reatment may consist of psychodynamic psychotherapy, behavioral therapy, pharmacotherapy and group therapy. The most effective post-manifestation treatment for battered women is group therapy. In a group therapy session, battered women can discuss traumatic memories, post traumatic stress disorder symptoms and functional deficits with others who have had similar experiences. By discussing their experiences and symptoms, the women form a common bond and release repressed memories, feelings and emotions.To summarize, many experts regard battered women's syndrome as a subcategory of post traumatic stress disorder. The diagnostic criteria for post traumatic stress disorder include a history of exposure to a traumatic event and symptoms from each of three symptom clusters: intrusive recollections, avoidant/numbing symptoms and hyper arousal symptoms. After exposure to a traumatic event, defined by the DSM-IV as one that is markedly distressing to almost everyone, an individual suffering from post traumatic stress disorder may suffer intrusive recollections, which consist of daytime fantasies, traumatic nightmares and flashbacks. The individual may also try to avoid stimuli that remind him/her of the traumatic event and/or develop symptoms associated with generic anxiety disorders. Critical incident stress debriefing, psychodynamic psychotherapy, behavioral therapy, pharmacotherapy and group therapy are all recognized as effective treatments for post traumatic stress disorder. IV. ConclusionAlthough there are many different theories of battered women's syndrome, most are all variations or hybrids of the three main theories outlined above. A sound understanding of Dr. Walker's classical battered women's syndrome theory, Gondolf and Fisher's survivor theory of battered women's syndrome and the post traumatic stress disorder theory, will permit the reader to identify the origins and essential elements of these various hybrids and provide them wi...
