stress disorder that it appears as if they are paranoid. A careful reading of post traumatic stress disorder symptoms and diagnostic criteria indicates that Dr. Walker's classical theory of battered women's syndrome is contained within. For instance, both theories require that the victim be exposed to a traumatic event. In Dr. Walker's theory, she describes the traumatic event as a cycle of violence. The post traumatic stress disorder theory, on the other hand, only requires that the event be markedly distressing to almost everyone. Thus, the cycle of violence described by Dr. Walker is considered a traumatic stressor for the purposes of diagnosing post traumatic stress disorder. Additionally, like the classical theory of battered women's syndrome, the theory of post traumatic stress disorder recognizes that an individual may become helpless after exposure to a traumatic event. Although the post traumatic stress disorder theory seems to incorporate Dr. Walker's theory, it is more inclusive in that it recognizes that different individuals may have different reactions to traumatic events and does not rely heavily on the theory of learned helplessness to explain why battered women stay with their abusers.There are several methods a professional can utilize to treat individuals suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. The most successful treatments are those that they administer immediately after the traumatic event. Experts commonly call this type of treatment critical incident stress debriefing. Although this type of treatment is effective in halting the development of post traumatic stress disorder, the cyclical nature and gradual escalation of violence in domestic abuse situations make critical incident stress debriefing an unlikely therapy for battered women.The second type of treatment is administered after post traumatic stress disorder has developed and is less effective than critical incident stress debriefing. This type of t...
