Research Ptsd Anonymous Research Survey

[Lady of Longbourn]

I felt the need to explain my medication, not all is PTSD related. Something about comorbid disorders would have been nice, but maybe not a part of your research so I understand why it was not there. Comorbid disorders really effect PTSD.

 

[Girl3]

And PTSD creates comorbidity. I have no reason to have high blood pressure. Except PTSD. I have no reason to have insomnia, except PTSD. It's why I participate in studies. Cure my PTSD, cure my comorbidities.

 

[Alchemistul]

Girl3, thank you for participating and for your support. I will do my best to look into this as a possible option in my research.

 

[Srain]

I was wondering why there wasn't a "Hispanic" option for race, I realize you cannot list every race but that was odd for me to note.

 

[Alchemistul]

Srain, for some reason I thought it was it listed.I added it again sorry about that.

 

[Alchemistul]

600+ views and only a couple of surveys:notworthy: . I wish more people could support my research by taking this short survey.

 

[Girl3]

600+ views and only a couple of surveys:notworthy: . I wish more people could support my research by taking this short survey.

May I propose a few theories as to why this may be - having done funded research in my past as an academic:

Your topic is exceedingly broad and has been studied for some time now. If you Google Scholar medication versus psychotherapy for PTSD you will find a plethora of studies completed. Furthermore, if you go to ClinicalTrials.gov you'll find studies currently underway examining various aspects of the same topic.

Your questions seem written by someone who actually doesn't know much about the topic and thus doesn't know what to ask.

People with PTSD who are beginning to get a hold of their lives have been hurt terribly, repeatedly by people who feign friendship and good wishes - it is part of the familiar cycle of abuse. Someone who purportedly represents a good thing winds up doing a bad thing. Thus, the few who have done the survery haven't come back to the forum saying "this is a really good project/survey" which would be the kind of word-of-mouth that would encourage others to participate. People are suspicious of being used and abused - you wouldn't be the first person to sign up to the forum to lure people into a survey and then try to hoodwink them. Not that you're doing that - but it is how people think at times.

While your study seems benign, it also doesn't seem fleshed out - which is why the one hospital probably turned you down. I wonder if your advisor hasn't talked to you about sharpening your questions so that they really ask something pertinent. For instance, does EMDR work in patients with multiple traumas, or does the addition of an antidepressant speed improvement of SIT? Do people with multiple traumas fare better with CBT if taking medication than not?

Research is difficult - generating a hypothesis, knowing what questions to ask - for people who do research for a living, the prep work involved in the research takes an incredible amount of study/reading/thinking - and that's just to come up with the hypothesis and the methods of testing. Carrying out a study can take years, even decades.

So while this is a study project for class and not your project seeking funding, you still need to apply the same thought processes on a smaller scale. I wish you luck. You may find some of the thought sharpening skills in the feedback you get from the forum.

 

[Alchemistul]

Girl3, I think you are being very biased. I was turned down by the hospital because of legal matters that the hospital worries about. I was referred to different organizations that have been very helpful with my research. I understand how people are hurt, but at the same time if you read my thread I suffered some of the same symptoms. The research may be similar to others but some of these researchers have not been in our shoes and suffered the symptoms. Someone who has hands on experience with a topic has a better chance of understanding it than someone who is just reading about it. I have a friend who suffers from PTSD due to military service and I will be interviewing him as part of my research. You have the right to your own opinion, but being very biased about it does not help the researcher. I am very confident in my current research as my advisor thinks it is great! It makes absolute sense and has a purpose. I would like to thank you for your opinions.

 

[Lady of Longbourn]

When I took the survey it was very bland. ( from what I read here, the questions in the survey seem to be changing) The questions were bare basic. And honestly, just skimmed the surface of what PTSD is.

It was written by someone who did not know what they were talking about, much less asking.

Also, what was the purpose of the survey? What were you looking for? It did not seem so clear.

 

[Alchemistul]

Ayesha, the purpose of the survey is to find out which treatment options would help most. Primarily focusing on psychotherapy and arguing that pharmacotherapy can cause a drug dependency, side effects and other life threatening conditions that are sometimes not written on the box. I understand treating PTSD with medication while going through therapy helps but how effective is it. The survey allows me to gather this information. Have you looked up the medications being prescribed to patients with PTSD? The majorities of them are on the FDA website and will tell you that they are on a watch list and require for them to label their boxes because of the high risk of suicide. Why should people suffering from PTSD continue taking these kinds of medications? Are they never told while going through treatment that medication will not cure you? It is only a temporarily relief. Have you checked the amount of people who become addicted to Xanax or Valium? There are different treatment options to result to rather than just prescription drugs. The survey is allowing for people who suffer from PTSD to answer them.

 

[Girl3]

No I am not biased. I have PTSD. I have been on a number of medications. Suicide risk going up with antidepressants has been known since I was in medical school back in the 1980s. I have done research and lectured throughout the US. I was actually making suggestions to help you.

A survey is a tool. Tools need to be specific for a job. I was trying to suggest ways for you to make your survey tool more specific. Better questions for your survey then might be "Were you ever told as a patient that the medication would not cure you?" "Were you ever told that your medication might increase your risk of suicide?" "Were you ever warned that your medication could be addicting?" "Were you ever told not to stop your medication without tapering it because of withdrawl?" "Were you ever offered CBT instead of medication?" These would be legitimate questions - and I think - what you are really after.

Because psychiatrists come in varying brands and some people get their meds from their family doctor, perhaps some patients don't know these things. My psychiatrist that I have now is very clear about any medications, side-effects, and he does include things other than medication. I've had a psychologist who realized I wasn't getting better with just psychotherapy, who referred me to a psychiatrist for medication.

Good luck refining your research tool and to your own recovery from your anxiety disorder.

 

[Alchemistul]

Girl3, thank you for the feedback. I will add those questions into the survey. Thank you for your help and I apologize for being so defensive earlier. I wish you the best in recovering from PTSD.