Poll Is PTSD Preventable?

[CaliSparrow]

No help as a child

I cannot speak from experience as to the benefits of receiving treatment soon after the trauma. Unfortunately, a doctor told my parents that I would forget the chronic abuse and the assault in time (pretty sad what this doctor robbed me of in light of studies affirming PTSDisorder).

So, I did NOT receive help and developed the disorder.

CS

 

[Firedancer4]

The key word of the question that made me lean towards "no" was the word "forced." Anyone forced into counseling after a trauma is in a different mindset than someone who willingly and desirably chooses to get help after trauma. Someone forced will most likely enter into counseling with a negative and resistant mindset and won't be as receptive to the help.

I believe if I had received loving support and help after my trauma, and then encouraged to get counseling and supported during that time, the outcome might have been different for me. I can't say that I never would have developed PTSD, but maybe it wouldn't be as severe if I'd had support?

I know there are risk factors that can make some more susceptible to PTSD after a trauma than others, so who's to say that someone who received counseling immediately after a trauma and didn't develop PTSD was ever going to? Hard to say.

I had delayed onset PTSD, where my trauma happened during childhood, was compartmentalized for 15 years, and then triggered during the traumatic birth of my second daughter. So I'm 36, and have now been dealing with severe PTSD symptoms of my childhood trauma for the last five years. I never had symptoms following the trauma, and WAS forced into counseling at 14 years of age (and though they were full of sh--), and one psychologist in particular traumatized me even more so that didn't help!

So long story short (I know, too late), I guess I don't think it's preventable. If you're going to get it, you're going to get it, but hopefully you allow yourself to get help right away.

 

[Deleted member 487]

Take two groups of people. In both groups have them chose "A"s & "B"s. Have equal of both in both groups.

Now have the A's in both groups clinch a fist. Have the B's in group 1 try their hardest to make the A's open their fist. Try hard, physically, in any manner possible to force them to open their hands.

Now have in group 2 the B's try by more peaceful means to talk the A's into opening their fists.

In every case this experiment is tried you will find that a peaceful means is far more acceptable and successful.

Such as is with counseling. Right now I'm in forced counseling. And exactly how successful is that? It's not. It's making my stress level far worse than before. The road trip to see him is physically painful. The work I have to do to afford paying him, is physically painful and emotionally draining. How successful is that supposed to be?

Only thing forced counseling (in my case) succeeds in doing is creating anger, and hatred. The longer it goes on the worse it gets. When I cannot get more than maybe on a good day 6 hours of sleep because of the pain, what kind of an ally am I?

 

[2quilt]

no, because of the word forced.
And possibly no also if the psychologist and the patient did not "fit" well.

I personally believe that the PTSD begins during the adrenolin rush of the trauma, when the brain and body are just trying to survive. Adrenolin or some other brain chemical overload.

Counseling even one hour after that trauma can reduce PTSD, but not eliminate it or prevent it.

 

[CaliSparrow]

Apparently I blocked out the word "forced". And how that happened, who knows because it's quite a "forceful" word!

So in light of this, I would change my answer. I was putting too much assumption into my previous answer. In studied regarding the treatment of PTSD, two factors need to be established at the gitgo: 1) validation for how you feel, and 2) control (over therapy, pace of therapy, etc... It is supposed to be a co-creative process between therapist & client.

The very nature of PTSD would harbor resentment towards being "forced" to do ANYTHING outside of your control since it's very likely that WHAT CAUSED the PTSD was out of your control as well. So, no. Above all else, forcing someone into therapy could very likely Cause the disorder of which the therapy portends to avoid in the first place!

CS

 

[Deleted member 487]

no, because of the word forced.
And possibly no also if the psychologist and the patient did not "fit" well.

I personally believe that the PTSD begins during the adrenolin rush of the trauma, when the brain and body are just trying to survive. Adrenolin or some other brain chemical overload.

Counseling even one hour after that trauma can reduce PTSD, but not eliminate it or prevent it.

I think the counseling you are talking about is commonly referred to as "debriefing". I feel that if debriefed properly one's chances of having PTSD is a lot less than without it.

 

[ChrisB]

Anthony- I said No because of the wording of the question. To force us to get help is a mistake. I instituted a stress debriefing after each incident with strict privacy rules. I started by admitting how I felt or simply said "Holy shit that was wild, I was scared but we all made it okay." That tended to open up a conversation because if the Lt. felt it, it's ok to talk. We talked, bonded, cried, laughed and supported. Problem was when it came to the real deal with me everyone thought (much like I did) that nothing could harm the Lt., he always comes out on top. Not! I was never debiefed so it festered.

 

[vietnam2nd]

i voted no. in the vietnam war i was given no counsling when i got home i was discharge in a few months after getting back from nam. i don't believe even if given counsleion i would haven't got ptsd. i was an alcholic i didn't know i was self medicating myself so i didn't have to deal with my problems. i believe tauma affect people differnaly i believe some of us get it immeddity after are trauma and some not.

 

[Seychelle]

I'm unable to answer the question as my trauma started from when I was a baby and some of the worst stuff happened around age 3 or 4. This is probably a question that can only be answered by those who experienced their first trauma at an older age than me.

 

[Auburngirl]

I think maybe some PTSD is prevented or mediated (maybe someone ends up with panic disorder or acute stress but not PTSD if caught early, for example). For post-combat situations mandatory counselling could at least potentially be a screening tool to identify those who need more help. Of course, there is a strong possibility that people know what the 'right answers' are, are afraid that being identifying as needing more help equals failure (career or personal or both) and that it doesn't get anywhere.

I'm remembering an episode of 21 Jump Street (80s American TV show with Johnny Depp filmed in Vancouver) where Johnny Depp's character (a police officer) witnessed an tried to intervene in an armed robbery and in the process his girlfriend was killed. The police had a policy of mandatory counselling - so he went. He insisted he was fine and 'passed' but we were shown footage of him watching the video of the robbery over and over and timing himself to see what he could do in the number of seconds he had to react to the robber. There was such stigma associated with not being okay, that he wouldn't admit to it, even though it was very obvious to the viewer that he had been profoundly affected.

For those of us with non-combat/non-work related trauma it's a little trickier. With abuse sometimes even identifying the trauma is really challenging and often filled with shame and there is no authority who could impose counselling.

For me, maybe if I'd sought help earlier I wouldn't have gotten as sick. I'm not sure. I imagine I might have a short very intense ride while dealing with what happened, but maybe not all the lingering effects I'm dealing with now. But, it's really hard to know.

 

[Dylan]

I voted "yes".

With single-incident trauma I think immediate counseling/therapy with someone skilled in trauma recovery could very
well avoid the development of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Maybe not post traumatic stress; in the literature I've read, the majority of those who undergo a traumatic experience will have PTS immediately following the incident. I don't think it is inevitable that with trauma comes the disorder.

Isn't it true that sometimes, in the wake of natural disasters, PTSD can be avoided if the response of the community, family, and professional community is strong, empathic and supportive? I do think the external responses can have a definite impact on whether or not PTSD develops.

Now, with chronic and/or repeated trauma, that gets more difficult because at what point would the person be given help? First time? Mid-way? When they can get away (in the case of torture, kidnap, incest/child abuse)?

-Dylan

 

[FlameTachiku]

I voted NO!

It would not have changed what was experienced in the moment.

Having zero control and zero ability to change the outcome of that experience, is not supported by FORCED anything, especially while tramatized!

For me it would have added to the trauma. But having it aviliable, affordable, access to....given free choice, it likely would minamize the trauma, increase quality of life, and bring down cost to society(as our actions, or lack of actions, always effect others).

Tachiku