Cognitive processes in post-traumatic stress disorder

Authors

  • Gamze Yıldırımlı Uludağ Üniversitesi Mediko Sosyal ve Gençlik Danışma Merkezi
  • Ahmet Tosun Okan Üniversitesi Psikoloji Bölümü Akfırat Kampüsü, Tuzla, İstanbul

Keywords:

Trauma, anxiety, information processing, cognition, attention, memory, dissociation

Abstract

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) consists of a pattern of symptoms that include cognitive, affective, sensory and behavioral systems. In PTSD, the individual experiences disturbing emotions and sensations such as anxiety, panic, depression, anger, tension, high startle response and hyper-vigilance as a result of re-experiencing traumatic memories, flashbacks, attention difficulties, memory loss, nightmares and intrusive thoughts. To get rid of these emotions, he avoids all stimuli that remind the traumatic event. The cognitive approach asserts that cognitions play a triggering and maintaining role for these symptoms and tries to explain them with the information processing framework. According to this approach, the traumatic event that is experienced is processed differently from daily, ordinary events. This different information processing strategy stands out in attention, memory, dissociation, cognitive beliefs, cognition-affect processes and coping strategies. In the present paper, research on how these constructs that are parts of the information processing in cognitive systems function in PTSD will be reviewed.

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Author Biographies

Gamze Yıldırımlı, Uludağ Üniversitesi Mediko Sosyal ve Gençlik Danışma Merkezi

Gamze Yıldırımlı was born in 1985 in Erzurum. She finished Bursa Anatolian High School in 2003 and completed her bachelor degree in Hacettepe University Psychology Department in 2007. She started Okan University Adultomorphic Clinical Psychology Master Programme in 2008 and during the master programme she managed individual psychotheraphy sessions for adults, in company with supervision in Okan University Clinical Psychology Department. In the second year of the programme, she served as assistant of Prof.Dr.Perin Yolaç, Adultomorphic Clinical Psychology Master Programme Coordinator. As of July 2010, she works in Uludağ University Medico Social Health Sports and Psychological Counseling Center.

Ahmet Tosun, Okan Üniversitesi Psikoloji Bölümü Akfırat Kampüsü, Tuzla, İstanbul

Psikoloji Bölümü

Yrd.Doç.Dr.

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Published

2012-11-01

How to Cite

Yıldırımlı, G., & Tosun, A. (2012). Cognitive processes in post-traumatic stress disorder. Journal of Human Sciences, 9(2), 1429–1442. Retrieved from https://www.j-humansciences.com/ojs/index.php/IJHS/article/view/1847

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 2 (2012)

Section

Psychology

License

Uluslararası İnsan Bilimleri Dergisi ISSN:1303-5134
International Journal of Human Sciences ISSN:2458-9489
 
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