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Module 5: Post 1: Interaction Influences between Personality and Multicultural Factors




Case Study: A Fictional Exploration of PTSD

 

River is a 30-year-old and served in the US Army for ten years, completing three tours of duty in Iraq. Intense combat situations, firefights, IED attacks, and civilian casualties consumed his daily life directly and indirectly during his tours. During his tour, he was diagnosed with a TBI after an IED explosion that took the lives of his friend and fellow soldiers. He continued to tour until he was honorably discharged from military service. After returning to civilian life, River relocated to his hometown for work. However, he encountered multicultural environments immeasurably different from his military community, to which he could not quickly acclimate for the first 2 years. He decided to do landscaping work to avoid too many interactions with others.  In addition, he was diagnosed with PTSD by the VA but refused any therapeutic or medication treatments from them. He got along during this time with support from family and his military friend Niles, who was with him when the IED exploded. Niles went back home after the explosion due to PTSD and TBI. River and Niles spent much time talking, supporting each other, and playing video games. About 2 years ago, Niles committed suicide, but before he did, he tried to reach out to River for support, but River drank heavily at that time and ignored his calls. Two days after Niles's last phone call and text message to attempt to reach out to River, he committed suicide. River feels highly guilty for not taking his calls and for missing the signs that he was struggling and needed help. At the beginning of therapy, River had a severe presentation of PTSD: intrusive memories, nightmares, hypervigilance, emotional dysregulation, and severe avoidance behaviors that were impacting his daily life and relationships. He began AA for alcohol use disorder and Adlerian therapy that integrated other therapies to generate a complete therapeutical plan that would fit his needs. River has stopped drinking, completed treatment, and has gotten a job in IT with a multicultural environment different from his military community and prior landscaping job.

 

Module 5: Post 1: Interaction influences between personality and multicultural factors

 

The presentation of PTSD and its severity can differ amongst male and female veterans, impacting their personality traits and how these traits interact with multicultural factors (Cervone & Pervin, 2023). Since River is a male, he is more likely to externalize symptoms (anger, aggression, or irritability) and avoid seeking assistance due to (cultural/societal norms) masculinity, which leads to a more significant association with hypervigilance and risk-taking behaviors. Now that River is starting his dream job in IT, he has to be mindful of his personality traits that could influence his multicultural interactions. His pre-military personality assessment was within normal extraversion ranges; now, his PEN shows that he is introverted and struggles with initiating conversation. In the past, he has been irritable with emotional instability and anxiousness.


Grounding techniques have helped him in the past, but hypervigilance and anxiety (neuroticism) can make him sensitive to perceived criticism or misunderstanding in multicultural contexts (Shields et al., 2020). Mindfulness can help him relax and remain present during multicultural events. In addition, River is constantly on edge, scanning for threats. If this happens during work, he will mistrust unfamiliar customs or behaviors, causing him to misinterpret harmless actions as threatening. He could become dismissive or evasive when misinterpretation transpires, leading to frustration or withdrawal. Grounding techniques such as the 5-4-3-2-1 Method, Deep Breathing, and Tense and Release can assist River with getting through these moments and triggers (Shields et al., 2020). The next issue is that River's PTSD has exacerbated his tendency toward social (extraversion) withdrawal and isolation. He often avoids large crowds, and corporate companies are known to have multicultural gatherings that could trigger sensory overload or internal states of feeling out of place. He could lose opportunities to network or build relationships. Acknowledge 5 things he can see, Acknowledge 4 things he can feel, Acknowledge 3 things he can hear, Acknowledge 2 things he can smell, and Acknowledge 1 thing he can taste can reorient him back with his social surroundings.


River does show some curiosity (openness) about other cultures; however, he struggles to engage meaningfully due to his PTSD-induced avoidance behaviors limiting deeper interactions. PTSD amplifies River's irritability and distrust (agreeableness). In other multicultural settings, he has become defensive if he perceives others as questioning his service experiences or values. River military service and training implanted a strong sense of discipline and responsibility (conscientiousness). He has previously applied these traits to his work in other multicultural offices. While there was great respect for him for his structured approach and work ethic, his rigidity sometimes created unnecessary tension when others prioritized flexibility or relational dynamics. Grounding techniques such as deep breathing can reduce stress, lower heart rate, improve his focus, and reorient himself to the present to be more open, agreeable, and conscientious to his new multicultural office (Shields et al., 2020).


Other PTSD symptoms can manifest in multicultural interactions, such as intrusive memories and emotional numbing. In the past, River has mentioned that he has experienced memories after engaging in cultural practices like fireworks or parades, triggering memories of combat and IED explosions that caused him to avoid culturally significant events. This often triggers him to withdraw from connecting with others, and during these phases, he appears unfriendly or unapproachable in multicultural environments. Tense and Release or Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) can reduce his stress, manage PTSD symptoms, and promote relaxation by tensing and relaxing his muscle groups, allowing him to reconnect with his body and reduce hyperarousal symptoms (Krick & Felfe, 2024). PTSD drastically influences how male veterans like River circumnavigate personality traits and multicultural interactions. River traits such as neuroticism and low agreeableness will amplify challenges. Targeted individual counseling interventions coupled with behavioral therapy (systematic desensitization) and CBT (grounding therapy) can help to foster resilience, improve relationships, and facilitate integration into diverse environments.

 

References


Cervone, D., & Pervin, L. A. (2023). Personality: Theory and research (15th ed.). Wiley.



Krick, A., Felfe, J., (2024). Comparing the Effectiveness of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention and Progressive Muscle Relaxation in a Military Context. Mindfulness 15, 80–99. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-023-02281-7


Shields, J., Pechek, A., Brinck, E., and Sprong, M. (2020). Strategies for Improving Employment Outcomes of Veterans Diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The Rehabilitation Professional, 28(4), pp. 225-244. https://www.jurispro.com/files/articles/strategiesforimprovingemploymentoutcomesofveteransdiagnosedwithposttraumaticstressdisorderptsd_8690.pdf

 
 
 

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