Research Ptsd Anonymous Research Survey

[Lucille]

As a student as well with significant research experience, I believe your survey is far too simplistic to be of earth shattering value. Your limitation of the experiences (like panic attacks etc.) to under 10 times in the past month is just un-realistic for many PTSD sufferers. Everyone is different. My PTSD is characterized by mild symptoms... but many people are living in constant terror - a never ending flashback.

Echoing what has been said above, you should also expand your number treatments in the survey, ask how long each person has been using each treatment, and ask how much they feel they have improved on various symptoms (following the DSM) since beginning each type of treatment.

In my opinion, your concern with finishing the survey first then seeing what comes of it is missing the mark. You need a good survey in order to get good results.

Hope that helps.

 

[Alchemistul]

Lucille, thank you so much for your opinion and advice. I am an amateur at doing surveys and I really appreciate the feedback.

 

[anthony]

I don't really understand the logic in questions 3 or 10.

Question 3: It asks two questions, which a lot of people would miss the value of noticing that aspect and just get involved in telling their story. Maybe they should be their own questions!

Question 10: Your options make no sense. CBT is psychotherapy. You ask the same thing twice in actuality, except you have gone from defining categorisation to specific therapy type.

It would make more sense if the three categories remained as categories, being:

1. Psychotherapy
2. Pharmacotherapy
3. Naturopathic
4. All of the above

Number 1 pretty much covers every type of cognitive therapy, 2 covers every type of medication and 3 covers all those who use naturopathic remedies and techniques.

I question #10 specifically because it is leading people towards something most probably don't understand in the realm of actual psychotherapeutic categorisations, thus the results are tainted and useless.

Even #3 could be covered by a multiple choice selection, listing primary means of abuse for a person to tick and flick those that apply with an "other" option also available outside the main traumatic offenders.

I find people are usually hesitant to describe their trauma on an anonymous survey that has no official endorsement by a university. That means there is no guarantee of what you do with that data, because there is no stringent guidelines.

 

[Meadowsweet]

I understand your interest in the subject having friends who are suffering with PTSD. But I think there is perhaps a lot more reading around the subject to do.

I don't know lots about the research behind it, but in the UK the clinical guidelines for PTSD currently suggest that a course of pyschotherapy treatment (particularly CBT and EMDR) should be offered before drug treatment. It is suggested that drug treatment is offered when comorbid conditions present a more immediate risk, or if the patient rejects therapy.

So I'm assuming that studies in the value of therapy over drug treatment are already existant.

 

[Alchemistul]

Meadowsweet, being diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder I was not given the option of psychotherapy. My psychiatrist started to prescribe me a different medication every week until I refused to continue treatment because of the extreme side effects. The medications made my symptoms so extreme, that I visited the ER so many times that the staff remembered me. I suffered for a very long time and know what it is like. This is why this topic interests me the most because I actually had to deal with it on my own. I did not have too many supporting me as some of my friends stopped talking to me.
This research may have been done before but not quite sure if the person experienced it or had any friends or family that were affected by PTSD. One having experienced it can relate to someone who is currently suffering and are able to work together. People who have no idea what it feels like to suffer may not know how to approach this topic from lacking experience with it. The paper is to explain the diagnosis, treatment options, and the effects on the patient and his family. Now would psychotherapy benefit the person more than pharmacotherapy? The survey needs to be reconstructed as it lacks main points. Do you have any recommendations Meadowsweet?

 

[anthony]

PTSD is usually a two fold approach, combination of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. The first-line method depends on the level of trauma typically.

There are people who barely meet a PTSD diagnosis, or don't meet it at all, but someone diagnoses them with it anyway, thus psychotherapy is normally the first line treatment under those circumstances, without pharmacological interference.

With more complex trauma, military and prolonged childhood, medication is normally the first line treatment, followed up directly with psychotherapy, as a combination approach.

There are minorities in both those categories, where vice versa may be used.

In the severe cases, it is extremely difficult to provide psychotherapy without some level of pharmacotherapy included to help manage increased symptoms during therapy, being a standardised approach. As therapy tapers down, then usually medications are removed and the person continues psychotherapy to learn and refine further skills without medication requirement.

It really is a case by case approach. Some people just don't do drugs, so they swap pharmacotherapy for naturopathic remedies instead.

I have seen cases where the person books massage the day after every therapy session, allowing for delayed effect. The person leaves therapy ok, symptoms heighten over the following day, they use a full body massage to relieve tension and relax their body. Some use naturopathic substances, some use meditation, yoga, acupuncture, etc etc etc.

This is why you really have those primary three categories of treatment for PTSD. Some simply never make it near psycho or pharmacological therapies, and use all naturopathic, based on their belief system. Some will use religion to heal, for strong believers in faith, etc, still being naturopathic in origin.

 

[Meadowsweet]

Now would psychotherapy benefit the person more than pharmacotherapy? The survey needs to be reconstructed as it lacks main points. Do you have any recommendations Meadowsweet?

From a personal point of view, it might be interesting to follow up Anthony's comments here and consider naturopathy in your study. I'm trained in holistic therapies, and use meditation, crystals and things like that to calm my mind. But it hasn't been enough by itself for me.

I've been offered drug treatment alongside psychotherapy. But I choose not use drugs for two reasons. 1) I used non-prescribed drugs during abuse in my younger years, so in my mind they have negative connotations to the extent where I will only take parecetemol for severe pain. And 2) because there seem to be many negative reports of SSRI's (which is what I was offered) for the treatment of PTSD.

I think aromatherapy, massage and meditation could be used to a much greater effect as a complementary therapy to psychotherapy.

 

[Nicolette]

The survey can be found at www.mycombatptsd.com... will update original post.

 

[Alchemistul]

Anthony, thank you for the useful information and advice. I edited the survey like you said and would like to know what you think of it? I am hoping to get more people to help me with it because I currently do not have enouph taking it. :notworthy:

 

[Alchemistul]

If anyone has take the survey please take it over again because it has been edited.

 

[anthony]

Just took the survey... much better to be perfectly honest. Nice work.

 

[Alchemistul]

Thank you so much Anthony! I hope more people will be willing to take my survey. :whistling: