What's PTSD?

I have a friend who's a Lebanese Roman Catholic priest working in Rome and he asked me "what's PTSD?"

Wow.

Really?

Smh

Anyone else been asked this?

Yep, all the time. Sometimes it's genuine, if so I educate them. Other times it is used and continued as "What's PTSD, and how the hell would you have it? Have you even had trauma in your life? You told me that you're not a veteran."
Because I have to go to war to encounter a traumatic experience, right? I really don't mean any disrespect to any veterans out there who suffer PTSD, but it upsets me that people think that's the only way you can suffer from it. I hate it when people also add, "I wouldn't get PTSD because I can actually handle my emotions. That's your problem, you're too emotional." Yes, because I have emotions, I have PTSD. I'm just too sensitive, right? Neglect the fact that I went through something that, unless you have gone through it yourself, you could never understand. Not even slightly.
I just quit telling people I have it. None of their damn business, anyways.

My friend honestly didn't know. I've known him over half a dozen years and he was concerned about me. I guess I should ask him what kind of training he's had in mental health. I used to get furious with him when he'd tell me take care, years ago. Now I can accept it. I had a raging pd back then.

Educating someone about it isn't too bad, at least not for me. I think that it's great that they ask because it shows that they care.

Yes, and half a dozen years ago when he showed he cared I was ready to snap his head off. I've changed. I just find it weird that somebody so educated and elite would not know what PTSD was. Maybe it's the country of origin difference .

It could be.

People I met usually understand "trauma issues". Honestly, cannot expect anybody to know all clinical sounding abbreviations.

This man is a Roman Catholic priest living in Rome. He's not a layperson.

Also PTSD is not "trauma issues" it's a medical condition and a mental health disability that requires ongoing professional treatment . It's not a self improvement issue. It can interfere with a persons ability to sleep, parent, work, trust others, sustain friendships.

The clergy need to be trained in mental health care. It's not his fault .

Uh, I have it. Only in my country, we don't call it disorder. Just PTS. Still, it is still bundle of letters. It sounds clinical. "Trauma issues" is a way to express to normal people what it is without going into a thesis. Most people do understand what trauma is, what it can do and that it changes you.

And the PTSD is pretty new thing. It used to be shell shock. Then the name changed few times until it because clinical, cold and meaningless.

Roman clergies in Rome do not have degrees in psychology or psychiatry, do they? And if you used to the abreviation to somebody who is not English speaker, they might be honestly unfamiliar with that word.

(also, in Europe there is slightly different view of mental "illness". Czech uses term for it that can be losely translated as "soul disorder", as in it affect the spiritual, the non-touchable, the psychological part of you. Not so wild on brain scans and "chemical imbalances"). Not sure about Italy.

Clergy are not trained in mental health care. It's really not in their scope of practice beyond basically recognizing someone who is "mentally ill" in general. I'm not surprised he didn''t know what is PTSD. It's probably not talked about much in Rome.

In my experience, clergy are aware of mental illness and some of them even form organizations to help bridge the gap between religion and psychology and medicine.

I'm finding some of these comments are shaming and judgmental .

This is a support forum for people with PTSD.

Please make any further replies in a more compassionate and empathetic spirit .

I guess it's better for her to ask you than make false assumptions. I'm not defending her or anything though. More people should know, everyone should know.

I don't feel my comment was shaming or judgmental at all. That was certainly not my intention.

Backing off.

I think it's safe to assume the original poster knows what they are talking about on the subject they are posting on.

As I did not grow up in the Roman Catholic Church I do not know it's norms.

The root of the Church is quite knowledgeable about psychological problems, I have many theological texts that explicitly address them as well as other clergy friends who work in mental health. My first priest was also a counselor, for example, he had an academic education in psychology.

This thread is probably better suited for a different forum.

Thank you for your input.

I find that rather perplexing... since priest are rarely trained therapist, thank a higher power for mental health professionals

Yes, I think the Roman Catholic Church should at least have a training session on what the diagnosis are. Maybe PTSD goes by a different label in Rome, Canada or Lebanon?

That is possible... now I am curious.

Me too, I guess I look it up or go back in with my friend. I don't think he knew what to say.

Here is the German word
Posttraumatische Belastungsstörung or PTBS

Well, they don't speak English as native language in Lebanon or Italy.

Too that end of language, here is an interesting history worth reading

http://io9.gizmodo.com/5898560/from-...came-a-disease

Thank you will read later and reply , I think it's time to pick up the body keeps the score again. Ironically I dropped it in the section where a man started talked about his don't think I should tell my friend about that book.

When I have heard the author speak about his work I found it very worth while. And made a lot of sense to me. I think I will look him up again

Yeah and I'll give the book another go, and see if the notes are up in the book club on the other site.

If you want to post a link to him speaking please do