Sexual Assault Ptsd Timetable

[Chris516]

A friend of mine that recently finally spoke up about being sexually abused by her uncle. Was suddenly told to have a goal of, no more than four 'PTSD outbreaks' a week. I was disgusted when I heard that a local mental health hospital had dropped that on her. I am not trying to 'take over' her feelings. But she is a vulnerable adult(21) and I am her only other constant emotional support in addition to her father. She has a 'caregiver'. But since 2013 when I started helping the caregivers. Three caregivers have died. All the rest, quit because they had to, quit because they couldn't cope with my friend's behavior, or were fired for incompetence. So, To suddenly tell her that she should have a goal of no more than four PTSD outbreaks a week. Only a few weeks after she finally brought the abuse to light. Is unfair in my opinion.

What do you think?

 

[Justmehere]

What do you mean by "PTSD outbreak"? Do you mean her behavior being out of control?

Or is it having any PTSD symptoms at all?

Is this a treatment goal they would like her to achieve with therapy over time, or is it a requirement for her to meet to get treatment in the first place?

Does she have a therapist who is specialized in trauma who is working with her and the hospital to come up with this treatment plan?

What does your friend think of the goal?

 

[Gadgie]

Do you mean "mood swings?" Where it's possible to have outbreaks of, anger, frustration, and brooding in silence, tearful and agitation?

 

[Deleted member 20280]

Right then so let me get this right, are we talking no more than 4 episodes a week to focus her into controlling her own symptoms, or to have at least 4 episodes a week and no less ??

 

[Ariane]

I do believe that it is a little unfair. while my own PTSD therapy has been unorthodox, I understand that what they call "outbreak" I call "episode," where I experience panic, flashbacks, the likes. I completely understand and yes, that is unfair.

 

[RussH]

Perhaps they should send out a notice to all the people in the town to not trigger her any more than four times a week.

 

[Deleted member 20280]

If I am only allowed 4 episodes a week can I have mine like this then,

1) Monday 5am until Wednesday midnight, (then some sleep with only mild nightmares)??
2) Thursday 3am until Thursday 10pm (short one this time as I am still shattered from not sleeping between the start and finish of number 1) ??
3) Friday 8am until Saturday 10am (one night long terror memory that wakes me up in a urine soaked bed as usual during last nights sleep) ?? Awake changing the bed for an hour.
4) Saturday 5pm until Monday 1am (then a few hours light doze as I try and break the cycle of insomnia.

My questions of this Mental Health Unit are these ??

1) Would they like to accompany me during this time, being awake constantly and experiencing all the emotional and physical symptoms I experience on a weekly basis?? (and yes, they would have to be prepared for all the muscle tremors, trauma memories that make me shudder and cry at a seconds notice.

2) They would be expected to lay in that Urine soaked bed for those three hours as well, then they will have to be prepared for the embarassment and paranoia that they smell of urine all the time, and the added financial burden of having to do the laundry so many times, ??



I wish I could invent a simulator for these people as well, you know like a virtual reality one, with smells and noises, oppressive feelings of impending death all the time ??

I could give people the whole "What it's like to live with PTSD constantly experience) Hmm now then, I could market these machines, $3000 a piece, then I could make sure that they fully appreciate that what we experience is in fact not just an emotion that can be shrugged off like a few rain drops but it is the real deal and not a normal simulator experience of "What would it be like to fly a jet fighter or racing car experience".

Maybe if people could, then the world would be a happier place and I would be a rich man,

 

[Fadeaway]

What do I think? I think they are full of it. I love @Mr Laurie idea about having a machine. I have thought of similar things, not in the form of a machine but just a way for someone to really know what you are feeling for just a few seconds compared to what they see on the outside.

As far as a goal of having no more than 4 episodes per week, well, it doesn't really work like that. If we could have a perfectly controlled environment maybe.

 

[Deleted member 29961]

I wish I could invent a simulator for these people as well,

I was just going to have them sign a wavier and just give them PTSD.

 

[Deleted member 20280]

Well, I only need one episode, Monday 4am - until Sunday midnight (then try to sleep for a few hours and wet the bed again) - then the same ad-infinitum :)

 

[joeylittle]

Was suddenly told to have a goal of, no more than four 'PTSD outbreaks' a week. I was disgusted when I heard that a local mental health hospital had dropped that on her.

This, to me, sounds like an answer to how she should know whether she needs to get more intensive treatment, or something like that. I could imagine a mental health worker trying to give someone a sense of how to gage how well/badly they are doing. I'd check with your friend and get all the details.

 

[Friday]

Ditto @joeylittle ... That sounds like a medical action-plan. They do it for psych, as well as other chronic medical conditions (like asthma; no more than 4 puffs in 4 hours with no worries; 8 puffs in 4 hours, ring pulmonary; 8 puffs in 30 minutes go to the ER). Chronic conditions often lead one to become fairly blasé about emergent level care needed... Because it becomes your normal. So a way to judge when normal needs the ER? Quantify it. 4 & below? Continue to treat at home. 5 & above? Seek assistance.