Emotional and Memory Suppression When Processing Trauma - Coursework Example

Running head: emotional & memory suppression when processing Trauma 1st November Provision of effective clinical neuropsychology requires one to have knowledge on impact of multiple factors on cognitive, emotional as well as behavioral functioning. The paper covers the major strategies that are undertaken by clinical neuropsychologists during the emotional and memory suppression when processing trauma for patients. Psychological trauma requires first to be assessed through various means such as interviewing, test-taking, intelligence testing, and testing other areas such as attention, sensory perception, memory, motor functions, problem solving, speed of processing visual and auditory processing, and language among others. The paper discusses the two theories of emotional suppression during trauma. These are Maladaptive suppression and Adaptive suppression theories. The paper provides an opinion of undertaking more research as far as children trauma is concerned due to the seriousness of the implications it may have during their adulthood such as becoming a serial killer. Introduction After experiencing a trauma, individuals are faced with memory problems that need to be addressed in a timely manner to avoid further psychological problems. Clinical neuropsychology is a sub-section of psychology that is concerned with the issue of brain-behaviour relationships. By the use of this knowledge, neuropsychologists are in a position to assess, undertake diagnosis, treat, and rehabilitate their patients. During the assessment stage, neuropsychological tests are undertaken. However, it entails taking the patients history, undertaking qualitative observation as well as drawing findings that may arise from other medical procedures. Some of the major areas that individuals should have extensive knowledge in so as to provide effective clinical neuropsychology include neurobiology, neuropathology, neuroanatomy, and psychopharmacology. Clinical neuropsychologists’ performance is significantly underpinned by their knowledge regarding brain structure, impact of multiple factors on cognitive, emotional as well as behavioural functioning. This paper aims at providing some of the major strategies that are undertaken by clinical neuropsychologists during the emotional and memory suppression when processing trauma for patients. Psychological trauma is a damage that occurs to the psyche as the result experiencing a severe distressing event. A traumatic event is an experience that can occur once or in repeated cases. By experiencing such events, it may lead to serious as well as long-term negative results that are sometimes overlooked by medical professionals. Trauma can be as the result of a number of events. Psychologically traumatic experiences in most cases lead to traumas that result into a threat of ones survival and reduced sense of security. Some of the events that may result into serious psychological trauma include sexual abuse, police brutality, harassment, domestic violence, employment discrimination, and indoctrination among others. According to some theories, occurrence of childhood trauma increases the possibility of one suffering from psychological disorders such as PTSD, substance abuse and depression. Based on the fact that childhood abuse occurs during the most critical stage of development, it tends to have long-term complications. For example, it could result to violent behaviors such as becoming a serial murderer among others. Hickeys Trauma-Control Model indicates that trauma that occurs in childhood for serial murderers may be the triggering force that makes some individual to lack the ability to cope with the stress that is generated by certain events (Gross, 1989). Individuals who experience extremely traumatic events indicate various symptoms that depend on various factors. These include the type of the trauma, the person, and the emotional support one gets from other or the health professionals. It is thus important to identify the various that methods that health professionals should adopt to provide assistance to the individuals experiencing trauma. Assessment Before undertaking the treatment process for patients who have experienced a traumatic experience, it is vital for the clinical neuropsychologist to undertake an assessment. This involves provision of detailed profile of the weaknesses as well as strengths possessed by a patient. One of the advantages of neuropsychological assessment is that it is noted as a sensitive tool that is used for diagnosis of cognitive impairment especially in situation where changes are restrained are not proved on neuroimaging or after screening assessment. In addition, assessment assists in treatment as well as diagnosis process for individuals who are experiencing problems with attention and memory or other issues related to behaviour as well as cognition. Based on the fact that neuropsychological conditions can change positively or negatively within a particular duration or after treatment, assessment is noted as important since it provides a baseline that can be used to undertake a comparison in future on the changes that have occurred. Additionally, it can be used to predict and enhance vocational, social, and educational outcomes. Through undertaking of extensive interview as well as various self administered tests, clinical neuropsychologists are in a position to identify issues that affects their patients. Some of the notable strategies that are undertaken during the neuropsychological assessment include brief consultation, extensive evaluation of the information provided by the patients. Most importantly neuropsychologist can engage in face to face interview in order to get first hand information on the experiences of the patients. A good example of the equipment that can be used during assessment is the screening battery. The battery can be used within 1.5-2 hours. The information that is attained after assessment is then used to develop treatment process that meets the needs of the individuals. Methods of assessment There are a number of methods that clinical neuropsychologist can use to assess the conditions of their patients. The section below indicates some of the major ways. Interviewing Clinical neuropsychologists are at liberty to use structured interviews in their effort to identify the form of neurological problem that their patient may be going through. It is worth to note that patients may have experienced various occurrences that made them to suffer from trauma. For example, an individual may have experienced serious accident, death of relative, death of other people, and natural disaster all of them at once or singly. In such cases, the neuropsychologist may use specific interview that includes patient assessment of own functioning, short portable mental status questionnaire, structured interview, and neuropsychological impairment scale among others. By answering the questions, individuals will provide adequate information that the health professional in deciding the approach of emotional and memory suppression that they will employ. Test-taking Test-taking involves the use standardized tests which are strong predictor of the neuropsychological problems currently being experienced or the ones that may occur in future. In most cases the standardized tests are taken by children (Miller, 2013). One of the major importances of the tests is that they allow clinical neuropsychologists to compare the result of the child with those of the other based on the fact that the tests are the same and they are provided in the same way. Intelligence testing Another method that can be used to retrieve information while providing emotional assistance to individuals undergoing trauma is undertaking intelligence testing. This method can provide a clue as to whether there is an issue that affecting brain-behavior connection. Most of the clinical neuropsychologists adopt the Wechsler Scales to determine the level of intelligence. By checking at various scales, as well as nature of tasks individuals are in a position to identify the gap in performance and verbal scores thus noting any learning disability or availability of damage in a particular area of the mind. Once the intelligence report is ready, the neuropsychologists will then be able to come up with strategies to offer effective treatment. Other areas of testing Apart from the above mentioned methods of assessment, patients experiencing trauma are can also be tested in other areas. Such areas include attention, sensory perception, memory, motor functions, problem solving, speed of processing visual and auditory processing, and language among others. By exploring other areas, the Clinical neuropsychologists will have the advantage of getting more information that the patient may not be willing to provide. Theories of emotional suppression during trauma Studies that were conducted by exposing 85 healthy participants to video on a terrific road accident produced various result. First, suppression of emotions led to reduction of fear experience while they were watching the video but the heart rate and the electrodermal did not change. Secondly, acceptance led to increased electrodermal and heart rate of the participants 5 minutes after viewing the video. There are a number of approaches that have been noted to have emotionally suppression when experiencing trauma. Two major approaches include the maladaptive suppression and adaptive suppression theories. . Maladaptive suppression theory Maladaptive suppression indicates that the current chronic attempts to effectively reduce emotion through suppression are not sustainable. Instead, the theory indicates that by adopting an accepting stance that is non-judgmental in nature, it is possible to attain an emotional suppression (Barnaby et al. 2009). The theory also advocates for interventions that are referred to as third-wave. The interventions advocate for the use of mindfulness as well as acceptance techniques to address the challenges faced by individuals experiencing trauma. Some of the notable acceptance techniques include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (Brewin and Saunders 2001). One of the major implications of these interventions is that they encourage clients to adopt a non-judgmental relationship as well as accepting the emotions in addition to other internal phenomena. The acceptance techniques are different from the standard cognitive therapy in the sense that while the standard cognitive therapy focuses at creating a change in the content of thought and believes that individuals attach to specific events, they aim at changing the relationship of the content (Bradley et al, 2001). One of the key aspects that led to emphasize of using acceptance approach is that they emerged from the thought suppression literature that is influential in nature. They indicate the paradoxical impacts at thought control. According to Maladaptive suppression, it has become almost true that by purposely getting relieving thoughts out of the mind, the consequence is paradoxical increase in the rate of their appearances. The theory also indicates that suppression of emotions instead of thoughts generates a challenge (Anderson, 2007). While in the thought domain the focus is suppressing the object, the emotion domain aims at controlling the emotional reaction to the target. Another notable contribution of the Maladaptive suppression theory is that emotional suppression leads to paradoxical rebound. For instance, suppressing the expression of emotion results to more psychological responses. The Maladaptive theory indicates that productive as well as appropriate functioning of a person are impaired by the implications of suppression. Adaptive suppression theory Adaptive suppression theory on its part indicates that for healthy people, suppression of the material can be done in a successful manner. The experimental studies arguments on thought suppression indicates a further complex picture than what is recognized. In addition, the theory indicates that it has been effectively indicated that through the use of directed forgetting, as well as by retrieval induced inhibition that by manipulating suppression in individuals who are health, result into reduction of subsequent memory of emotional stimuli (Anderson and Green, 2001). Another noble argument by Adaptive suppression theory is that within the clinical domain evidence relating to the impact of emotion instead of suppression can be traced. By being exposed to extreme bad events, the theory indicates that individual react by avoiding unpleasant memories, thoughts as well as emotions. According to Bonanno (2004) the ability to put emotions under control has been related to good judgment especially after the September 11 attacks in US. Another aspect that is covered by the theory is that acceptance can be counter-productive in some cases. This implies that while individuals are advised to accept the situation or by allowing the occurrence of the emotional response could in some cases that are extreme in nature to make people not to accept. While there lacks empirical demonstration on the unhelpful implications of the use of acceptance, it has been noted that emulating self-immersed instead of self-distanced approach results into damaged emotion regulation (Bonanno, 2004). Adaptive suppression theory maintains that acceptance which entails full and open perspective can be treated as being closer to self-immersion as opposed to self-distancing. Thus, the theory is more effective in addressing the challenges faced by individuals dealing with traumatic events. Conclusion As discussed in the paper, it is clear that there are various major strategies that are undertaken by clinical neuropsychologists during the emotional and memory suppression when processing trauma for patients. Major causes of trauma that health professional should not overlook includes harassment, domestic violence, sexual abuse, indoctrination, and discrimination in working places among others. During their childhood, individuals who are undergoing trauma should be provided with emotional assistance to avoid adverse behaviors such as becoming serial killers at the adult age. It is vital to note that majority of the serial murderers are the ones who faced a traumatic event that was not addressed effectively at the early age. It is my view that parents should take a keen exploration of the behaviors of their children. Instead of just punishing the children once they do something bad, the parents should study their behaviors to check whether there is a trace of trauma. Initial stage in the process of suppressing the emotions during trauma is assessing the patient. The assessment as noted earlier can be done through interviews where individuals are required to answer some questions, test taking, undertaking intelligence testing, and doing test in other areas such as the attention of individuals, sensory perception, problem solving skills, motor functioning, and language among other areas. Once adequate information regarding the patient is done, clinical neuropsychologists are now ready to provide mental assistance. Key theories of emotional and memory suppression when processing trauma that have been discussed are Maladaptive suppression and adaptive suppression. The first theory which advocates for the use of acceptance approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and others is deemed not to effective as compared to adaptive suppression hypothesis. This is due to the challenges that emanate by suppressing emotions rather than thought, an aspect that is supported by Maladaptive suppression hypothesis. The topic on emotional and memory suppression when processing trauma has greatly enhanced my skills on dealing with individual suffering from trauma. Additionally, the topic has improved my assessment skills especially when looking for information to provide mental assistance to traumatized people. There is a need for more research especially in curbing and identification of trauma is children. This is based on the huge impact that such children may have in their adulthood. References Anderson, C. (2007). Repression: a cognitive neuroscience approach. Psychoanalysis and neuroscience. Springer; Milan: 2007. pp. 327–350. Anderson, C and Green, C. (2001). Suppressing unwanted memories by executive control. Nature. 2001;390:31–43. Barnaby D et al. (2009). The consequences of effortful emotion regulation when processing distressing material: A comparison of suppression and acceptance. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2764381/ Bonanno, A. (2004). Loss, trauma, and human resilience: have we underestimated the human capacity to thrive after extremely aversive events. American Psychologist. 2004;59:20–28 Bradley, M., Codispoti, M., Cuthbert, N., Lang, J. (2001). Emotion and motivation I: defensive and appetitive reactions in picture processing. Emotion. 2001;1:276–298. Brewin R and Saunders J. (2001). The effect of dissociation at encoding on intrusive memories for a stressful film. British Journal of Medical Psychology. 2001;74:467–472. Gross J. (1989). Emotional expression in cancer onset and progression. Social Science & Medicine. 1989; 28:39–48 Miller, C. (2013). Essentials of School Neuropsychological Assessment. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Read More