Study Posttraumatic Growth Research Study: Participants Needed

[anthony]

I have added the link to the first post.

 

[Nicolette]

How were you able to do that?

I'm clever :hilarious: :roflmao:

 

[Springer80]

Hi,

Just for my ten pennies worth....I was told last year by a psychologist that I was moving into PTG. 1999 was when I was finally removed from any directly threatening situation and I've actively been seeking help since 2001.

Also a friend of mine who three years ago had a very severe car accident, has developed ptsd but was only recently diagnosed with it and hasn't received any specific/appropriate treatment yet. In fact any dealings she has had have probably served to entrench the trauma further. She has admitted to me that she knows she has boxed it up and is actively busying herself in order to resist it's consequences.It makes me wonder about the arbitrary nature of studies control measures and the effects they may have on sufferers perception of themselves.

I'm very glad that PTG is an area that is being studied. I have struggled with not wanting to be a 'victim' of a 'sufferer'. I am however concerned that the fluidity of the PTSD spectrum and the lack of appropriate support available, coupled with harmful application of more traditional psychology whilst disregarding the disorders chronology of physiological effects may contribute to an increased feeling of obligation and/or weakness on the part of the sufferer to be 'over it'. Stigma and misunderstanding are two outside factors that weigh heavy on the recovery process.

A liberating definition is needed but not as much as compassion for those still trapped. In fact its ironic that in the City I live in is a trauma research centre, a guy called Stephen Joseph has written texts on PTG. It's a curious feeling when the people whose work you concur with is academic and has no bearing on the actual assistance you can receive and it's all right on your doorstep but they won't see you.

 

[Stephen77]

Debbie, I am recruiting individuals that have experienced a traumatic event. Yes, this forum is dedicated to PTSD, but it is not the only Website where I have posted my study.

 

[Stephen77]

Thank you for sharing, Springer 80. Yes, I have read through Joseph's work and have cited him in my proposal. Since I am not a clinician, I also wonder how much of an influence academic research on posttraumatic growth has on traumatologists' practices. Is there anything specific in Joseph's work that you think could be helpful in your own recovery process?

 

[ikop]

Stephen77 I want to to wish you well for completingyour doctorate.

I have to say something: I believe that there is a false understanding of the nature of ptsd in many psychiatrist and psychologists. From the middle of the 198x the medical community decided that,

1. ptsd is a mental memory related disorder
2. made to much emphasis to the Avoidance, nightmares and flashbacks symptoms of ptsd .
3. because of this false believe -"ptsd is a mental memory related disorder", (in my opinion) they created a not so inefficient methods of treatments including : talking about trauma , exposure therapy and cbt. while the real reason and the core and nature of ptsd is a heightened perception of threats , not necessarily related to trauma cues.

The abnormal heightened sensitivity to threat leads to ongoing(sometimes 24/7) anxiety state , exaggerated startle responses to all stimuli, trauma or not trauma related , including noises, movements ,tactile stimuli, paranoid behaviour, avoidance of trauma stimuli (and general avoidance) insomnia and nightmares and so on.

Yes we can Definitely say that the trauma of life threatening event (real or not) leads to Structural changes in the brain and the central nervous system. what is the meaning of that? The answer is simple - we do not need to treat, understand, except or analyze the trauma. More than that, it doesn't matter the severity of the trauma. What matter is the functional, structural and hormonal implications of it, because this implications are the reason for the ptsd symptoms.

I know that this "theory " sounds controversial, but the results brutal rape, or combat trauma (all have ptsd) could be less symptomatic than some relative minor trauma like small car incident for example.

To make my point more clear i will give you a hypothetical extreme example of person getting severe ptsd from the boom the an exploded balloon made near to person x, if person x felt at the moment that it was a bomb.

This post is getting to long so I will emphasize the most important things.

UP to this day there is solids data from many trials ,experiments and studies both human and animal models of ptsd that a small organ in the brain called the amygdala plays a major role in ptsd Behaviour (the others regions in the brain that Associated with ptsd is the insula, prefrontal cortex, hypocampus and ventromedial prefrontal cortex - but there are some contradicted studies about the involvement of those structures in "our" (I too have ptsd:)) neurological disorder especially about the smaller hypocampus in ptsd patients -something that has not been proven yet). By the way, I used the word neurological and not psychiatric or mental because I believe that ptsd is a neurological condition or disorder that was caused by psychological trauma. like in a way that extreme stress can lead to a stroke - but we do not call stroke a
mental helf disorder. The same analogy works with PTSD.

So the most logical and beneficial solution to alleviate PTSD symptoms up to 90% improvement would be suppressing the hyper active amygdala in PTSD patients by drugs (well , unfortunately there is not a single drug yet, that can target specifically the amygdala) or by DBS - deep brain stimulation.

"Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a surgical treatment involving the implantation of a medical device called a brain pacemaker, which sends electrical impulses to specific parts of the brain. DBS in select brain regions has provided remarkable therapeutic benefits for otherwise treatment-resistant movement and affective disorders such as chronic pain, Parkinson's disease, tremor and dystonia, and recently is used for treatment resistant depression and OCD (Obsessive-compulsive disorder)."

"The deep brain stimulation system consists of three components: the implanted pulse generator (IPG), the lead, and the extension. The IPG is a battery-powered neurostimulator encased in a titanium housing, which sends electrical pulses to the brain to interfere with neural activity at the target site"

The batteries in these generators typically last 3 to 5 years and are replaced in an outpatient procedure.

DBS procedures carry some risks. After all, it is a surgical procedure involving cutting open the scalp and implanting a device deep into the brain. "side effects can occur in relation to the surgical procedure, the stimulation system, stimulation itself, and the periodic need to replace the battery".

But we have to remember that more than 40'000 people the world got dbs for tremor, Parkinson, ocd and even depression (it has very positive results for depression).
It is important to know that although dbs does has some risks (like any surgery - especially brain surgery) but the procedure is totally reversible - it does not change the brain structure, and if it does not help they can get it out.

So yes, DBS can suppress amygdala and as we know, I quote : "The amygdala sends impulses to the hypothalamus for activation of the sympathetic nervous system, to the thalamic reticular nucleus for increased reflexes, to the nuclei of the trigeminal nerve and the facial nerve, and to the ventral tegmental area, locus coeruleus, and laterodorsal tegmental nucleus for activation of dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine"

So as you can see the amygdala is like a center of emotions with primary function in regulating responses to potential threats , it get sensory input from the thalamus (sensory center that responsible for most of the sensory signals ,like visual and auditory. then the amygdale send "orders" – sensory impulses to the hypothalamus for activation of the sympathetic nervous system that creates the fight or flight reaction.

Well, the last thing, dbs of the amygdala is Not a fantasy. In January 2013, a group of American doctors will do the first human trial ofdeep brain stimulation of the basolateral nucleus (BLn) of the amygdala, on both sides of the brain.

This is the info about pilot Study of Deep Brain Stimulation of the Amygdala for Treatment-Refractory Combat Post-Traumatic Stress DisorderI think they decided to include only combat veterans because 2 reasons:

1. the effects of the combat trauma is usually very strong , I can say that combat stress reaction or shell shock is one of the untreatable ptsd causes. And those patients are often do not respond to cbt, exposure therapy or ssri drugs. In fact the combat stress can be so serious that the person become totally depended on care giving and prolonged and frequent hospitalizations.
2. Many of them cannot live the house because of the "threatfeeling", vigilance ,and hyper arousal. It is something that is not easy to explain with words, but the best analogy is: you go to the book store but you feel like you are surrounded with enemies – the anxiety is not social (I had medium social anxiety before the ptsd, so I know the feeling) but a felling of physical threat like you are in a Boxing match. Sometimes it is so intense that you cannot tolerate any people staying near to you.

In another times you feel threat when the person you speak with making wide gestures with his hands.

This anxiety and feeling of danger is always with you. The interesting part that most of the sufferers most of the times are aware that there is no real danger, but their body still react in defensive way, ready to react to any attack.

The course of this hyper arousalstate is predictable isolation of society, depression and drug abuse in order to "feel normal". Many of the combat veterans, rape victims, or any kind of assault survivors live in this way for years – hardly going out – and when they do go ' they use alcohol, benzos, or marijuana just to decrease this feelings (I do it ,and I know others who do it).

Others use opiates, benzodiazapins, and even heroin, (dope) on a daily basis (because of the anti anxiety effects of those drugs) in order to be able to go to work . THOSE drugs CAN help for a short time (3 or 4 weeks) but they are all addictive, physiologically and psychologically, this fact will lead to dose increment and then to withdrawal symptoms. So basically saying this drugs are not effective for long term treatment.

This is the trial of dbs of the amygdala: that will take place in the USA and will include 6 veterans with severe ptsd

Combat PTSD Forum

I spoke by phone with the Principal Investigator: doctor Koek and he said to me that they have very good feelings about this treatment, that it might be the a treatment "near cure" and if the results will be as hope - they will expand it to civilian ptsd that did not get relief from drugs and psychological help.

I believe that in a couple of years (3 to 5) this procedure will be a very good option for patients with severe treatment resistant ptsd.

Like in essential tremor, (do not confused with parkinson ) when the meds don’t stop the tremors, and the tremors are severe - the doctor sends the patient to dbs. The surgery has between 70 to 100% of tremor reduction.

I believe that this procedure will lead to a new era of treatments and this era will come when we will stop treating ptsd as a mental disorder. I hope it will be soon.

 

[Springer80]

Hi Ikop,

Your inbox is full so you can't receive personal messages. You may want to tidy up your mail!!

 

[Stephen77]

Interesting post, thank you for sharing! I would think that those who experience tolerance in the pharmaceutical treament of PTSD would be open to the possibility of DBS, especially if the PTSD is severe and debilitating. I will be on the lookout for the results of this study and any others that spawn from it.

 

[Skye3]

My PTSD was diagnosed this past year which is when the symptoms showed up, however, the traumas that caused the symptoms are over 15 years ago. I blocked it all out as best I could till I couldn't anymore resulting in the last several months of symptoms. I agree with someone who posted earlier about spiritual abuse at times being linked in with the trauma. For me, it was used to justify horrible things. I do find some comfort in spiritual things, but they can also be a huge trigger.

 

[zymogram]

My abuser left no stone unturned, including the spiritual abuse. I would think that any abuse, especially incest, like mine, included all forms of abuse- sexual, physical, emotional, and spiritual. When an abuser starts the abuse basically at birth to the age of 17, like mine, don't you think that he uses all methods of manipulation and brain control? Somehow, and I am not sure what you are triggering in me, this doctoral study pushes my anger button. What made me survive and outwit him at his game? The subject is far more complex than one can fathom. My therapists do not know how it is that I am alive. Good luck with your study.

 

[Springer80]

There is an area of research concerned with 'spiritual experience' in the wake of ptsd. Religious ideology contributed to an environment which my abuser could take advantage of. I also oppose it because of it's gender/culture implications.

I am personally atheist and secularist however I have experienced things in the process of my recovery for which the language used to describe them is normally monopolised by religion. Religion simply codifies a process of organically recalibrating your physiology (in my humble opinion!!)

I have no problem with studies that investigate any biological phenomenon related to the role of spiritually and ptsd. I do worry that any findings would be appropriated to bolster dogmatic institutions though.

 

[Girl3]

Stephen - one of the issues with choosing an arbitrary time when studying those with PTSD, is that while a person may have a traumatic event that occurred within the past three years, many will have incurred multiple traumas over a lifetime. It will be very difficult to find participants who've had ONE traumatic event, are 18 or older, and developed PTSD from that lone traumatic event.

People with PTSD are often suffering for years prior to getting a diagnosis. Your 3 year time limit is probably going to introduce one of two phenomena: a terrifically small number of respondants or a large number of people with a long history of multiple traumas who have had a most recent trauma - but their actual responses are based on their lifetime of trauma. (That is the more likely in my estimation.)

In fact, the questionnaires you use, while standard, reflect one of the on-going problems with studying PTSD. Validated study surveys do not capture the constantly changing nature of PTSD as traumas accumulate. I would wager that most people when they undergo trauma typically go through stages where magical thinking/religiosity predominate but then as more traumas occur, they become desolate.

Understand that your study would capture a tiny slice of the PTSD population at a brief interval in their life process if you truly receive only respondants whose traumas were singular, within the past three years AND the person got a competent diagnosis.