Anger and Fear in Post-Traumatic Experiences Essay - 13

Anger and Fear in Post-Traumatic Experiences - Essay Example As the paper outlines. while Peter seems to be devoid of our usual notion of fear and anger, the ensuing analysis would indicate that he is actually suffering from these two emotions, albeit, in a different manner. Fear is defined as an emotional feeling generated when a person feels a threat or some form of harm manifested through bravado or anxiety and usually prompting a decision whether to fight or escape from it. Anger, on the other hand, is defined as a strong feeling of grievance and displeasure. How does fear and anger manifests in the seemingly jovial and confident Peter? From our definition of fear, we can see that Peter responds to the threat of permanent paralysis by using self-reassuring (bravado) techniques such as the ‘my parents will take care of it’ and rejection of the most probable outcome by constantly thinking that he will get better and be back to normal. Anger is not readily apparent as it is not outwardly expressed but one can surmise that Peter i s angry at himself for his unfortunate accident and the ensuing helplessness the paralysis has brought upon him. He grieves for himself and his reliance on his parents signifies his resignation. This suppressed anger at his situation is often referred to as ‘hidden’ anger. Traumatic events are multidimensional in nature and are perceived as extremely unpleasant subjective experience. Not only is the biological aspect of the body harmed but also the psychological well-being of the person. Psychological response to life-changing traumatic experiences differs for every individual and depends on his personality and cognitive appraisal. Herrero observes that certain personality types are more adaptive than others. Those with a healthy personality have been observed to be more optimistic and confident with their situation and treatment than those with personality disorders such as being schizoid, antisocial, dependent and avoidant.