Logotherapy and post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd)

a case study of a kidnapping in guatemala

Lucrecia Mollinedo de Moklebust

pp. 245-257

in: Alexander Batthyány (ed), Logotherapy and existential analysis, Berlin, Springer, 2016

Abstract

This paper is a case study of a patient who had been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after being kidnapped and held captive for 14 days. The patient was referred to the Clinic of the Instituto de Ciencias de la Familia (ICF) in Guatemala, presenting with difficulty in engaging with pharmacological treatment and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The patient presented with symptoms of insomnia, anxiety, a constant sense of danger, nightmares, and intrusive memories. This paper presents a narrative case study, which concurs with the diagnostic criteria of the DSM-IV. It also outlines a successful treatment outcome using logotherapy.