July 19, 2006
PTSD - Post Trauma Distress
Much has been written of late about PTSD or Post Trauma Stress Disorder. But there's something about the word disorder that sounds judgmental. The fact of the matter is that this condition can happen to anyone. Victims often blame themselves for not being "tough enough" to shrug off the after effects of the trauma. For here, we'll use the term Post Trauma Stress or Post Trauma Distress interchangeably with PTSD.
From a medical diagnostic point of view, we do need to categorize various medical conditions. In the United States, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV) is used and the diagnostic code for PTSD is 309.81.
Though primarily this blog will focus on PTSD treatment and recovery, some mention needs to be made of its causes. By definition there is some trauma. The longer the trauma lasts, the more severe may be the consequences. Therefore childhood abuse, rape and war may have more lasting effects than a car accident or storm, for example.
Trauma caused by other human beings seems to have more negative consequences than trauma caused by natural disasters. Hurricane Katrina hitting New Orleans was bad enough, but the traumatic effect on a survivor waiting a week to be rescued may have been even worse.
PTSD can have delayed and/or long term effects. More Vietnam veterans are now exhibiting PTSD symptoms decades after the war. It is not uncommon to see middle aged adults with depression, drug and alcohol abuse, relationship and sexual problems many years after long forgotten childhood sexual abuse.
A problem treating PTSD is that the exact cause or etiology is often not known. In a case of a veteran applying for PTSD disability, did the war or subsequent decades of drug and alcohol problems, problems at work, marriage and relationship failures actually cause the present day PTSD?
A dilemma treating PTSD is that trying to trace the disorder's etiology can actually make things worse and re-traumatize the victim. The therapist's words, and even his unconscious attitudes, can be inadvertent triggers for victims to re-experience their original trauma.
One effective technique, developed over the past several decades by David Grove to deal with this dilemma, is called Clean Language. A surgeon maintains a sterile operating room and uses sterile instruments and gloves to avoid unnecessarily further contaminating the patient's wound. Likewise, the therapist using Clean Language endeavors to avoid unnecessarily contaminating and further injuring the PTSD victim's wounded psyche.
From a medical diagnostic point of view, we do need to categorize various medical conditions. In the United States, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV) is used and the diagnostic code for PTSD is 309.81.
Though primarily this blog will focus on PTSD treatment and recovery, some mention needs to be made of its causes. By definition there is some trauma. The longer the trauma lasts, the more severe may be the consequences. Therefore childhood abuse, rape and war may have more lasting effects than a car accident or storm, for example.
Trauma caused by other human beings seems to have more negative consequences than trauma caused by natural disasters. Hurricane Katrina hitting New Orleans was bad enough, but the traumatic effect on a survivor waiting a week to be rescued may have been even worse.
PTSD can have delayed and/or long term effects. More Vietnam veterans are now exhibiting PTSD symptoms decades after the war. It is not uncommon to see middle aged adults with depression, drug and alcohol abuse, relationship and sexual problems many years after long forgotten childhood sexual abuse.
A problem treating PTSD is that the exact cause or etiology is often not known. In a case of a veteran applying for PTSD disability, did the war or subsequent decades of drug and alcohol problems, problems at work, marriage and relationship failures actually cause the present day PTSD?
A dilemma treating PTSD is that trying to trace the disorder's etiology can actually make things worse and re-traumatize the victim. The therapist's words, and even his unconscious attitudes, can be inadvertent triggers for victims to re-experience their original trauma.
One effective technique, developed over the past several decades by David Grove to deal with this dilemma, is called Clean Language. A surgeon maintains a sterile operating room and uses sterile instruments and gloves to avoid unnecessarily further contaminating the patient's wound. Likewise, the therapist using Clean Language endeavors to avoid unnecessarily contaminating and further injuring the PTSD victim's wounded psyche.
