Bessel van der Kolk – Developmental Trauma Disorder – The Nexus of Attachment, Trauma and Brain

Prior to 1980, hundreds of people lived in the area. of Many thousands of Vietnam vets returned with symptoms that didn’t fit within an established diagnosis. The Introduction of The DSM III diagnosis of PTSD made it possible to recognize their condition and There are many treatments that can be used. Today, we find ourselves in a similar position. Ten times as many children are reported to be victims in the US each year. of domestic violence, neglect and More abuse than fighting soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan is diagnosed with PTSD. These children are still living in the diagnostic void of the current DSM.-IV conceptualization of The symptoms of PTSD are not the same as those experienced by the vast majority. of These children. Because trauma can occur within the context of Trauma is a far cry from the safe interpersonal attachment that was supposed to exist. and has profound effects upon brain development and The formation of The self. So, instead, abused and Neglected children are often given a variety of diagnoses, including conduct disorder, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and conduct disorder. and Other anxiety disorders All of These diagnoses do not have anything to do with trauma. and This could lead to pharmacological and Behavior control at the expense of Dealing with fear, shame, and terror and rage that derive from real threats to these children’s survival. The Manufactured insufficient of Proper diagnosis has important implications for insurance reimbursement and treatment development and clinical research. These children are therefore likely to receive ineffective treatments. and This puts them at risk of being unproductive, dangerous, and costly as they grow up. and Long-suffering members of our society.

This neglect was addressed of our nation’s greatest public health threat, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s DSM-V Task Force proposes a new clinical syndrome. Developmental Trauma DisorderBased on literature reviews of About 100,000 children are chronically traumatized and Systematic observations made directly of 20,000 traumatized children. These are the five clusters of traumatized children. of Many children who have been through repeated trauma in an interpersonal environment are affected by the following symptoms: (1) affect and impulse dysregulation; (2) disturbances of attention, cognition, and (3) Distortions in self consciousness-Perception and Systems of meaning; (4) inter-personal difficulties and (5) somatization and Biochemical dysregulation

This presentation will cover the development. of DTD as a diagnosis and Give an overview of Field trial of DTD in preparation for inclusion in the DSM-V.