PTSD

PTSD is not only for those who fought in war zones overseas. It can be caused by things such as: chronic neglect and/or abuse through childhood; sexual exploitation; a narcissistic/domineering/abusive partner; etc. In fact, PTSD can form over many years from a layered-effect of more minor traumas stacked upon one-another such as growing-up in a home which felt unsafe (AKA Complex Trauma or C-PTSD).


12 signs you might be suffering from C-PTSD:


Below is the criteria check list for PTSD. This comes straight out of the DSM-5, which is the insurance "Bible" for all diagnoses.

https://www.brainline.org/article/dsm-5-criteria-ptsd

Criterion A: stressor (one required)
The person was exposed to: death, threatened death, actual or threatened serious injury, or actual or threatened sexual violence, in the following way(s):

  • Direct exposure
  • Witnessing the trauma
  • Learning that a relative or close friend was exposed to a trauma
  • Indirect exposure to aversive details of the trauma, usually in the course of professional duties (e.g., first responders, medics)


Criterion B: intrusion symptoms (one required)
The traumatic event is persistently re-experienced in the following way(s):

  • Unwanted upsetting memories
  • Nightmares
  • Flashbacks
  • Emotional distress after exposure to traumatic reminders
  • Physical reactivity after exposure to traumatic reminders


Criterion C: avoidance (one required)

Avoidance of trauma-related stimuli after the trauma, in the following way(s):

  • Trauma-related thoughts or feelings
  • Trauma-related external reminders


Criterion D: negative alterations in cognitions and mood (two required)
Negative thoughts or feelings that began or worsened after the trauma, in the following way(s):

  • Inability to recall key features of the trauma
  • Overly negative thoughts and assumptions about oneself or the world
  • Exaggerated blame of self or others for causing the trauma
  • Negative affect
  • Decreased interest in activities
  • Feeling isolated
  • Difficulty experiencing positive affect


Criterion E: alterations in arousal and reactivity
Trauma-related arousal and reactivity that began or worsened after the trauma, in the following way(s):

  • Irritability or aggression
  • Risky or destructive behavior
  • Hypervigilance
  • Heightened startle reaction
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Difficulty sleeping

Criterion F: duration (required)
Symptoms last for more than 1 month.

Criterion G: functional significance (required)
Symptoms create distress or functional impairment (e.g., social, occupational).

Criterion H: exclusion (required)
Symptoms are not due to medication, substance use, or other illness.

Two specifications:
  • Dissociative Specification In addition to meeting criteria for diagnosis, an individual experiences high levels of either of the following in reaction to trauma-related stimuli:
    • Depersonalization. Experience of being an outside observer of or detached from oneself (e.g., feeling as if "this is not happening to me" or one were in a dream).
    • Derealization. Experience of unreality, distance, or distortion (e.g., "things are not real").
  • Delayed Specification. Full diagnostic criteria are not met until at least six months after the trauma(s), although onset of symptoms may occur immediately.

Dissociation test - http://traumadissociation.com/des



The History of PTSD (Click Here & Here)

The concept of "resiliency" explored.

Complex Trauma or C-PTSD Explained:

C-PTSD/Complex Trauma from early childhood:

Artist with PTSD sings about PTSD:

Psilocybin Research and Therapy



Movies with characters who had PTSD

Depression And Anxiety


dog

Examples: guilt / self-blame, feeling lethargic, scared, worried, trying to figure out the future, irritability, outbursts, feeling not comfortable in your own skin, like you just don't feel like you fit in - it feels like there's no place on earth for you to fit in, unable to sleep - waking up in the middle of the night, or in the morning feeling unrested, sensing panic, dread, confusion, and, as though you have been unjustly mistreated by this world and the people in it.

As I'm sure you know, anxiety in American seems to be at epidemic levels. A colleague of mine (David Burton of New Mexico) described it as "free floating anxiety", which is now occurring in children as young as 5. Anxiety and depression can often share the same symptoms; it just feels like your soul has food poisoning. They are a form of suffering.

An uncertain existence is experienced by many, one where you must fight just to keep bad things from happening - rather than working to "get ahead". Instead of emotional nourishment, edification, and fulfillment - it seems now more about emotional survival. Something is evidently very broken within the culture so please don't blame yourself!

This existence has recently been made exponentially more challenging with the Covid-19 instant Judo flip societal changes. Suddenly, we don't know what next week is going to look like. I'm finding that whatever clients had before Covid-19 with regards to mental health challenges, well, you can now just double or triple those levels.

We have all lost any remaining sense of free agency. We are now even less the author of our destiny. Autonomy has been violently grabbed away from us like a purse snatching in broad daylight. So, we wait to be told what to do by members of institutions who regularly appear on the internet and TV. It is my opinion that the removal of the very core element of self-determination is stratospherically unhealthy for the human psyche. Moreover, like the buoys which splashed to the surface in the movie Jaws, past traumas are now emerging into people's emotional life due to this extraordinary social upheaval.

Moreover, identifying patterns and themes in your life which lack a sense of dignity can be very important. Internalizing the message that one is worthless and defective can create a painful existence filled with a sense invalidation. Tracking the true source of these negative trends can lead to empowerment.

Financial factors trending for decades:

The Covid-19 component:

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