however, the driver was unable to do so because they were under heavy fire.After the incident the battalion Chaplin spoke to him and he felt that was sufficient enough until he started to have nightmares, and feelings of rage for the last 6 months. Upon returning home he decided to take leave so that he can adapt as well as spend time with his family. His first night was difficult, every time he closes his eyes, he would hear the cries of the children and feel their bodies fall to the ground. GySgt Chaves wife noticed he wasn’t sleeping and she tried to assist him by buying over the counter sleeping pills but even that didn’t work. As time passed, he was very angry, anything that his wife and boys say and do was a trigger for him, which caused him to lash out and react in rage. The last incident that occurred that has caused the military police to come to their home was when he became angry at the neighbor because their dog was urinating in their yard. GySgt Chaves went into his garage and got a metal baseball bat and began to hit the neighbor's fence and then he proceeded to damage their vehicle. As his wife

watched from the window in disbelief, she decided to call for help before he came back in the house. He was taken to the brig and was seen by mental health professionals. GySgt Chaves was diagnosed with PTSD.

Presenting Problem: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Symptoms:

Has been exposed to a traumatic event, witnessing women and children being murdered.Reports response of fear and horror to the traumatic event.Relives events when he closes his eyes to sleep, which cause sleep disturbance.Displays psychological distress, resulting in reminiscent of the traumatic event.Unable to focus.Possess the inability to connect with his wife and two children.Violent outburst.Fits of rage, anger, and irritability.Symptoms began immediately after witnessing the murders and continues long after his return home.Engages in eruptions of verbal and physical violence and threats.

Goals:

1.To decrease or remove the adverse impact trauma-related symptoms have on GySgt Chaves quality of life.

2.Assist GySgt Chaves with returning to the level of psychological functioning prior to exposure to the traumatic experience in Iraq.

3.Eliminate avoidance of wife, children, and objects that are reminiscent of the traumatic experience.

4.Regain confidence in the ability of being a United States Marine.

5.Develop effective coping strategies to improve overall life.

6.Eliminate feelings of self-blame and guilt.

SHORT TERM OBJECTIVESTHERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS

Assist with educating GySgt Chaves with understanding the history and the nature of PTSD symptoms and causes.1)Create a safe and accepting atmosphere so that GySgt Chaves will have the freedom to verbalize his concerns, problems, and struggles.2)Explore the traumatic events of development This study source was downloaded by 100000808701186 from CourseHero.com on 07-04-2021 08:29:22 GMT -05:00

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PTSD TREATMENT PLAN4

which will lead to a discussion about the day his life changed.3)Assess his level of guilt Consult with psychiatric evaluation to determine the type of pharmacotherapy intervention that should be utilized (More & Jongsma, 2015).4)Directed self-report to support diagnosis and evaluate the severity of PTSD symptoms (Moore & Jongsma, 2015).5)Monitor medication side effects.Discuss GySgt Chaves traumatic events explicitly in detail.6)Assist GySgt Chaves in describing the details of the day he was traumatized. Encouraging him to be aware of the way it made him feel so that his emotions can be processed which we will use exposure therapy to do so.Evaluate and identify GySgt Chaves triggers so that he will understand the difference between PTSD and stress reaction to combat (Moore & Jongsma,

2015).

7)Educate GySgt on the chronic symptoms of PTSD that are parallel to his signs and symptoms.8)Assist in creating a way for him to see his triggers by telling him to get sticky notes and write the triggers and place them on the mirror so he can view himself as he identifies each trigger.9)Assuring his understanding of what is combat related stress and what isn’t considered to be.Implement coping strategies 10)Teach diaphragmatic breathing twice a day for 10 minutes when feeling anxious, irritable or an onset of anger (Moore & Jongsma, 2015).11)Muscle relaxation (Moore & Jongsma, 2015).Utilize for symptoms of PTSD.Assure the understanding of cognition contribution to his avoidance.12)Give a full description of how thoughts, emotions, maintain a level of fear which produce avoidance (Moore & Jongsma, 2015). This study source was downloaded by 100000808701186 from CourseHero.com on 07-04-2021 08:29:22 GMT -05:00

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