[di meliora]

Ellen McGrath begins her article by noting:

Not everyone who endures a traumatic experience is scarred by it; the human psyche has a tremendous capacity for recovery and even growth. Recovering from a traumatic experience requires that the painful emotions be thoroughly processed. Trauma feelings can not be repressed or forgotten. If they are not dealt with directly, the distressing feelings and troubling events replay over and over in the course of a lifetime, creating a condition known as post-traumatic stress disorder.

Whatever inner resources people need to mobilize for recovery, they still can not accomplish the task alone. Depression and trauma are disconnective disorders. They do not improve in isolation. To fix them you have to be connected to others. http://www.psychologytoday.com/colle...overing-trauma

McGrath then discusses the four stages of healing. Seems to make sense. I hope some here may benefit from McGrath's discussion.

For more about about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder see here: http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/anxiety/ptsd

[Open Eyes]

Thank you Elan, I will have to make time to read through this. Any advice on how to heal and overcome is always greatly appreciated. When I come in from finishing my chores I will definitely read this.

Open Eyes

[Ygrec23]

And thanks from me too, Elan. Your article quotations and citations are much appreciated by many, I'm sure, as well as myself. You pick them with a deep understanding of what PC people need and want to read.

At the same time, I would bet that many PC people would very much like to hear from you about your own thoughts and judgments, and not just those of others whose productions you present.

No pressure. No challenging. If you're doing what you can do, that's fine. But keep in mind: you're appreciated. And your choices show that you're a serious and well-thought-out person. If you ever feel like it, why not show yourself a little more? I'm pretty sure that the response won't be negative.

Take care!

[Open Eyes]

Ok, there is a lot of reading material here to digest. It was good for me to see this material because many of the methods talked about here are actually things I DID do in my past. I noticed that there is that part of me that I do tap onto when addressing others in my posts. I have noticed that from the point of psychological struggle I am at now I do try to reach back to that woman that seemed to be able to perservere. There are so many suggestions here that I not only used but encouraged others to use as well although I didn't have this material as a guide.

In my current struggle I have to say that I have been very discouraged because I thought that I had coped through many different BIG challenges in my life and it seems to appear that somehow I didn't fair as well as I thought.

I actually find it truely baffling that I cant seem to proceed the way I used to. This has made me question if I truely DID recover from many different truely difficult, even abusive struggles or did I just effectively find ways to minimize situations or push them aside where unbeknownst to me, they were just laying in wait and never truely were overcome.

Yes, I do believe the brain has so much capacity to overcome and heal. I believe that if we work our brains like a muscle, focusing on just one muscle or area, even possibly depressive thoughts or artist abilities or another area we can over develope that one area and make it stronger the other areas can become weaker without our consciously knowing it. For example if something happens that presents some kind of depression either childhood neglect or some kind of failure or maybe even becoming overwhelmed with a learning disability, I believe that it is possible that we can unknowingly allow these failures etc. to become a focus that increases that part of our brains. So if we take a failure and obcess about it or are not shown how to overcome it, we can actually begin a process of working out the area of our brain that promotes depression and self loathing.

I even saw another article that talks about how we can now see that area of the brain presents a change that is not seen in the brain of a more balanced happier functioning person who shows no signs of depression or self loathing. We are developing new ways to examine the brain and can see changes in the brains that are in different individuals that are presenting not only depression but also PTSD. Yet we do not know "yet" what that really means, we are just beginning to see it.

I know that there are studies being done that are showing the changes in areas of the brain that are in individuals with a real diagnosis of what I would call acute PTSD. And we do see some cell damage, and the size of the hypocampus is said to actually shrink in children that have been severely abused. It is also noticed that not only is the hypocampus smaller in those that struggle with PTSD but there is also some cell damage. What I am not reading is a continuing study of the damage and what happens as a result of treatment, medication, and time. I do have difficulties that I didn't address on the level I am addressing now. So, I do not know what that means. I do find it very confusing. I still believe that the brain has a tremendous capacity to regenerate and even develope new ways to restore function, we have seen that happen in real brain injuries. I am just not sure, and I don't think it is truely known yet how a brain can repair from a severe case of PTSD.

Unfortunately the studies are being done and even theories are being presented by researchers that are, to the best of my knowledge, not experiencing the issues themselves. I remain very hopeful, but I will admitt that I am struggling and as much as I am trying to think much of this away, I am still struggling. I continue to try. I do know with everything I read I try to truely toss the information around in my mind and try to consider what I may not be seeing.

Thank you,

Open Eyes

Thanks for the article Elan Vital. I have read it. I hope I don't sound too closed minded but I did not find it of much help. PTSD is much more complex than the article lets on and I have serious doubts about the simple sounding resolutions given in it. I do not see the article's recommendations as very relevant to the treatment of my issues. I would not want the author as my T.

[Gus1234U]

i can say that one thing that really worked for me was to find the good hidden inside the trauma... i know this sounds like an oxymoron, but if we survived the actual event, then we learned something valuable, whether we have taken the time to find it or not.

for me, there was a deep sense of self reliance left behind, a kind of self trust under all the anger, denial, and grief. when i began to meditate, and with the assistance of the Holosync brain repair technology (google CenterPointe.com), i am finally finding peace and relief from those flashes of anger and fear that used to come without warning.

i hope all those who suffer find some way of moving on and healing the wounds that are with them in the PRESENT day, for i believe that the past is held only in our memories, mind, body and spirit. best wishes.. Gus

[Open Eyes]

(((((unhappyguy))))
Yes, I understand what your saying, this advice can be used by some who are dealing with a less severe case of PTSD though. I understand what you mean about not wanting this person to be your T as they make is sound much easier than it is to resolve chronic debilitating PTSD symptoms. It all depends on the severity of the symptoms. For someone like you unhappyguy, and me as well, it takes an extremely knowledgable therapist to guide us and truely help us find ways to overcome some very severe symptoms.

However, that being said, I do appreciate any information that is presented in this forum as I toss all possible positive input into learning ways to understand and help to overcome PTSD.

Open Eyes

[di meliora]

Criticisms, criticisms. Easy solution. It you do not like what I post or how I post it, put me on ignore.

look at the date the article was published..november 2001 ring a bell to anyone...9/11?

i think the article does a good job in providing insight in helping a great number of people deal with the frustration they felt after that point..the helplessness, loss, anger, etc. it gave guidance, direction, described what they would be feeling & how to address it.

i doubt the author wrote it as a source to replace personal therapy...but rather as a source of guidance...a starting point...or a point of reference. at that point of time there were many articles from professionals dealing with the very same topic... go back..remember the feelings you felt at that point of time...it was a horrible feeling...& articles like this one provided help.

in my opinion this is a decent article...meant to give an overview of the issue. it does a fine job...it isn't meant as a thesis in the subject...

sometimes i feel that we get so caught up in our conditions we fail to look outside them & get the bigger picture. yes ptsd is a horrible condition..but that said..it is not new, not with out research & does not have to totally envelop your life. with any medical condition...i believe you must work thru stages of acceptance similar to the stages of grief...except that at some point you have to decide to move on & accept life. & live.

i will always have memories of abuse & terrorist actions due to my work. i can not change that. but i will not let that define me...they took over part of my life i will not let them define the totality of the remainder of my life...by doing so i give my abusers even more power.

just my opinion..

[Open Eyes]

(((((Elan)))) Oh your not being critisized here at all, I truely appreciate your posting this material and I agree with stumpy, it can be of help to many, there are many articles to think about in your post. Yes some of the articles are based on theories for ways to deal with trama ten years ago. In the past ten years there has been continued studies that are revealing that for some it may be harder than others and new treatments are being offered as we learn more about what actually occurs in the brains of some patients that exprience PTSD. Even now we are using technology that is showing us even more about our brains than ever before, we are always learning and basing treatment on all the new information we are learning. However this doesn't mean old methods of treatment don't work or should not continue to be considered.

I have come to know that I have battled PTSD most of my life off and on and many of these techniques are things that I did apply in my own life that made it possible for me to overcome and still have a productive life. What I am addressing now is a more severe condition of PTSD and I am truely trying to understand it even more. My new therapist is trying to explain to me why this happened and I am trying to understand it as I do get very crippled by it and very confused as to why my old methods are not working for me now. It truely is challenging but I have been told that I will learn how to manage what I am addressing now better.

Again, thank you for all your input Elan it is worth considering this information that can be helpful. I intend to let it toss around in my mind and rethink it.

Open Eyes