Ywca And The Believe About Ptsd.

[anthony]

And my mission is to heal and do everything that shows up in research to be beneficial.

Research is just theoretical... nothing beats good old experience more often than not. A solid foundation of theory is wise, yes... and needed to guide the experience aspect, however; experience is the most beneficial act in recovering PTSD and managing it. Doing, basically... is the key to it all. Reading how it's done, or how others do something, and the theory to psychology, is at the end of the day all useless without the doing experience to substantiate something for yourself.

What works for one, may not work for another, yet will work for another with modification, not for another, and so forth. Healing trauma is very individual. Managing PTSD, is not so individual.

 

[mamachick]

Throughout the country, YWCA's often have several programs for women operating under the umbrella of the YWCA. Two common programs are sexual assault help centers and domestic violence shelters. Often funded by grants, they often do have very educated people that know their stuff. They do not bill insurances because they are grant funded, which is why there is a long waiting list. Since they do not bill insurances, there is not need to apply the proper diagnosis in your record (ptsd-based on the criteria from the DSM), so they can call it anything they like, but for insurance purposes, a therapist must document accurately according to DSM. If they do not diagnose properly according to DSM and a problem arises, their head is on the chopping block.

Often the YWCA programs that you are speaking of that are grant funded do not have to follow insurance guidelines, and they do not want to take insurances even when the therapist credentials are eligible for reimbursement from insurance companies. WHY?
Because they do not want domestic violence and sexual assault victims to be re-victimized in the court system. When the angry abuser hires an expensive attorney to gain custody and records are supeoned, if there is a diagnosis of ptsd, that attorney will have a field day at the victims expense. They will paint a picture that the victim is incompetent as a parent, suffers numerous symptoms, has substance abuse problems, and an entire array of problems. It has the potential to impact custody, alimony, and the empowerment of the women the program is meant to serve. This puts the children at risk of being placed with the perpetrator. Grants allow the freedom to treat in a more protective manner and eliminates risk to women. This is a strategic move for womens empowerment.

While there are different kinds of ptsd, there are also different kinds of diabetes. We need not all be the same. I know several very successful people with ptsd, because their symptoms are managed after receiving good treatment. A good friend of mine was called to duty and returned with ptsd-and adjustment disorder that Anthony spoke of. He wrote the book "The Warrior Citizen" A Soldiers Journey to Iraq and Back. I have attended his speaking engagements and had great discussions with him. After recovery, he is now a social worker with his masters degree and runs a Vet Center.

I agree with whoever said this is a matter of semantics. If you are a diabetic and it is controlled with pills, diet, or insulin, it is still diabetes and incurable, but manageable and one can live a full and happy life and participate in all they want to. There are some that will see it as doom, others grateful it is not worse.

Bottom line is this-many people work years to critique the DSM to cover and name the diagnosis in the most encompassing and accurate manner. I am very leary of those who need to re-write. That being said, a good therapist often helps clients to not focus on diagnosis, but rather minimizing the name and focusing on the symptoms and treatments.

I also think this is a good topic because we do seem doomed when reading about prognosis. However, many people have not been diagnosed and are very functional. Im sure there is a list somewhere of many famous people that excelled with ptsd. Just look at what Anthony has done with creating and maintaining this web site.

 

[mamachick]

Ashdawn-I am sorry that you have had to wait 8 months for treatment. This is due to grant funding. There are only so many grants and so much money available for these programs which is why they cannot hire more people. They do not have a billing system to offset the number of clients in need of service.

 

[CrazyHorse]

I should maybe not comment on this thread, but there are a few of your claims that I think needs to be adressed:

When you make claims about research, I can not help but to put on my academical glasses and ask: what research are you referring to? You had a conversation at the YWCA where you both agree that PTSD is a different animal than the phases you go through when traumatized? I am not sure I follow, and where is the research behind that claim? It sounds to me like it is a matter of oppinion that you both agreed on.

I am well aware that you can be traumatized and not develop PTSD. Is that what you are reffering to? However, as little as we can diagnose if someone has PTSD, can we diagnose if someone is 'just' going through phases of healing and has not developed PTSD.

Research (and science) is not an absolute truth. It is a paradigm that can change, develop and even be abandoned if new research is made. It is not stagnent, but vibrent.

I am not sure either what you mean by ' giving PTSD another name'. The name is, as everything to do with languages, constructed, so we know what we are talking about. We could all agree to call it 'FLEMST' but that does not change the traits of the condition :-)

I told her about this forum and the most upsetting thing is coming across women who have been sexual abused or assaulted and are just labeled as PTSD. because once they are labeled with PTSD they think that they are stuck and won't ever get better.

I have an opposite perception of this: I generally find that peoples diagnosis-stories are quite valid, i.e. they are not 'just labeled', and I do not percieve assaulted women (or men) on this forum as having such an attitude towards their PTSD. On the contrary. But even if they did, PTSD is still a fact, no matter what you call it, and I believe everyone is free to deal with it their own way.

I hope you understand that I am not 'upset' by your post, and I am aware of your good intentions. I am simply questioning some of your claims.

 

[ashdawn8287]

I have been researching PTSD since I can remember. It is a bunch of research and information I have collected and received over years. I have tried to maintain a hollistic approach to ptsd.

My research comes from professors, numerous therapist, doctors, and psychiatrist as long as organizations, schloarly journals, universities, books, reviews of case studies, articles, website that end in .edu, .gov, and .org.

I have been studying psychology/sociology slowly for 6 years through a university.

I hope that answers your questions.

I get everyone has a different take on this. My concern is for the treatment of sexually abused women and children. It is a high interest of mine.

I won't argue about opinions vs research as I don't think its necessary or the point of my thread. I understand what you are saying though.

 

[ashdawn8287]

My sister got diagnosed with ptsd when she was 8. Nobody did anything for her and it ticked me off. I have been living with that urge to figure it out and I know it is because of that. I was 7 when she got diagnosed. It started from there and just kinda turned into a passion for treating sexually abused women/children in my adulthood.

 

[ashdawn8287]

It is okay if you don't agree with me. It helps seeing a different side to this. I am not discrediting or questioning the existance of ptsd or the symptoms. Remember I am a sufferer too. So I do have my own life experiences and what works best for me my not work for someone else.

 

[CrazyHorse]

And I think it is great that you want to help people and research PTSD! I am not questioning your intentions or where they come from.

 

[CrazyHorse]

It is not about agreeing or not :-) But of course it is okay if I disagree with you!

I am sorry, I am not trying to be difficult here, but no, it did not answer my questions at all.....

 

[mamachick]

Crazy Horse-well said. I agree, you can call it anything that you want, if the criteria is met, it is what it is.

I did not mean to say that I am leary of those who re-write the DSM. Those who revise the DSM are extremely throrough and much time and effort is put into re-defining diagnosis based on new research and information. I meant that I do not feel qualified to argue with the DSM and I am leary of those who think it is productive to dispute or challenge the DSM. Further, I find that naming it has been beneficial for me. Once I was told of the diagnosis, I was stunned at first, but once digested, I was able to accept better what I was experiencing. I do not use it for an excuse, but can better understand to make necessary changes or accomodations. It is easier to heal when I am able to forgive myself, before, at times I thought I am just an A hole.

ashdawn- I applaud your enthusiasm about this too. I think all information that we gain is important. I would be very interested to hear what this therapist actually called this. I do think there is a distinction of how ptsd has come about. That is why I mentioned the book by my friend Jeremy Harrison. It is a story of a young man surviving Kuwait to return with ptsd and commit suicide. I do not relate to being in war just as many men may not relate well to womens issues. I read his book and felt it, but not like I know female issues. Yet I still believe it is one illness. I do believe women (raped, domestic violence, childhood, etc) have different issues about how it plays out. While psychology originated with men, we are past Freudian times and there are many women in psychology today. I have found that a womens center is very helpful to women (with or without ptsd) when they specialize in womens issues. I think there is a need for more therapists that specialize in womens issues in general.

The workbook by Copeland and Maxine Harris is a wonderful workbook for women too-Im glad you found it.

 

[ashdawn8287]

It is okay.

I guess what I am saying is over the years I have developed my own approach and have studied it to help myself so I can help others. My sources are not just from one concrete place but numerous. I was taught in college how to research materials. I use that skill to help myself with sexual abuse.

I plan to open up a nonprofit organization or work for one in the future and maybe eventually teach at a university. I am almost finished with my bachelors degree and I plan to go to graduate school.

 

[ashdawn8287]

I appreciate the fed back. There are lots of problems with diagnosing mental conditions. People in that field are still figuring it out. A lot of research and differences of approachs are always nice to learn about.

I get what the diagnostic manual says with ptsd, but I also know there are issues with that too.