Lady-Angel

I would say that PTSD cannot actually be prevented but through treatment, the symptoms can become more manageable. It is very hard to completely stop the symptoms that result from a traumatic event because of how much psychological distress it has already caused. Exposure therapy is a kind of treatment that allows the individual with PSTD to reface the memories that are creating the disturbances, in order to learn how to better cope with them more effectively. This is helpful for people who have nightmares and flashbacks that have been causing a great deal of disturbance in their life. Although this approach allows one to re-enter the the setting in which they experienced the trauma through a virtual reality, it may be very challenging at first and may cause them to want to retract from treatment. If I were treating PTSD, I would utilize this approach further along in the treatment process.

Religion plays a very critical role in an individual's perspective, specifically on treatment for mental health. If you come from a religion that has teachings centered around not reaching out to others for help in times of distress or need (rather going to God), then there is a very high chance that it will keep an individual's distressing symptoms in continuance. In my psychopathology course, we talked a lot about contributing factors associated with mental illnesses and disorders. Religion/culture are factors that can make an individual stay in a state of stagnation, rather than move toward therapeutic gain. Of course, there is nothing wrong with believing in a higher power to get rid of all your worries, stress, and pain. But what makes it more challenging to help treat someone's debilitating symptoms, is when their culture or religious beliefs are centered around not seeking out help and sometimes the help is necessary. I also want to talk a bit about culture as they are both in the same scope. This can function as a domino effect. If parents come from a culture or religion where they don't even believe in having a mental illness or have a negative stigma associated with mental health, it will negatively affect children who reach out to their parents for help with a mental disorder. For example, research shows that African Americans have a very high stigma associated with mental health. If a child is suffering from depression and the parents believe that depression isn't in fact real, then the depressive symptoms of that child will continue to stay active. Our perspectives on mental health will always be shaped by our upbringing and what we have been taught.

As far as emotional differences, psychopaths have the inability to feel emotions, they lack remorse, and any kind of guilt. It is almost as if they have no conscious. They can mimick human emotions. Conversely, sociopaths on the other hand, actually have the ability to feel some emotions (although these feelings are very shallow). Additionally, one of the main differences between psychopaths and sociopaths is rooted in the contributing factors that makes one more prone to fitting into either category (and also explains the emotional differences). Ever heard of the saying "psychopaths are born, sociopaths are made?" Research has shown that those who are psychopaths have a genetic predisposition, while sociopaths develop this mental state from their social environment. Hint the word social in the word sociopath. Therefore, a huge contributing factor for a psychopath is neurological components that alter their brain chemistry. Research demonstrates that psychopaths have reduced connections in the part of the brain that is responsible for empathy and guilt, as well as a reduction in fear and anxiety. Sociopaths on the other hand, develop this mental state from their environment (an important contributing factor). For example, someone who comes from a dangerous, toxic, unhealthy, and unstable environment is more prone to developing a mental illness/ disorder. Bowlby's attachment disorder is an example of how one's environment plays a significant part in their mental state. When children grow up in unhealthy environments, they form unstable attachments to their caregiver. As they grow older and transition into adulthood, this same unhealthy attachment that was formed in their childhood, transitions into their adult life, and makes them more susceptible to an unstable mental state. It will also create unstable bonds with the people in their life. Our environments will either help our mental states develop and progress in a healthy way, or for some, it can be the cause of disturbances later on. These contributing factors may explain the emotional differences between the two. Because there is an alteration rooted in the brain chemistry for psychopaths, this explains why they lack a conscious or guilt and are emotionless. When there is a reduction in the vital part of the brain for functioning, it is much harder to display feelings. Whereas for a sociopath, their cognitive state isn't rooted in an alteration of brain chemistry. Rather they have just been subjected to destructive environments, which is why they can still from stable relationships with others. I would like to think that perhaps a change of environment (along with the right treatment) they will react to treatment more faster and easily than a psychopath whose genetic predisposition can't be modified.