News The Lastest News Report On Ptsd Has Me Seeing Red

[Tinyflame]

I've been through several 'trauma's' - I agree, there are benefits, even in a very circumvented way, even with ptsd. I do believe I have a slightly-different-than-average perspective, different priorities, a different understanding of compassion.

I agree it is likely over-diagnosed, by some mental health pactitioners and perhaps not enough by others, when applicable.

The 'fortunate' (I don't mean fortunate, per se) part is that after this with ptsd one can tell what is 'traumatic' vs what is ptsd- "Post Traumatic Stress" issues and symptoms one is forced to live with or battle long after it should be resolved and integrated and have dissipated.

Does that make sense?

 

[healingangel90]

Thank you for the replies and I feel like I have a better understanding now.
Sorry, just having a hard week and feeling attacked by everyone lately (because of something that happened recently) =/

 

[Zipperhead]

I just watched it, and I think if you took her words out of the interview, what he actually said wasn't all that bad. It was actually the interviewer that drew a distinction between Military and other trauma sources, not him, and although he doesn't deny what she is saying, his actual words are very close to the forums view of PTS and PTSD. And I almost liked the twist he put on how PTSD could be used as a building block to make a stronger you. Kinda gives you hope. If nothing else, the host was the villian here, not the Pscologist being interviewed.

 

[Tinyflame]

Ya Zip I agree- 'hope'- life is full of paradoxes why can't ptsd be, too
:)

 

[kimba]

I had this conversation the other day with my therapist after going to see my GP for a change in meds. I told her how nervous I was sharing my PTSD diagnosis with him but knew I had to so he would understand where I was coming from. It is because of this type of controversy around PTSD and that I have it and am not a veteran of war.

I know what I have been through and why I have the diagnosis (after five plus months in therapy). What my therapist said is the PTSD guidelines are what they are, they are pretty straight-forward and she is one hundred percent comfortable with my diagnosis. The only controversy was still around the "false memory syndrome" part of it. I felt better but wish they would settle these "stress syndromes or disorders" etc. once and for all and help us instead of questioning our symptomology etc. Sorry if this isn't making sense, it has been a long day!

 

[catjudo]

The diagnosis and criteria are fairly well "settled". The issue is that not all doctors adhere to the criteria strictly. Thus you will find people who are likely dealing with PTS, maybe it's only been a couple of weeks since their traumatic event, and yet a doctor is telling them they have PTSD. This is the type of thing, I feel, the doctor in this news video was referring to as over-diagnosed and not really having a disorder.

 

[Tinyflame]

I have a memory of stress without (pre) ptsd, pts (not ptsd related), ptsd managed (symptomatically), ptsd unmanaged, and ptsd within 'normal' times.

 

[anthony]

So, I'm sitting here watching the Fox News channel and this "idiot" professor from England ? (I think) appears to be interviewed about PTSD and his study. He then proceeds to explain how PTSD is NOT a disorder----it is JUST a condition, from which the sufferer can recover and that can actually be a plus in someones' life.

I see no difference from what he is saying in this video to what is said here. He is exactly on the money with what PTSD experts around the globe are already saying, which is also replicated here. The exact sentiment has been replicated here for a long time.

People with the power to diagnose are interpreting for themselves what constitutes a diagnosis versus what is implied within a diagnostic manual or diagnostic medicine.

A book says you have PTSD if you endure the symptoms for one month, however; studies clearly dictate that up-to 80% of a group who have suffered a trauma and do zero therapy or intervention for up-to six months after the event, no longer meet the symptoms of PTSD.

That means, up-to 80% of people diagnosed with PTSD actually more than likely don't have PTSD.

That in no way implies they have not endured something traumatic, which is vastly different from applying a label to a person and more than likely feeding them a cocktail of pharmaceutical drugs and/or some naturopathic regime, depending on the person you see and their personal approach to healing trauma.

Mental health diagnosis is in crisis due to stupidity, greed, laziness, social pressures and much more. Mental health is pushing itself in a direction of being completely unrecognised due to over-diagnosis, losing its ability to diagnose or treat a person, and pushing the entire industry towards actual doctors who have the medical training and knowledge on whether or not a diagnosis should be applied.

IMHO, anything that isn't diagnosed by a psychiatrist, isn't necessarily proven as a real diagnosis in my eyes. Psychologist don't have the medical knowledge of diagnosis, nor social workers, counsellors, nurses, etc. That is why we have psychiatrists, being actual certified doctors who have clinical diagnostic training and certification specifically for mental health. Not even a GP should be diagnosing someone with a mental health aspect, as they don't have specific training and certification in such knowledge... doctor, six years, psychiatrist 12 years. Vast difference in training level for mental health.

This psychologist is quite accurate IMHO. All diagnosis should be pulled from anyone who is not a psychiatrist.

How many times have people come to this very forum, been diagnosed by a psychologist, seen a psychiatrist, then tried to reason why the psychiatrist says they don't have PTSD, which their psychologist says they do have PTSD, and been taking money to treat them for the past several years.

You have psychologists and others less than psychiatrist, telling people they have CPTSD... not even an actual diagnosis. Can you not see the problems in mental health diagnosis for oneself?

 

[Girl3]

This is a PhD wanting a lot of people to buy his book. I intend to find out exactly what he means - because I don't think he means that none of us have PTSD unless we are combat veterans. (I hope.)

And yes many of us can succeed despite having PTSD. I just finished reading UGLY by Constance Briscoe. Some aspects of her life were much worse than mine. Her mother was more brutal physically. She succeeded brilliantly, but I believe she would have succeeded even if her mother hadn't treated her so horribly. Just as I believe that I would have done fine in life had all the sexual abuse along with the physical and emotional abuse never occured.

What is wrong with having a disorder anyway? I have high blood pressure, I have PTSD. I work at taking care of both of those conditions. Should I pretend that I don't have PTSD?

For those who have something else, a good psychiatric evaluation should reveal what they do have.

 

[Srain]

After hearing all that this man had to say, barring his sleepy, bored, appearance, I had to agree with the initial information he was trying to convey regarding the differences. I've had traumatic things happen to me without a lasting impression whereas other events have taken hold and not let go AT ALL...leaving me to relive them years later out of what seemed like the clear blue, despite the work I thought I had done on them previously.

I think it was a catchy little way to show case his book as everyone seems to be trying to do these days and an opportune time seeing as Veterans are needing services at this time and there is little to no help.

 

[leweyoz]

I haven't seen the interview. But have just read a great book, it talks about the body's initial reaction to a trauma being PTS symptoms as being normal. The body's normal reaction to a trauma.

It is if these symptoms are prolonged and not treated and it continues over a prolonged period (can't remember how long) then PTS can develop into PTSD.

 

[anthony]

PTS is the common name for ASD. ASD just doesn't roll off the tongue as easy as posttraumatic stress. The moment you say PTS, people immediately think PTSD. They really are quite different.

I still think the APA should extend that symptom period to 6+ months of heightened symptoms. They could shift the "delayed onset" to more appropriately and accurately, 1+ years IMHO.