PTSD inho is not a mental illness

It seems like now a days everything is a sickness or desease..
They have to label everything.. well I understand as I read some of these post that I'm not the only one dealing with these labels..
I'm glad I found this site.. and hope to make many new friends..

Welcome Corine, yep this is a great site for information and support when you need it - the labels thing is hard to deal with - I find now (after 2 years of therapy off and on)that I dont care as much anymore - hope things work out for you P7

I don't think any psychiatric diagnoses are actually mental "illnesses"…"mental illness" is IMO a phrase which was originally used metaphorically but has increasingly (if not universally) come to be (mis)understood *literally*.

But as I like to say sometimes it's only a problem if it's a problem. Why is calling something a mental illness a problem? IMO mostly because of stigma—get rid of that and debate over terminology fades away. Having said *that* the only way our society currently seems to have come up with for advancing this goal is defining MI as a biologically-based brain disorder—something with which I disagree strongly.

They call it an illness so they can treat it -- I don't agree that the "medical model" of psychology makes sense, but at this point it's what insurance companies accept so that's how the system is set up.

You are diagnosed with a condition, such as PTSD, depression, etc, ONLY so (1) they know how to design your treatment and (2) insurance companies will pay for it. That's it. But many therapists don't work strictly according to the DSM, as it is a flawed instrument with many symptom overlaps. Many people have multiple conditions, many different conditions are treated the same way, there is huge symptom overlap, and two professionals may totally disagree about your diagnosis.

It sucks that it's called mental illness, because of the stigma.

It's called mental illness, so insurance companies will pay for it and so society will take it seriously.

But "mental illnesses" are common. People have issues. They just do -- it's NORMAL. And it's becoming more and more commonplace to seek mental health treatment. Mental illness is just a term - try not to get too wrapped up in the language.

(((Minime)))
They are NORMAL reactions to an abnormal situation.

nothing listed in the DSM is actually an illness. Psychiatrists and psychologists call it "disorders" because that's simply what they know about them right now - they reflect a disorder in achieving a decent amount of quality of life.

i think anyone who claims that any of the disorders listed in the DSM are actual "illnesses" is grossly misinformed or overstating the true state of knowledge that researchers have on these syndroms thus far.

Mental Illness - the term that refers collectively to all mental disorders. Mental disorders are health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood or behavior (or some combination thereof) associated with distress and/or impaired functioning.
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If it sounds like a duck, if it walks like a duck, its a duck.

Minime, I agree with you in part; I do think that the term mental illness is used too much these days, however because of the extreme anxiety that comes with it varies I'm not sure that mental illness is quite right a term because it varies. Also some people with this disorder seem to do just fine for the most part.

That was a phrase to replace "crazy".

A rose by any other name...

I don't know a lot about PTSD, but I do know I have experienced it first hand. When I was 18 years old my father was murdered by doctors that gave him medicine he was allergic to. My dad was only 42. The only way that my mind could deal with it was to delve into a world of drugs and alcohol. To this very day, I do not trust doctors entirely. But that was a long time ago, and since then I have developed other mental illnesses. Maybe because I never dealt with the PTSD in a healthy way. Who knows.......

IMO, PTSD is correctly classified as a mental illness. Anyone can develop PTSD post-trauma. Just as anyone can get the flu.

Yes, there are underlying conditions that may predispose people to PTSD, but there also underlying conditions that pre-dispose one to contracting, or suffering a more severe course of the flu.

Just because anyone can develop it does not mean that it isn't an illness.

haven't read this thread. Could not care less! It doesn't matter if its a mi or not. The fact is its a very real issue and affects many parts of life including mental health-

WOW I could care less also. If I wanted to. Nice.

I wrote this post so long ago. It funny to see it active. It was started as place to have a discussion on why or why not ptsd is a illness....I had been frustrated that day. i dont like "them" telling me I am ill when "they" have not even lived through any kinda of trauma that was severe.

I disagree, Minime. I believe that those of us who develope full blown PTSD are mentally ill. Isn't being mentally ill just maladaptive behavior pattern or patterns that are life altering? If so that would certainly be PTSD.

Sardean, when you say that your dad was murdered by doctors did you mean that they knowingly gave your dad drugs that they knew he was allergic to? If so they should probably have been charged with malpractice; but depending on the situation there are occasional times that the benefit of a drug outweighs the risk and sometimes when there is not an acceptable alternative you give the drug with a healthy dose of prednisone to minimize the allergic effect. Doesn't happen often but it does occur.

Not clear on the situation with your dad. I am sorry that you lost him at such an early age.

Im just feel like sticking my tongue out on how this simple thread I started as a place to discuss has ended up I hope it gets deleted. SO Im sticking out my tongue.

Hey, MINIME! Actually, I think it's a great thread you started here. I've been trying to catch up and have read most of the posts; I'm not quite done, but I saw this most recent post from you and wanted to respond.

There have been numerous renamings, recategorizings, redefinings of psychiatric terms over the years, and most especially over the past 50+ or so, and I imagine PTSD and other conditions will continue to be redefined, etc., as doctors learn more about the specific characteristics.

In my personal opinion, I think of PTSD as an injury to the psyche that then produces certain symptoms and creates a psychological environment that can make the individual susceptible to the development of other psychological conditions or illnesses.

The field of modern psychology/psychiatry is still very young, relatively speaking. I don't think anyone has an absolute understanding of PTSD or many other conditions, illnesses, whatever whoever decides to call them. This is a continuing live debate even among the experts as they all try to reach a common viewpoint, approach, definition, etc. And, of course, you always have the insurance and pharmaceutical companies contributing their 2 cents worth, as well.

Anyway, I think this has been a good conversation on the subject and has given many people a lot to think about. No need to be disappointed in the outcome, MINIME - human life is messy sometimes, but that's how we learn and grow.

You're right in that someone who has been traumatized can react "that way" to it. But professionals need to call it something. It used to be called "shell shock" from war incidents only, and trauma by other means was all but ignored. From the Vietnam conflict we got PTSS, where it was called a "syndrome."

I don't like the term mental illness either. Mental unwellness is a bit better, don't you think? I wouldn't know how to categorize it personally, otherwise. It's a chemical reaction ...brain chemicals change and the memory of the situation/event aren't processed quite adequately...and that produces physical and emotional reactions. It is a disorder of some normal processes, thus PTSD...an after trauma stress of disordered thinking and reacting.

is it a mental illness.........

a mental disorder?

a maladaptive process?

or an adaptive process to deal wiht trauma......

a coping mechanism when the brain says - "ive had enough!!!"

a way to survive the unsurvivable......

a storm we stand in the middle of till the rain stops and we find our way to shelter.....

all i know is it hurts......and it tears at your soul ....

and thankl heavens for T's and pdocs and friends who stand by us while we run - walk - or crawl along the healing road

thankyou MINIME for starting this thread so i could epxress how i feel - when at the moment i am just putting one foot in front of the other to get through this

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((MINIME)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Oh P7 ....you said it well ..... me too! is all I can say....ME TOO!

I say that instead of dx us as ptsd we should diagnose the world that traumatized us as assholeness. we would be normal the world would be ill,

LMAO! you make me laugh, MIMIME....nice new word for my dictionary ..... thanks.