What is PTSD? Psychologist Testifies to Diagnosing Amber Heard With PTSD

Amber Heard’s mental health was brought up again in court on Tuesday. During the ongoing defamation trial, Dr Dawn Hughes, a clinical and forensic psychologist hired by Amber Heard’s legal team, testified that she diagnosed Amber Heard with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, as a result of alleged “intimate partner violence” at the hands of her ex, Johnny Depp.

What is PTSD?

Failure to recover after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event characterises this disorder. The condition can last months or years, with triggers bringing back memories of the trauma and causing intense emotional and physical reactions. Symptoms may include nightmares or flashbacks, avoidance of situations that trigger the trauma, increased sensitivity to stimuli, anxiety, or depression. Treatment consists of various types of psychotherapy as well as symptom-management medications.

How did the interview go with Amber Heard?

Dr Hughes’ diagnosis follows a 29-hour forensic psychological evaluation in which she conducted a clinical interview with Amber Heard and asked her about her life before and after her marriage to Depp. A psychological testing component also allowed Hughes to conduct a “broad scan” of various symptomatologies that people may have in their lives, giving her indicators as to how the Aquaman actress approached the test. Dr. Hughes also went over a number of documents, including Amber Heard’s medical records as well as the audio and text messages presented during the trial.

Dr Hughes conclusions after reviewing the data

Dr. Hughes reached a few expert conclusions after reviewing the data, including that “intimate partner violence” occurred between Amber Heard and Depp. Dr Hughes told the court in her second main opinion that Amber Heard demonstrated “very clear psychological and traumatic effects” from three statements Depp made through his attorney. She diagnosed Amber Heard with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, as a result of the alleged intimate partner violence she claims she suffered at the hands of Depp during this evaluation.

Dr. Hughes stated, “I diagnosed Ms Amber Heard with post-traumatic stress disorder.” “The cause is the aetiology. You must have an actual cause in order to meet the criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder. It’s one of the few diagnostic entities for which we have to have a cause, and the cause was Mr. Depp’s intimate partner violence.”

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Shraddha

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