Does PTSD Really Exist?
Wednesday, January 16th, 2013 • Michele's Radio Show, PTSD Guest Post: Professional Perspective •
You know if I’m writing that title there must be a point, right? As a matter of fact, I have actually had people tell me that PTSD doesn’t exist; it was all just a figment of my mind and I didn’t respond properly to trauma.
What????
There is no ‘proper’ response to trauma. There is only the response that makes sense to you at the time. In every moment you are always doing the best you can.
So here’s the point of the title, “Does PTSD Really Exist?” What if PTSD isn’t a figment of our imagination but a figment of the imagination of those trained to help us? Herb Cohen, my guest on this week’s episode of YOUR LIFE AFTER TRAUMA, believes the PTSD label is how the clinical world bills, justifies and imagines treating us. He says,
“There is no such disease state as PTSD. [It is a] normal reaction and adaption for survival of horrible life events. While the adapted behaviors seem maladaptive and at times even destructive, anyone would respond in an adaptive manner if they experienced helplessness and an unsafe or unloving situation. It would not mean I/they have a disease. I speak only from clinical experience and not from any cited evidence based research.”
I like his perspective, don’t you?! According to Herb there are three recent developments that open the road for creating a major shift in how we approach recovery from emotional trauma. He’ll outline those ways and discuss their implications on our next episode later today at 2pm EST/11am PST.
Click here for more details about the show.
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PTSD is a kind of programming in our brain. The brain records an horrible life event as a connection between a picture (a traumatic memory) and our response (emotions, adapted behavior etc). The connection between the picture and our response will always be stored in our brain as a new part of neural network. Our brain would always react in the same way in similar situations even there are not horrible. I have managed to “delete” my connection between the picture and my response. When I recall a horrible life event from my life I feel noting bad. No fear, no tense no nasty emotions or adapted behavior any more.
@Philippe – If you haven’t already, you may find this radio broadcast interesting. http://yourlifeaftertrauma.com/brain-body-trauma-recovery/
This is my radio interview with Robert Scaer, M.D.He is Board Certified in Neurology, and has been in practice for 36 years, twenty of those as Medical Director of Rehabilitation Services at the Mapleton Center in Boulder, CO. His primary areas of interest and expertise have been in the fields of traumatic brain injury and chronic pain, and more recently in the study of traumatic stress and its role in physical and emotional symptoms, and in diseases. Try it and see what you think!