Article Help Please

[Grizzly]

Family have become collateral victims and suffer in many ways *second hand* PTSD. From my own experience I can see issues in my family that have been a direct result of the beast. They walk around as if on eggshells to this day - I can't put this genie back in the bottle. Family therapy is available ONLY if they see the issue but after all these years denial has taken hold.

Ba

Ain't that the truth. My 9 yr old kids are terrified of me because in the past, my temper was so unpredictable. This in and of itself is really distressing for me. Even now that therapy had helped it to a point that my anger around the kids is non-existent there is a trust issue. I hate myself for not getting help sooner and it's evident that I myself have negatively impacted their life. Hopefully they can adapt and grow out of it.

 

[anthony]

Family have become collateral victims and suffer in many ways *second hand* PTSD.

I have that noted in my original document.

 

[Richard Davis]

there is a stigma for sure. But if we keep quiet are the adding to the stigma. it seems to me that we need to loudly proclaim what the cost of war is beyond the bombs and bullets.

 

[vikingr24]

Anthony, I know I posted earlier but thought I would add. I have been, as you, studying more and more about PTSD. Read a few books and articles. I think your list covers a lot of topics as bullet points of PTSD but I think there are a few more. And those points can definitely be expanded, as I know you will.

I have mentioned two that I read lately, one a little late to some here who have already read it, including probably you. But The Evil Hours, by David Morris gives as fine an exposition of PTSD as I have read. It's lucid and covers many of the points mentioned and more. But it is in the reading that you find a lot good stuff.

Another is Sebastian Junger's On Homecoming and Belonging. and Tribe, are good reads but I think he is writing in a subtle way that disagrees with most of us here, although he does find PTSD to be more of a phenomenon that a reality.

But there is a lot that is distasteful and disagreeable about PTSD, contributing to the stigma. Morris spends a lot of time on the notion that PTSD has become a major industry with also major victims. He says it has become the new stylish disorder. (He might have used a different word but it comes across as "stylish." Even your local hairdresser has it, if you asked him.)

There is no "magic bullet" according to Morris but it is recognized as a mental illness since 1980, since it is listed in the DSM, thanks to the VVAW, actually a splinter group of 10 members. And the ADA as an act does not react kindly to employers that discriminate on any disability or injury, including PTSD. There have been many cases with rewards to boot. That does not say that cases were not lost.

There is a lot pro and con that Junger writes about that would be a good thing to be aware of. He interprets the 22/day rate a little different. He says that yes, there may be 22 a day, in an old study, but 65% of those were over 50 and well-educated. And what is his conclusion: by the time anyone reaches 50, there could be any of a number of reasons for suicide. True but we are studying veterans, not the whole population. And there is no true statistical analysis applied to that study. No Chi squared, Somer's D (or Tao as they said in my time) no p number, except in a few cases. As an afterthought, he says that the number of younger vets is rising tremendously. It might be worth a follow up from the VA as to what the latest numbers are. And please, not just frequency distributions Higher percentages do not make statistical truth. I would avoid that particular problem if I could.

My .02

Would be interested to see the outcome.