PTSD - Can It Be Cured?

[wonderwall]

Hello People:smile:,
I mention in another thread that I don't agree with people saying PTSD can't be cured. Yes this is a personal opinion. I was told by Anthony I quote his response in the original thread:

'Every scientist that has examined in depth the illness. There is no scientific or medical cure for PTSD to date, though there are plenty working towards trying to find one. Please read the PTSD information section which points you to relevant scientific and medical facts. There are leading physicians own statements and comments on this forum outlining this fact. This is not debatable, because it is currently scientific fact. Opinions are one thing, but they are not factual. This forum deals in the facts only, not misinformation.'



I don't see really why we can't debate it.

Personally I'm not to hot on giving myself the title PTSD. So I don't.
This is meant in anyway to diminish anyone's symptoms.

I too after a attack where I was raped and tortured and fed different drugs until I had no capacity to understand where I was or what I was doing.

I am incredibly lucky to have met a stranger that helped me as I wasn't in my own country and didn't speak the language. Basically they had tried to break me down completely and done a good job of it. Whilst I was in another dimension as I was giving what I believe now to ketamine. I was in such a state I didn't have the faculties to negotiate myself to help the airport or anything. I spent two days where I wandered about in complete shock at a family's house of this friend.

I am describe this to explain to people that I do know what it is like to be in hell.

Afterwards I have suffered two breakdowns. One where I hallucinated e.t.c and relived the hell I had been through. Alone in a flat on the outskirts of the city. Where I had been temporarily housed. I had no help and got through it on my own.

Since then I have had all the s***. Anxiety. Panic in the dark. I used to not be able to sleep unless I was fully dressed and used to barricade myself in my bedroom.

I am in no way discount peoples feelings or their pain. I write a little of my own experience to say yes i HAVE BEEN THERE.

But really I am not keen to put my healing in the hands of shrinks who read books and dish out pills. As for these scientist who say PTSD can't be cured. I think it is a c****of S***.

Don't really see how science could have all the answers. As to what I perceive to be spiritual in nature. No I am not religious. But I know through experience that part of me left my body during trauma.

I'm sorry but I don't find it helpful to walk around saying I have a disorder so I don't. As for no cure. No I don't believe this. I think it is a pessimistic thing to say to people. Sorry but this is my opinion. Frankly I don't see why we can't discuss.

I found this blog with some intresting musings on PTSD.
http://healmyptsd.com/2009/10/meandering-micheles-mind-do-you-believe-ptsd-can-be-healed.html#

I will quote Jaliya in this post from the above blog.

Whew! — what a post. I want to jump into the fray and argue this; argue that … and then I remind myself of two things:
1. What does healing mean — both in a universal sense and to each individual person? The linguistic root of our English word “heal” is in the Old English “haelen” — “to make whole, sound, and well.” What does it mean to each of us to be whole, sound, and well?
2. There are definite and measurable physiological injuries that occur with severe shock and life-threatening events … and there are so many variables in each individual experience. One person’s experience of healing may be impossible for another person; some injuries *do* leave permanent, altering effects. At the same time, I believe that it’s possible to be “strong at the broken places.” There’s such a paradox about it all … As Leonard Cohen wrote, “There’s a crack in everything; that’s how the light gets in.”
No person has any one, or “the” answer to whether PTSD (or any injury/illness) can be healed according to one uniform definition … we have only our own experience, choices, understanding, and relations to go by. It is hard, hard work … I’ve been at this work for 27 years now, and I have salved and truly healed — made whole, come to rest and resolution with — some injuries. Others, no; not yet. I do know my intentions, though. Sometimes they work at cross purposes, and there, then, is the work to be done … at that particular moment.
A wise man named Matthew Fox once wrote, “We do not enter the world as blotches on existence, as sinful creatures. We burst into the world as original blessings.”
The original blessing — Life — is already, always within us. In that respect, I believe we are all healing and healed …


Really are the scientist the ones who have the answers. Because surely it is the people wha have been through it that understand it best.

:smile:

 

[anthony]

Added: A poll exists for members to note their opinion. [DLMURL]http://www.ptsdforum.org/showthread.php?t=248[/DLMURL]

Hi,

You are confusing the facts vs your opinion. You cannot debate facts, you can only debate opinions. Here we do not debate opinions for who is right or wrong, in fact we discourage such things, because every persons opinion is valid regardless, as it is their opinion. Your opinion is that PTSD can be cured, and that is your opinion. The facts however state something completely differently, and we are not interested in telling people misinformation here.

You have expressed your opinion... now leave it at that. If you attempt to spread mistruth in your responses, they will be removed, because they are not factual and honest, based on current medical fact.

When you have something that is medically factual to state PTSD can be cured, the chemical imbalance can be reversed medically for a minority or majority of sufferers, then you have something to debate. Until such time... this is a mute topic IMHO.

ASD can be cured, PTSD cannot to date. There is only one person as a member here who has stated they have had an MRI proving they have PTSD, reversed the damage through ambidexterity and then a post MRI to show the brain is once again normal. One person is not a minority or majority... though still a positive. We have not discouraged their writing or story, because they have found something that is and will be tested further medically.

Medicine does have a lot of negatives, it also has a lot of positives. I guarantee when you are having a heart attack and want to live, you will not be asking for some spiritual healer or holistic solution, but instead modern medicine to keep you alive, fix you up, correct the issue and allow you to continue living.

Please think before you debate....

 

[Deleted member 541]

When new people come here and they try to debate things like this and other things,.....The only thing it does is get the forum in an uproar and it takes away from the main point of the forum....Healing your trauma so that you can live a more symptom free life, and supporting others on their journey......

Debating this crap just stirs the shit up and messes with peoples heads.....PTSD is not curable. The forum ain't broke, so don't try to fix it....JMHO!!!!

 

[LoveWins]

I'm sorry but I don't find it helpful to walk around saying I have a disorder so I don't

That is your choice which you are entitled to. I also don't want to get into a big debate about this or cause any trouble, as it has been said that we already have the facts. But I do want to pop in and say that from my point of view, I did walk around saying I didn't have a disorder for years of my life despite the raging symptoms, and those years were hell. Denial can be a big issue

Acknowledging the medical fact that PTSD is a mental disorder, for me and a lot of the people here, has been a huge step in the recovery process. It is the beginning of understanding. It is a breakthrough, really. Just as physical conditions shouldn't be ignored and denied, mental ones shouldn't either
An essential part of this part of healing for me personally has also been realising that having "a disorder" isn't such a hideously terrible thing to be saying about myself afterall. It isn't some big taboo, and it certainly isn't unhelpful. It's just medical. It just is

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Well, I DO find it helpful to say that I have a disorder, so I do label myself as somebody who has PTSD. I was mis-diagnosed for almost 25 years, so I find comfort in the fact that I have a TRUE diagnoses that can be treated.

Yes, I have seen claims that a person here or a person there has cured their PTSD. However, a few people here or there curing their PTSD does not mean that there is a "cure" to PTSD. A "cure" is something that works for a majority of sufferers. And as far as I have seen, the people who have claimed to "cured" their PTSD have done it in different ways.

If you want a debate, go ahead and argue until you're blue in the face. However, we are a community that has come together to give each other support and this sort of argument doesn't seem very supportive to me.

 

[anthony]

Bar one person, LRS, who said he has actual MRI proof that he had PTSD, the rest would likely have ASD, which is the curable form of PTSD.

 

[anthony]

It also kinda makes me laugh nowadays... as existing members, especially the more experienced members of this forum, tend to sort out new members issues. I like it...

 

[wonderwall]

Dear All,
If I had been aware of the poll before I wrote it I would have left my respone there.
I would also like to state that I am not trying to state the medicine is not wonderfull thing. I wasn't trying to say that people shouldn't use medicine if those so wish. Or that medicine can be used if it is helpfull to the individual. Nor I am I trying to sell any specific holistic or spiritual solution or say that this is the answer. Although these can be usefull to some people if they so wish.

I was more trying to discuss the fact that I find it psychologically limiting to say I have something that cannot be cured. That this also brings up the question that if you choose to put your symptoms under the umbrella of PTSD. You can also be faced with its limitations.
Neither am I saying I have the answer. I was more intrested to see others views.
Neither am I discounting peoples pain or suffering.
I was merely intrested in peoples opinions on this. I am interested to read what you think. I am not trying to bash people over the head with my views. Or had any intention of adding to anyone's distress or confusing anyone.
Now as I can see a few of your thoughts. It seems my musings upset people which was not my intention.

As my comments seem to be upsetting some people, which I don't wish to do. I will leave anyone else interested in etymological limitations to email me privately.
Also I have no intention of leaving my thought on PTSD in anyones thread but merely my support.

Thank you

Wonderwall

 

[anni]

Hi-
I had posted somethng about thinking it would be nice to hope PTSD could be beaten.Someone said something about it could be beaten and I'd thought that was a nice thought. :) Which it is. Beaten, I think, is different than cured.If I can 'beat' my PTSD one day at a time it means I've managed to stay aware, forgive myself for things I just can't manage to get through that day, said 'thank you' in my head to those who have helped me get this far for everytime I answer my phone or check my mail ( these are TOUGH ) and now log onto read everyone here. Even after 5 years of amazing therapy,I can only stay online here for just so long before getting anxious. I have to get it together to find another therapist since mine retired and doing the work here is going to help me do that, I know.
Yesterday the PTSD beat me. I didn't log on, my mail stayed in the box all weekend, I turned off the phone and ran the heck out of milk because I couldn't get OUT of the house.
I'm baffled by this continually, have a wary respect for the symptoms and hope to beat what it can do to me every day. Maybe this week I'll get on top of it 2 days in a row- but maybe not. :)

 

[anthony]

Anni, you have it exactly spot on. PTSD can be managed, it can be treated, it just cannot be cured. As others have mentioned here, denial is a wonderful thing, but it doesn't help any off us get towards the management stage, it only hinders the process. I was honestly relieved when I was told straight that this would be with me for life, because atleast I knew what I was dealing with and not fooling myself into some other thought process. It smacked me for a six, but honesty was the best policy and it helped me to get where I am today.

There will always be people who love denial, I have lots of friends who live it daily, there will always be those who are not ready to be smacked around the head with the truth, there will always be those who think something that is incurable is curable, and the list goes on.

All people have to worry about here is choice. This forum promotes honesty and individual future well-being, not denial, not sympathy, not an unrealistic expectation of what you are dealing with. There are forums that promote PTSD can be cured... they promote denial, they promote medication, some promote naturopathic and holistic only healing, etc etc....

Anni, your approach is positive, and that is what this forum is about. To push you past your boundaries and comfort zone, to push you back into society and learning how to manage PTSD day to day.

 

[lrs]

I've been following this.
Some may not like this topic, but I do.
But you do have to keep the proper perspective on the big picture here.
I feel like I need to clarify something.
I was first diagnosed with PTSD in May 1999, this was the testing I received from the detox center.
2nd time was for a state board mandated psychiatric evaluation, in 1/2000.
3rd time was in 2/2000, while in a drug rehab.
4th time was in 2/2002, while in a psych hospital
I think there was a 5th time, again in 2/2002, while in another psyche hospital, but I'm not certain.
6th time, in 3/2002, while in another drug rehab.
7th time in 4/2004. This was voluntary, and I paid out of pocket. My reason was that I believed I had found something a person can do that eliminated symptoms of PTSD.
The drug rehab evaluations were the the most thorough.
All tests that were done were psychiatric evaluations.
None of the above mention tests involved an MRI.
I did have 1 MRI, they were trying to determine if there was a physiological basis that I was completely coming unraveled.
It would have been around 6/2003.
I have been over the results of this MRI with my Dr, and a copy of the report was mailed to me.
The radiologist report stated everything appeared to be normal, except for evidence of an old lacunar infarction.
I do not know if this connects with PTSD or not.

Wording is funny sometimes.
When you state something is not curable, it almost has a connotation that a cure is not possible.
I have been saying PTSD is curable, because I know what happened, IN MY CASE.
With all the honesty I possess, I can state I have not had symptoms of PTSD, for over 5 years.
A couple of people sent me emails asking me about my story.
It is still on this forum.
It is titled: " I Believe PTSD is Curable "
I looked it up today, it is in the chat - ptsd section, I think it was on page 36, if anyone wants to read it.

 

[wonderwall]

Hi People,
Thanks for all your posts. I am interested to hear your views.
Peace

Wonderwall