TITLE:
Approach and Means of Support for Mental Disorders Caused by the Traumatic Amputation of a Limb
AUTHORS:
Bogdan Alexandru Ciubară, Ovidiu Alexa, Lucian Ștefan Burlea, Ilinca Untu, Anamaria Ciubară
KEYWORDS:
Amputated Limb, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Acute Stress Disorder, Depression, Anxiety
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.3 No.6,
May
21,
2015
ABSTRACT: Amputation, one of the oldest types of
surgery performed for therapeutic purposes, has main indication, the severe
trauma to a limb that is incompatible to preserve because of the irreversible
ischemia. The loss of a limb due to trauma has also a devastating emotional
impact on a patient, escalating to genuine mental disorders that stretch out
further than the loss of the limb itself produces. Thus, there is a certain
sequential order regarding risk for developing mental disorders, starting from
the immediate reaction, the acute stress disorder, and ending with the
post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety that is mostly related
to one’s perceived image, which further aggravates their disability. The
present paper aims to realize a synthesis of the emotional elements that can
intensify up to mental disorders; by understanding the impact of squeal produced
by the amputation, we can actually improve the multidisciplinary approach
before and after surgery for the patient that suffered an amputation.