Crash Course Psychology #31: Trauma and Addiction

Identify the DSM-V symptom clusters used to diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder

Explain dissociation and its relationship to post-traumatic stress disorder

Describe how trauma affects brain structures such as the limbic system and hippocampus

Explain the connection between trauma-related disorders and substance abuse or addiction

Play the video episode before assigning the worksheet, since every question directs students back to it for evidence ("Use the video linked above to answer the following questions")

Use the teacher answer key to check for the specific facts and case details from the episode, such as the drone-operator case and Tolkien's WWI service, rather than general topic knowledge

Preview the episode's content before showing it to the class, since it covers PTSD, combat trauma, and addiction in some depth

Video-based note-taking and comprehension — students extract specific facts (diagnostic criteria, case details, neuroscience terms) from a psychology video and record them in writing.

Psychological-disorder vocabulary — students define and apply terms such as PTSD, dissociation, post-traumatic growth, and substance dependence.

Case-based application — students connect specific case examples in the video (Tolkien, the drone operator) to the general concepts of trauma and post-traumatic growth.