post-traumatic stress disorder & hypnosis & head-cleaners tapes & CDs 
|
PTSD -- Post-Traumatic Stress, Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome & Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder -- are degrees of a group of difficulties that arise for many people following the experience of an extreme traumatic stressor (e.g., intense fear, horror -- almost being killed, seeing someone killed or almost killed, finding out about a violent, ugly death of a loved one).
Adding to the complexity of reactions to traumatic stressors (and reflecting the complexity of the the human mind), post-traumatic stress symptoms can arise immediately following the trauma or may be delayed for weeks, months, years or even decades.
Historically, many PTSD sufferers were seen as liars, malingerers or as weak willed, weak-minded and utterly dysfunctional. They were given damning, stigmatizing diagnoses and treated very poorly, if at all. Now medical science understands that these reactions to trauma are actually so common and "normal" that it seems amazing when the lives of trauma survivors are not devistated by the after-effects of extreme traumatic stress. The bottom line is that no one chooses to experience PTSD, it is understandable and it can be lived with.
The problems that survivors find themselves dealing with after trauma are simply the result of the mind reacting to trauma in the best manner it can devise -- given its resources of biology, sense of social support and learned information about self and the environment. What seems to be the case (as we understand the human mind at this time) is that the extent to which post-traumatic stress symptoms become intense enough to be called PTSD -- the severity of stress symptoms -- is related to a complex combination of factors. These factors seem to include the sense of resiliency that a person develops in childhood, the sense of support in the environment before and following the trauma, past history of trauma experiences, and the severity and duration of the trauma(s).
Pretty much anyone may experience PTSD -type symptoms to some extent following a traumatic experience, but "Posttraumatic Stress Disorder" is diagnosed only when there are a extreme symptoms that last for more than a month and cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
False memory syndrome
A lot has and probably will be said about the issue of false memories. Anyone who believes that memory is infallible is naive and has not been paying much attention in life. This is a very important issue in life and legal proceedings. This is also a very important issue with regard to avoiding having someone assure you that memory fragments absolutely mean this or that for certain. Unfortunately, it is probably the case that some very uninformed therapists have fostered the construction of traumatic memories in their clients. This is done by insisting or authoritatively suggesting that feelings of anxiousness or depression or certain tiny memory fragments without context mean that there was molestation, rape, etc. Under these conditions, the individual hearing this "racks" his or her brain for days to fill in the gaps, and can with some effort actually believe they remember more and more. This is not the same as an individual suddenly remembering a traumatic event. Though there is proof that false memories can be constructed and that the rememberer can't always tell the difference between false and true, there is no proof that delayed memories -- memories that come to one years later -- are likely to be false.
Whether "remembered" memories are false or accurate (or in between) is not, however, a crucial issue with regard to the day-to-day struggle with, or the treatment of, PTSD. (This doesn't mean that the issue doesn't have significant implications to relationships with family, but this is stuff for a different article.) Having a false memory of a trauma can cause virtually identical issues with regard to anxiety, nightmares, depression, avoidance and general disfunction. It may indeed be a relief to discover that a memory is false. Many trauma survivors, in fact, struggle to convince themselves that they made up the memories of abuse and they spend an enormous amount of their lives bouncing between wanting to believe they can trust themselves to remember things accurately and wanting to believe they made up their memories of trauma. Unfortunately, for most people there is no way to discover the truth or lack thereof about memories of the distant past. Without a video tape of every moment of a period of time, beliefs about memories are all we are left with.
There are a variety of therapy strategies and techniques that can be helpful in reducing the frequency and duration of PTSD symptoms. Hypnosis tapes or CDs will not be likely to be useful in dealing with intense symptoms of PTSD unless there is some good guidance from a therapist along with their use.
Generally speaking, the treatment of post traumatic stress syndrome symptoms can be very brief (a matter of weeks) in cases where the individual is from a supportive childhood and experiences a single, relatively brief, traumatic event (e.g., a generally previously happy, well-adjusted individual involved a car wreck where someone dies). However, pretty much by definition, post traumatic stress disorder consists of significantly disabling, disturbing, distressing symptoms. Treatment of these is often much more complicated and often takes much longer (a matter of years) in cases of multiple prolonged traumatizations (e.g., an individual raised in an emotionally abusive, neglectful home who is repeatedly raped by a "loved one" multiple times each month over a period of several years, or a soldier from a neglectful childhood who is exposed to prolonged periods of serious threat of death, multiple near-death experiences, and the deaths of several friends in near proximity).
If you are struggling with PTSD
For help dealing with PTSD, psychotherapy and medications in combination are usually believed to be more likely to be effective than either alone. Thus, a psychotherapist-psychiatrist team is strongly recommended -- professionals with experience and expertise in treating PTSD. Professionals that you feel that you like and you trust. Not all psychotherapists and psychiatrists work with PTSD. (Check the info on finding counselors and dealing with insurance and payments on this websight.)
In seeking a therapist to help you with PTSD issues, BE SURE TO FIND A PSYCHOTHERAPIST WITH TRAINING, EXPERIENCE, AND EXPERTISE IN WORKING WITH SURVIVORS OF TRAUMA -- PREFERABLY SOMEONE RECOMMENDED BY ONE OR MORE OTHER TRAUMA SURVIVORS. I strongly recommend that you do not go to someone who primarily represents him- or herself as a "hypnotist." Instead, go to a credentialed professional who represents him- or herself as a psychotherapist who treats PTSD. Hypnosis may sometimes be a useful tool in the treatment of PTSD but if it is utilized, it should only be utilized as a part of a comprehensive treatment plan by a therapist with both expertise in dealing with PTSD and expertise in using hypnosis.
It is important to feel like a therapist is going to be helpful. It is okay to make it the therapist's responsibility to deal with your anxiety about therapy - if you could do things by yourself, the therapist wouldn't be of any real value.
If you are struggling with wondering if your memories are false, do not expect hypnosis to help you. Studies of memory retrieval (asking an individual in trance to "re-live" an experience from some time in thier past and then checking with family and friends and photo albums) have shown that people can come up with what they believe happened and vividly experience the memory -- and be completely off base. If you struggle with memories and/or fragments of memories, the best advice is that you need to do what seems best to deal with them. Usually some combination of believing that maybe they are absoultely accurate while at the same time accepting they may not be. And then mix this with an attitude of acceptance of the complexities and hassles of life and an understanding and an acceptance of yourself -- that you're not a bad person for thinking what you think or having the pieces of memories in your head that you do.
Self-help, hypnosis & relaxation tapes/CDs
Hypnosis, relaxation tapes/CDs and probably hundreds of other kinds of self-help strategies can be helpful, BUT ONLY AFTER one has pretty much worked through the intense flashbacks and nightmares, the more or less constant hyper-arousal and hyper-vigilance, and the struggle with suicidal thinking. Finding self-help aids is generally a trial-and-error exploration for what works. Some people find tapes and CDs helpful, some find coloring in a coloring book or taking a walk far more therapeutic.
head-cleaners tapes & CDs
Of the head-cleaners recordings, if basic relaxation is the issue, "relax... relax..." is focused on letting your body relax while keeping your mind alert. If stress and adjustment to the new level of anxiousness one is left with after trauma, "healing tree 2" focuses on adjustment, healing, stress and relaxation. If being self-conscious and stressed is the issue, "performance 2" is for settling down unneeded thinking. For a reduction of guilt feelings and/or recurring unwanted memories or thoughts, try "allowing one's self to get past it". For headaches -- often common along with PTSD -- "to heal a headache" is focused on reducing headaches and the self-directed anger lots of headaches can sometimes add to one's day. For getting better tuned in to eating behaviors -- again, often a problem that can come along with the aftermath of traumatization -- "practical, optimal eating, too" focuses on better self-care and self-control of refrigerator behavior (either too much approach or too much avoidance). For sleep problems "are we asleep yet, too?" is focused on relaxing and getting to sleep. For the trauma survivor of a more kid-like demeanor or stature in life who feels out of control in some area of their functioning (i.e., freezes in social situations, too easily tearful), "two voices to imagine" focuses on getting better control. If persistent, vague feelings of anxiety and depression are the issue, now to how to soothe out angst is intended to help in soothing out angst (a persistent, gloomy, anxious feeling) and for establishing a sense of hope and a sense of faith in one's self and one's life. If the issue is impractical strategies for handling one's self, self to self partnering
intended for the "self-esteem-ally" challenged -- individuals who struggle with lack of faith in themselves, self-directed anger, etc. -- focuses on establishing practical attitudes and perspectives for dealing with one's self with respect to failures, successes, etc., in order to maximize and optimize productivity; for establishing and fostering a generally better relationship with one's self.
TAKE NOTE: In self-helping it's important to tell helpful from hurt. It's important to give yourself permission to consult a professional if you need one. Just as its important to get to a doctor if you're severely injured, and in borderline cases of injury it's better to waste the time it takes to go see a doctor than risk that you should have -- and just as one should not goof around with bandaids when an artery is gushing -- it's important to consult a psychologist,
psychiatrist or other counselor or physician -type professional if you believe you might, in fact, need one. Better safe and not sorry -- a stitch in time saves nine. If it turns out its a false alarm, the professional will tell you. You might take a look at the comments on finding a therapist for some tips.
|
(additional thoughts stimulated by emails)
Many individuals who have experienced severe traumatization find themselves feeling like they are far too reactive and not sufficiently able to be mindful before these reactions occur. They find themselves freezing up under pressure or screaming or lashing out when startled. They often struggle with the feeling that they are not in as much control of themselves as they would like.
Many of us go to the movies and we see these attractive, cool, collected characters dealing with surprises and attacks without seeming to lose their self-control, chip their nails or sully their outfits. We want to be like Laura Croft or James Bond -- when surprised, we want to think within a millisecond and react in some very cool and collected manner. (My gosh -- these guys sometimes think and act so quickly they can outrun and dodge huge explosions and massive machine-gunning attack robots! Now that's cool and collected!) Well, the question is, if it is possible to achieve some or all of such presence of mind, how does one go about achieving it? I will offer a few ideas below -- to be taken in context with the ideas above (especially about getting help if you can't do these things on your own).
You are here. A great strategy for beginning to work on any change is to first accept where you have to start from. How one's body is wired is how one's body is wired. I frequently work with trauma survivors who come to me complaining that they feel very frustrated and stupid about not being able to control themselves better. This is basically like someone saying he's frustrated and feels stupid that when someone taps a little below his knee, his leg jerks and his foot kicks upward a little.
|
Quick reactivity after traumatization represents one's mind's primative, protective systems setting up alarms and contingencies for emergencies. This is not done in the part of the mind that studies for geography tests. This is done in the part that decides how much adrenalin should be pumping at any given time, how much moisture should be allocated to the eyes, how much blood should go to digestion versus the muscles, etc. Just as these same basic areas of the mind "decide" after a starvation diet that there should be more fat stored, after trauma it is "decided" by these mechanisms that our alarm systems need to be notched up a bit.
Certainly, it may be frustrating if reactivity is something that causes you problems and you want to change it, but it's not stupid to not know how. Generally speaking, most of us aren't raised around or exposed to individuals who study, practice, teach or talk about controlling inner physiological systems -- organs and wiring -- that control our alarm, fear, pain, metabolism, apetite, blood pressure, bleeding, healing, etc. (If I ask you to mentally dilate the blood vessels, arteries and capilaries in your hands so that your hands warm, are you stupid if you can't do that right off the bat? -- how about if you have a few weeks to work on the problem?)
The good news is that usually some strategizing and practice (efforts devised more in the geography test -type areas) can actually work to fine tune and moderate the actions of the less easily, less directly accessible areas that control reactivity.
Approach this as a challenge and seek practice. In the '60's or 70's there was a series of Pink Panther movies starring Peter Sellers. Many people now days are too young to have seen any -- which is unfortunate because they had an ongoing element that was a wonderful example of a strategy for challenging one's self and practicing being cool under fire. These were comedies and the element was comedic -- but still very interesting. In these movies, the hero -- a bumbling police inspector -- had ordered his chauffer and butler to seriously physically attack him by surprise when it would be most surprising. He did this in the belief that this would polish his ability to handle attacks. The humor was in the timing that would be chosen to attack him -- always when it was most inconvenient and funny. But, though very inconvenient and very funny, it always seemed that this was a wonderful way to practice AND a wonderful appoach to surprise attacks.
No, I do not suggest that anyone hire someone to attack him or her for practice. I do want to suggest, though, that surprises are much easier to mindfully handle if you decide to invite Life (the Cosmos, God, luck, chance, Murphy's Law, whatever) to "come ahead on" and throw some surprises at you -- instead of fearing being surprised. This is simply a change in approach to the problem.
Plan ahead. When one is dealing with any bad habit that he or she wants to change, a key to reducing mindless reactions is to plan ahead identifying any possible upcoming situation where one's habit is likely to get out of control. For the alcoholic or smoker who is trying to quit, it is wise to think through first what kinds of situations are most likely to cause relapse and then get used to thinking ahead and trying to predict problems before they happen. The individual can then either try to avoid problem situations -- or, if unavoidable, can preplan how to handle the situation. This works especially well if adopting the attitude of practicing and challenging above.
Give yourself credit. If you're out of diapers, you've probably accomplished a lot of self-improvement in your time. It's very important to remind yourself that this is a possible thing to do but also one that is going to slowly improve. This is not a light-switch -type issue where the right key will turn the problem off. This is a personal best, slow but steady improvement situation -- like muscle building. Work at it patiently and with some humor and self-acceptance and things will improve gradually. (Yeh, of course, not fast enough to suit -- but you don't want to run out of challenges before you get to the nursing home, do you? How would you handle the boredom?)
Be nice, soldier! That's an order! Though drill sargeant strategies may work in many instances in life, being a drill sargeant to yourself about trauma reactivity is simply silly. You really do need to accept what the underlying mechanics are. The simplistic mechanisms deep in your mind that regulate startle responses are like an inner three year old child. After trauma, these mechanisms are like an inner three year old child that is terrified. Yelling at yourself, trying to scare yourself into compliance, or in anyway being impatient and pushy with yourself only serves to make things worse. Harsh strategies work with one's anxiety as well as they would work in calming down and getting a three year old to think about what he or she is doing. (Imagine screaming at a terrified three year old to knock it off and calm the hell down! Does that seem like an image of success or frustration?)
Expect a pendulum effect. Try as one might, when one tries to change a habit, it's sometimes the case that one finds one's self one day having gone too far the other direction. The individual that froze under fire, now attacks under threat of fire. The individual that attacked under threat of fire, is now too passive. Lots of self-improvement is working on one side and then the other -- so there's a good chance this will happen if you're working hard on changing how you react to things. This is important to know because it may soften your energy for fixing things quickly. The more intensity you put to fixing something, the more likely you'll go way past your goal before you realize and have a big problem now in the other direction. (Imagine spending months or years pushing and shoving on a door that won't open -- slamming your body against it again and again. When it finally gives, it may give way dramatically and you may end up going much further into the next room -- possibly even through it and out the window before you know it.) It's just part of the process.
A place and a role for hypnosis & relaxation tapes/CDs. In using the above set of attitudes and ideas, any hypnosis or relaxation tapes or CDs that focus on relaxing the body while fostering optimal mental processes can be very helpful, as can tapes/CDs that focus one on accepting one's self and the challenges and changes that come up with a minimal amount of panic.
Friends, loved ones, and social contacts. The advisability of a patient, accepting, supportive inner relationship is s also true for social supports and contacts. Friends, family and co-workers that are blaming, negative, critical, anxious, jumpy, angry and/or depressed are probably not going to be helpful to be around. Friends and others that are accepting, patient and understanding -- who act appropriately towards that terrified three year old part of your brain -- can be very helpful. If you have loved ones, co-workers or friends increasing your anxiety reactions, educate them, do some behavior mod on them (i.e., time out or something), or stay away from them for a few years while you do your self-improvement thing.
(more issues and ideas will come to this and the other shrink rap pages as emails come in and as chance, God and/or the Cosmos dictate)