The more I study the most recent research on PTSD, the more apparent it is to me that prolonged traumatic stress caused anatomical and chemical changes in my brain that effect so may biological regulation systems throughout my body that, it is obvious to me that 90% of the PTSD symptoms, (and CFS/FMS symptoms), that I struggle with, cannot be healed by therapy, willpower, or medication alone. Although cognitive behavioral therapy has a worthwhile and proper place in my recovery. I have been struggling against symptoms that I cannot possibly control until these brain, nervous and endocrine systems (etc.), have been properly reinstated to a more natural functioning and therefore, learning to cope with and have my symptoms treated is the best I can hope for until such time as greater medical research and discoveries lead to newer and better treatments of those dys-regulated nuerosystems. I believe that psychological and biological issues must be addressed together and that the public at large needs to be aware of this Psychoneurobiological model if any true understanding of the nature of PTSD and other similair mental illnesses/diseases is to exist. Therefore, I no longer expect those who are not nueroendocrinologists, brain surgeons, scientists, doctors, therapists, or patients to have a good understanding or be able to offer me anything more than the most superficial and sometimes detrimental suggestions as to how to deal with PTSD.
All I can say about the ignorant statements that others make (and to those of you who suffer PTSD and are hurt by such statements), is to educate yourself by learning as much as you can about the recent psychoneuroendocrinlogy and biological psychiatric research on this disorder and pass this information along to others.
