Ptsd-always The Military?

[mamachick]

I had an after thought after reading some posts. If my memory is correct, the main reason for the diagnosis of ptsd to even come about is due to vets and attempting to get them benefits.

Over 20 yrs ago (I was not officially diagnosed) but my therapist at the time said that I had symptoms of ptsd but did not officially diagnose me. I remembered and uncle that was said to have shell shock and was an alcoholic and shared this. The therapist, also a vet of war said that the diagnosis of ptsd was developed to help vets get benefits and treatment. So if it were not for vets, it may not be as recognized as it is today. Because of the number of vets that returned from war with this group of symptoms, the government was forced to address it. Then further explained that I had come out of a 6 yr abusive marriage and equated that with trauma experienced as well as little on childhood abuse.

Again with TBI, boxers and football pro's who have repeated concussions have brought the injury into the light. Now there is more regarding vets due to explosions and the like. Very invisible, under diagnosed and under developed diagnosis in general population. One of the reasons I mention this again is for two reasons. There are many kids that have repeated accidents to the head in the absense of abuse. I have a kid who was a climber and head stitches 2 times by age 5. But how many abused children have had injuries to the head caused by an angry parent. I have a relative who has admitted to putting her kids head through the dry wall and multiple occassion. The girl now 16, has to have ptsd, but suffers many other psychiatric disorders and mild mental retardation. I would guess that they go hand in hand more often than we might think.

 

[mamachick]

maddog-we were posting similiar thought at same time

 

[BigBear]

If what I originally posted made anyone think that I think child abuse or any other type of trauma isn't a "justifable" trauma that can produce PTSD, I am truely very sorry for not writing more clearly.

Honest Drew,

We don't hate you or any silliness like that!

Bear

 

[Abstract]

I didn't mean to imply that I think PTSD and other psych disorders aren't caused by other events.

I totally understood what you meant Drew. Never occurred to me to read it differently.

 

[BlackbirdSinging]

I think people want to try to understand things to a point. If only to get a baseline on how to react or respond. People can understand military service being traumatic and potentially causing PTSD. It's all over the news. Sometimes with pictures. So I think people are then able to recognize how traumatizing it can be.

But when it comes to other traumas like abuse for example I think people don't always make the connection of how exactly damaging other kinds of trauma can be because it's not all over the news in the same way that war is. It's really too bad too. Because as we can see here on the message boards people all over the world are directly effected by multiple types of trauma that have caused them to have PTSD.

 

[Hashi]

Why is it, that whenever people think of PTSD they think about the military?

Why always the stereotyping?

Do they, every person, whenever they think of PTSD? Always?

I'm going to be very straightforward and say that I think if people do that it's perhaps because it's the majority of their experience. Then they generalise it. It's human nature, and understandable. It's how we try to make sense of the world and the people we interact with. I think you're doing the same thing in what you've said, and I think that's natural and understandable too. I think you've answered your own question.

 

[BigBear]

I think you've answered your own question.

But is it right? Or is it something to be fought against?

Bear

 

[Anna]

I think you've answered your own question.

I have indeed. People are just shit. That is the way it is.

 

[Anna]

But is it right? Or is it something to be fought against?

Bear

Absolutely, apathy kills, but I do not see our world making many changes. Just take a look at war, same old shit over and over again, just with different technology and fantastic ways of killing larger amounts of people in really f*cked up ways.

 

[Abstract]

I wasn't able to say why it is so rare that PTSD is mentioned to do with anything else other than combat because I really wasn't and am still not sure. I have been listening to the input that others have shared here and considering it all.

It's not a hot topic for me personally. Possibly mostly because I haven't told anyone and can't see myself doing so in the foreseeable future.

But on the other hand I see how often it impacts people. So many seem to have stories of not being believed, being ridiculed or invalidated. And if I did decide to tell it would be in my mind.

I also think there is a political importance. Its important that it is known that it can happen in combat. It is also important that it is known that it can happen in domestic violence, sexual assault, invasive illnesses, abuse, natural disasters and more.

I think Maddog has a good point and I suspect the main reason this has happened is that PTSD was first diagnosed in combat situations.

It is surprising that there is almost never any mention of it in other situations though. There will be coverage of the Thailand tsunami a year later and through it all no mention of PTSD. A court case of a paedophile, amount of victims listed and no mention of PTSD. I think it would give a more accurate depiction of what the world is dealing with when it comes to these experiences. And it may just possibly help communicate the severity of the situation to those that seem to be so dismissive of these things.

In some ways I think the world as a whole is making judgements with only part of the facts at its disposal.

 

[Abstract]

Numbers and time cohesively.

Its a good point. I somehow don't think so though as if one compares a combat situation and lets say the Thailand tsunami , the second probably has a higher number and time impact and yet barely any talk about PTSD. Not in the programmes I have seen anyway.