ABSTRACT
A 40-year-old divorced Cambodian female was seen for very poor sleep and nightmares. She gave a horrifi c history of her life during the Pol Pot regime. She said she saw her father executed in front of her. She was beaten for having stolen food and threatened with execution but was saved at the last moment. She was forced to marry a man, but had little contact with him after she got pregnant. Her child was born in Thailand, and then she came to the U.S. as a refugee. She remarried into an abusive relationship. She was diagnosed with PTSD and depression, and was treated for about three years before she dropped out. We did not see her again until 14 years later, when she came in with marked symptoms; severe nightmares, severe insomnia, irritability and a great deal of agitation. This was precipitated by her sister having sent her an old picture of her father. That brought back the memory of when he was still alive, he was cut open and his liver removed. She had witnessed this and described it in more detail than ever before. She subsequently has remained in treatment. She also suff ered from hypertension and diabetes.
