Poll Is PTSD Preventable?

[anthony]

Basically Marlene, in your circumstances you should have been counselled at age 10 after the trauma. If you where counselled at that point, and I mean counselled to the point where you have talked it all out, you understand what has happened and grieve the trauma itself, you would not have likely got PTSD now from the remainder of your life stressors. That one unresolved point is what caused the chain reaction, simply awaiting the catalyst in life to throw you right over the edge and allow PTSD to become fully developed and formed in the mind. Its a scary thought that most of us could have avoided having PTSD "IF" we knew then what we know now.

No child wants to go into counselling, so you force them into it, regardless their wishes. Sorry, yes its abrupt, its meant to be. People actually will do things when forced if they are progressively made to feel that the forced act is within their best interest, regardless what they think at the time, they will come around and they will help themselves, if for nothing more than to get out of having to attend regular counselling. Forcing a person to do something can and will actually work if done correctly, and if the counsellor is worth their qualification, they will know how to lead them into feeling comfortable and ensure they feel that this forced act is within their best interest, and made to feel that, not just think it.

Once again, counsellors worth their weight are few and far between, sorry to say for those with qualifications, but most are useless when it comes to real counselling, they only do what they know from a text book, because they are not mentally tuned to counsel, more they chose the profession for other reasons, not because they are suited to it. Most should know what I mean... it is like putting any group of people in a job, one person is suited to it and will perform extremely well, the rest just drag themselves through the process of doing what they have been told to do, or learnt to do, not actually necessarily suited to the job itself.

 

[Marlene]

Basically Marlene, in your circumstances you should have been counselled at age 10 after the trauma.

You've missed the most important part of the question I asked-the fact that I didn't remember for years. Amnesia about tramatic events is used as a tool for diagnosising PTSD. And when I did remember, I resupressed the memories I do have for another decade. Plus the fact that when those of us in the over 30 crowd here remember how going to therapy had such a negative connotation for so long. Actually, I've found out the hard way, anything associated with mental health still has a stigma attached to it. And I think that the stigma is what would doom any forced therapy programs from the beginning.

Education about PTSD (and all it entails) is going to be the key. Even if you take words like 'forced' and 'manditory' and find nicer souding uphemisms..you're really just picking fly shit out of pepper. For years no one talked about depression, now they have TV ads telling you 'If you have these symptoms...you might be suffering from depression...see your doctor'. Changes do happen. Once a month where I work, they include a health newsletter (one page-front and back) in our pay statements. In April's there was a section about PTSD. I could have fallen out of my chair when I read it. But it's going to take governments getting off of their collective asses and their wallets and putting out information, TV/radio/any mass media ads about it, offering councelling (another point-who pays for the councelling if it's forced?), and a myriad of others points would need to be covered.

If there's to be change, it's going to be slow. Human's don't like their change quickly. Also, there are a lot of people out their who need help with what falls under the general heading of 'mental health' and who's voices ask for the same thing. PTSD is important to us because it affects us or loved ones. But to someone who has another problem/issue, theirs is just as important.

If we lived in an ideal world, when something traumatic happened to anyone there would be early intervention and help given and, hopefully, this person would go on to live a happy, fully life without PTSD. But we live in the real world and unless a person has access to unlimited funds, it's a much smaller chance of the above happening.

You asked if PTSD was preventable with forced therapy...I still say no. Offering councelling services with qualified doctor's, educating the person about the risks they're taking, getting rid of the stigma attached to mental health. Those would work much better. But the caveat that needs to be put in here is that without the cooperation of the individual who needs to be helped, time and resources are wasted. And those could be used for someone that does want help.

Again...IMO
Lisa

 

[anthony]

You are correct in what you say, no doubt, being that in those days people ignored the very things that society today see and recognise as real issues, commone issues, and not simply a person thats crazy or the like. At age 10 though, its not your responsibility to get yourself into counselling, its the adults around you, noticing something has changed, your different, something is wrong, hence to counsel and find out, whether it initially be with someone you trust in order to get the story of what happened, to help you remember, because amnesia doesn't work that way where you have just totally forgotten, but more you simply can't find the answers at that time, hence why most amnesia are temporary, and come back as the mind wants to reveal the answers, as the answers are still stored in the mind, they didn't go anywhere, its only the minds ability to block or unblock the paths to that information. Swelling in the brain is one method amnesia is common, another is trauma (once again temporary) as the mind chooses to displace the information, not forget it. As you well know though by now, the mind is more powerful than we give it credit, and this misplaced information still feeds negativity into our brain, hence we react differently, hence we still end up with PTSD even if temporary amnesia is at play. Rude... but on the mark.

But you are right when talking about our decades Lisa, but what we did is not a reflection of what should occur, nor is it a reflection of the future. We cannot go back and change our pasts, nor can we change how our parents generation view mental illness... hell, nor even our generation, however; we can shape the futures generations, and that is via adults being responsible enough with children to know if they need to take their kids off to counselling, to get someone the child trust even to find the issue if good enough to do so, but the child must not carry the trauma for decades and end up like us. We can change the future of PTSD if we want, but it must be done now. Ignoring it and saying people must choose to get counselled is not necessarily the correct reflection to obtain the future goal, especially when your talking about children and teenagers. None of them want counselling, so why would anyone ask them, instead if your the responsible adult, you would ensure they get what is in their best interest if in doubt. It is like saying we would not protect a child from something hot, instead just let them burn themselves first to learn.... not how it works. Its too late after a child has burnt themselves, and when assumptions are made that the child will only burn themselves a little, nothing bad, is when the child falls under panic, and ends up dead from majority body burns or the like. This is an example... same end result. We must protect and do what is right for those that surround us, even if they don't believe its the right thing to do, as adults and especially those who have suffered trauma and know the end repercussions, forced counselling is likely the only way we will decrease the issue, especially military on return from operations.... it would surely be cheaper to put all soldiers into private counselling sessions, or hire more counsellors for the purpose and intent to ensure all soldiers are counselled weekly for one year after deployment, minimum 3 months, or where the counsellor feels the soldier has been honest and opened up completely about their trauma.

We can prevent, but we cannot prevent if the option is left solely to those who DO NOT know any better, or DO NOT know the consequences of their actions, nor the full extent. You cannot understand PTSD unless you have it, however; do you want the to get it or do you want them to avoid it?

Just my opinion....

 

[Marlene]

Putting children in the mix puts a whole different spin on things. At least for me, who has been through having a child in therapy. When my daughter started hurting herself and saying things like 'If everyone I love is going to die, why should I stick around?', I would have done anything, given anything, paid any price to help her. Part of the price I'm still paying because of the almost three years of stress and fear that myself and my family went through with dealing with this was part of what caused my PTSD to kick into high gear. Would I do it again-knowing what I know now, knowing what I would have to go through? In a heartbeat and more if needed.

Yes, my parents should have seen that something was wrong with me, that something was different. But when you don't know what to look for...I could point fingers all night and it won't change a damn thing. We were taught to be afraid of 'strangers with candy'. No one told us that trusted family friends (or family) were just as dangerous (or more so) than strangers. Again...now that these issues are being brought out of the dark, so to speak, they can be addressed. But even if my parents had seen something was wrong and wanted to do something about it, there really wasn't anything to be offered during that time. Now there is and that makes all of the difference.

The connotation I got from your initial poll was that this forced councelling applied to adults. Again...you hit a sticking point there. How would you propose forcing an adult to do something they don't want to, don't think they need, ect? Short of damn near incarcerating them, I really don't see how it would work. But I'm also a proponant of having the choice of how I (and others) decide to live.

When I taught school, we would teach children as young as three about 'bad touches' and 'good touches' and telling a grown up if someone touches you in your private places. I didn't even hear the word molestation until I was almost an adult and the meaning wasn't fully understood until later. I agree that educating our children and their children and dealing with situations that arise is as close to prevention of PTSD as we're going to get. Educating adults is a much tougher nut to crack. But at least things are starting to change.

this misplaced information still feeds negativity into our brain, hence we react differently, hence we still end up with PTSD even if temporary amnesia is at play. Rude... but on the mark.

BTW-not rude...truthful.

 

[becvan]

I just answered no. Being "forced" is a far cry from willing. Willing therapy is a two way street where the client/patient works hard with the information they are given. Being forced means the therapist is simply giving them information and attempting to manipulate the client/patient into doing the work. Being forced to do anything never has the results a willing participant has.

Pretty simple in my book.

bec

 

[just tina]

In the U.S., soldiers are asking for help and not getting it.

It doesn't make any sense for the military to force people into traumatizing situations and then force them into counseling that might not be effective it were entered voluntarily. The military has a long history of treating people like lab rats.

Furthermore, there are nations full of traumatized people who are not being offered help at all.

Doesn't forcing people into counseling place the onus on the victim to survive, instead of questioning the forces that are causing the trauma?

 

[Awakening]

After my assault the college called me into the deans office and there was a (male) psychologist, I got so agro. I refused. I was so not ready to talk. They really tried to force it so they could follow the procedure in their books. Ironically though, if someone had followed up with me in a month or so, I may have been more willing then.

So I voted no.

 

[just tina]

"Agro"? Haven't heard this one before.

Good for you for standing up for yourself.

I really don't how coercion can help. If they are forcing you, they aren't very persuasive. Does someone who has been victimized really need to be denied control over their lives to get better? When does that end?

It offends me when a psychiatrist tells me on the first visit that I have if I don't commit to years of therapy with them right then, that I don't want to get better. Is it a sign of mental health to make a commitment to a stranger who hasn't even begun to demonstrate that they have the ability to help you?

 

[Mayhem]

PTSD "is" a trauma and You cant stop a trauma from happening.

 

[pandora]

I was forced into therapy as a kid but had no family support to assist me and that might have made it easier or more effective at the time. I think that plays a big part...how supported you are. You also need to be ready...I was not so my answer is no.

 

[waif123]

the right counseling can help many people avoid developing PTSD, but if forced the person may not respond, and there is some evidence, that suggests things like clinical debriefing can increase the odds of getting PTSD. Each person is very unique on how a trauma will effect them, immediate intervention, does not help everyone. so I voted NO

 

[Don]

a different question

This poll is designed to gain feedback on whether those with PTSD, spouses off and family members, believe whether or not the persons PTSD could have been prevented if immediate counselling, and ongoing counselling was sort after the traumatic event.

anthony,

I think advance preparation for the trauma would have much greater potential for reducing PTSD, than after trauma treatment.

Just as some are able not to be nearly so deeply traumatized by the same events that so horrendously affect others, training can and should be used to locate the more sensitive ones so they can become desensitized (perhaps through simulations) so they're much better able to handle high trauma settings such as when people are sent off to a war zone (or, facing some other setting where severe trauma's encountered).

The military's 'basic training' includes physical training plus some skills, along with obeying orders within the command structure, but what's needed imo is the extra step, of participants being prepared emotionally for all likely and not so likely outcomes.

Don