Ptsd = Disease Or Not A Disease?

[anthony]

You know for a long time, I could never find or fit how some referred to PTSD as a disease, and even after looking at definitions, but it seems more later definitions have been expanded which now seem to fit mental health smack bang within it, being mental health is health, which is pathological, which is medicine... so is it actually a disease as the broadest term after all?

dis·ease (d-zz)

1. A pathological condition of a part, organ, or system of an organism resulting from various causes, such as infection, genetic defect, or environmental stress, and characterized by an identifiable group of signs or symptoms.
2. A condition or tendency, as of society, regarded as abnormal and harmful.
3. Obsolete Lack of ease; trouble.

dis·ease

noun, verb, -eased, -eas·ing.
–noun
1. a disordered or incorrectly functioning organ, part, structure, or system of the body resulting from the effect of genetic or developmental errors, infection, poisons, nutritional deficiency or imbalance, toxicity, or unfavorable environmental factors; illness; sickness; ailment.
2. any abnormal condition in a plant that interferes with its vital physiological processes, caused by pathogenic microorganisms, parasites, unfavorable environmental, genetic, or nutritional factors, etc.
3. any harmful, depraved, or morbid condition, as of the mind or society: His fascination with executions is a disease.
4. decomposition of a material under special circumstances: tin disease.

dis·ease noun \di-ˈzēz\

1 obsolete : trouble
2 : a condition of the living animal or plant body or of one of its parts that impairs normal functioning and is typically manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms : sickness, malady
3 : a harmful development (as in a social institution)

The above 3 are all dictionary based, websters, etc.... the following is wikipedia, which obviously has much less importance to the above three for validity, but does tend to summate the above three better:

A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs.[1][2] It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune diseases. In humans, "disease" is often used more broadly to refer to any condition that causes pain, dysfunction, distress, social problems, and/or death to the person afflicted, or similar problems for those in contact with the person. In this broader sense, it sometimes includes injuries, disabilities, disorders, syndromes, infections. Isolated symptoms, deviant behaviors, and atypical variations of structure and function, while in other contexts and for other purposes these may be considered distinguishable categories. A diseased body is quite often not only because of some dysfunction of a particular organ but can also be because of a state of mind of the affected person who is not at ease with a particular state of its body.

Do I have to change my mind on learning more on these definitions? I think I just may have to change my approach as to whether PTSD is a disease or not, for the broadest term, obviously mental illness is more specific and relevant, but broader, it does seem to fall under the uppermost umbrella, being disease.

Added: Then you have places like [DLMURL]http://www.disease.com[/DLMURL] which don't list anything outside of what we would normally define as a disease, being an organic aspect of the body, though then the brain is an organic aspect of the body.

 

[goingonhope]

The chronic experience of this disease (PTSD) will help just about anyone left breathing with it, come to intimately know and understand PTSD as a real, absolute disease.

This topic reminded me of a number of terribly frightening, diseased memories of sufferings with this horrific thing, but it especially reminded me of a time in my mid 20's when I just laid in bed for all hrs. suffering, yet totally physiologically and psycholigally incapacitated. = POWERLESS. And, so I was stuck, and I remember between jerks and convulsive movement intermingled with periods of severe and painful tightening of every one of my muscles,

...I remember thinking then that I am nothing more then a organism that is now entirely diseased and it will function or not function as and when it pleases, and I will have no say in this matter. And, though after hrs. of that physical pain, the involuntary movements and all the fear and mental anguish, I was done, but still no change in my ability to stop this from still happening, or to control my bladder or to decide how I'lll move or think or function. F'ckd up. Yes, from my point of view a diesease.

 

[Srain]

I am of the thinking and understanding that anything psychological or physical left untreated with the body that repeatedly has abnormal responses will sooner or later develop warped receptors or reactions that then 'seem normal' to that being. Such as fright and flight reactions, night terrors and insomnia for years, eating disorders, rage and inconsolable grief. After years of this behavior chemical reactions within the brain and receptors have been damaged, it makes sense that the body can only heal itself just so far, especially after such traumatic events, to me.

I have found in my case that both my body and mind have reacted to traumas whether I was cognizant of it or not. Most of the time I was not, since I sloughed PTSD off as not much of an issue to begin with and something that happened to other people, like flood and earth quake victims. However, I couldn't account for the insomnia all my life, the flashbacks ( I assumed were the drugs I took in the past, though long in the past) I never told anyone about them, the EDs, the 'lost time', terror and rage I would get into I chalked up to as just a personality flaw. I knew some of my past but nothing I couldn't deal with and pretend to move on. The deep depressions? Point to other reasons, flaws in my character. My severe avoidance? My choice. My isolation? My choice. Etc. Going from 162lbs to 81lbs..??? Control issues. On and on. My mind and body attacking me all my life.

My regular heart beat was 102 beat per minute for a normal weight, physically active person, suffering ignorant of PTSD. BP running high with Migraines only. Tachycardia. Physical. Creating health problems.

Sure I have brought it down with a restructuring of my lifestyle but the damage is done. What has happened to my mind I can only be guessed as I am unable to this date to come off meds without horrible results. Granted I am not finished with my therapy, though I have done a lot of work through the years.

Anyway, just my blah blah blah.