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Why Post Traumatic Stress should not be called a ‘disorder’?

I absolutely abhor labelling of those as mentally ill when not enough empathy or awareness is shown of how much suffering that may cause us to become mentally, emotionally and physically traumatised comes from injury, neglect or abuse of some kind.

Trauma specialist Peter Levine makes the valid point that PTS (Post Traumatic Stress) should not be labelled a disorder when it is a very valid response of our nervous system and soul to damage.   He explains how the term only began to be used following the Vietnam War, to explain the damage veterans had been exposed to.  He says that the term ‘shell shock’ which was used in the aftermath of World War One is actually a more embodied term which explains the very real affects of being exposed to unspeakable events and pressure, as well as witnessing destruction on a devestating level.

The same point is made by Doreen Virtue in her book Dont Let Anyone Dull Your Sparkle.  

Most people are familar with the term PTSD.  However, I prefer a different one coined by some researchers – PTSR, or post traumatic stress reaction.  After all, its not a neurotic disorder – its an understandable reaction to trauma.  The word disorder implies you’re abnormal, which is a disempowering identification.

Its not a disorder – it’s an understandable reaction to trauma.

If you have post traumatic stress symptoms, you’re not broken and there is nothing wrong with you.  You’re adapting to and coping with overwhelming circumstances. … If you have PTSR, you’ve developed a survival reaction based upon having experienced trauma.

In addition, studies show that you can develop secondary traumatic stress (STS) from listening to or witnessing traumatic events.  So if your Dad shared graphic details about his experiences in the war.. you may have STS as a result, especially if you obsessed about what it was like for him.

Similarly, children suffer secondary traumatic stress if their parent with PTSR is withdrawn, won’t show affection or other emotions, or avoids leaving the house (all symptoms of PTSR).

Researchers have found symptoms in those who watch news reports or videos about terrorism, war, and natural disasters.  So if you were glued to your television watching (such) events… you may have STS from that experience.

Apparently the unconscious mind can’t distinguish between a trauma happening to you or to someone else.  Studies show that our stress hormone, cortisol, increases in response to our watching emotionally painful movies.  This underscores the importance of using disernment and balance when watching news, movies, or TV

If you suffer from any of the following you most often have PTSR : Recurring nightmares or flashbacks, an inability to suppress fear, becoming upset by triggers, feeling emotionally numb or detached, loss of interest in activities and relationships you once cared about, depression, feeling unsafe, fatigue, irritability, panic, hyper arousal (catastrophising), insomnia or sleep disturbances, difficulty concentrating, dissociation, memory loss, chronic relationship issues, addictions, compulsive or obessive behaviours.

Toxic shame is also associated with long term PTSR because we are led so often by society to believe that we are abnormal or flawed for having a valid reaction to suffering or witnessing traumas.  Toxic shame to my mind is one of the worst effects as it can make us feel suicidal and that we do not belong or have a home with others, something I share a lot about in my own blog.

I want to start a movement here on WordPress to fight against both stigmatisation as well as the use of the term ‘disorder’.   By all means we need to deal with our symptoms but we also need to accept at a deeper level the consequences and deal with them rather than get lost in labels and then be pidgeon holed.   Far too many beautiful human beings lose their lives due to trauma and its affects.  We need as a collective to enlarge awareness, empathy and compassion and be vigilant in what we expose our vulnerable nervous systems to when coming out of trauma or dealing PTSR.

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Published by: emergingfromthedarknight

"The religious naturalist is provisioned with tales of natural emergence that are, to my mind, far more magical than traditional miracles. Emergence is inherent in everything that is alive, allowing our yearning for supernatural miracles to be subsumed by our joy in the countless miracles that surround us." Ursula Goodenough How to describe oneself? People are a mystery and there is so much more to us than just our particular experiences or occupations. I could write down a list of attributes and they still might not paint a complete picture pf Deborah Louise and in any case it would not be the full truth of me. I would say that my purpose here on Wordpress is to express some of my random experiences, thoughts and feelings, to share about my particular journey and explore some subjects dear to my heart, such as emotional recovery, healing and astrology while posting up some of the prose/poems which are an outgrowth of my labours with life, love and relationships. If anything I write touches you I would be so pleased to hear for the purpose of reaching out and expressung ourselves is hopefully to connect with each other and find where our souls meet.

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13 thoughts on “Why Post Traumatic Stress should not be called a ‘disorder’?”

  2. I so agree with you. I have actually been defensive in the last couple of years and now say ” it is who I am due to what I have endured- deal with it or don’t.”
    I have also stopped apologizing for my reactions to things- the startling so easily or the emotionalism I carry. I have written a fair bit on my blog about my “issues.”
    Your writing is what drew me to you, as there were many commonalities between us.
    Hope you are doing well!

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    1. I must have at one point lost the follow to your page Shannon which is a shame. I love it when we get to that stage of acceptance and self compassion. Power to you. I think we do have so many similarities and I do consider you a soul sister. ❤

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  3. I am DEFINITELY IN!!
    The whole Shame part is well and truly a “Shame” 🙂 I don’t mean in Anyway to make light of it but sometimes we NEED to simply chuckle….
    One thing I Learned sometime ago in an actual Trauma Group ( during one of my MANY hospitalizations in the “Cracker Factories”~ a term I picked up from an old Natalie Wood movie and ran with it~) was that each and every patient regardless of What trauma(s) experienced Felt, Perceived and Reacted exactly like ME!! That was HUGE because one of the toughest part of it all was feeling like I was ALONE and NoOne felt as I did. It was liberating!!
    Labels….UGH they are self limiting and judgmental imho. Those of us who have endured Trauma(s) and the resulting “fallout” ARE reacting in Survival mode and I would Love to be a part of opening up Minds….
    Namaste Si-STAR!!

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    1. Hey there. I love this comment If you dont mind I am going to post it in a blog. I want to call on others to share here how they dealt with or came to understand their own shame and other associated issues were just a result of abuse/neglect/trauma. Bless you!. This is very helpful and am so glad to have your input here….Namaste x

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      1. That sounds Great!! I have come to a place where I can Finally “see the LIGHT at the end of the tunnel”!! It has most certainly been one heck of an arduous JOURNEY. I quite literally had to be resuscitated on 3 different occasions and one of them the EMTs had to work on me for over an hour Before putting me in the ambulance. UGH I am EVER SO Grateful to have managed in spite of myself to Keep on Keepin’ on. I have RELEASED my shame and it has really opened me up!! I now ( I’ll be 60 the 25th) Aware and Accept in my Mind/Body/Spirit that I am a DIVINE BE-ing (still have a few “worthy” bugs to iron out LOL ) and am Grateful for the Blessings (yep Blessings!) that have resulted from my childhood and even adult traumas. WOW I Never thought I could say, much less Believe and FEEL, such a statement. There IS Hope. And back in the day …before i even began kindergarten I knew there was NO Hope for me. Not from any outside source anyway. All is WELL…I AM WELL… and even though I still have flashbacks at from time to time and discover New triggers I can manage them and cope far better these days. Some days it is my mantra….. “This too shall pass” ~and/or ~”I am Not in any Danger” that gets me through. I am Grateful and quite relieved that these are not nearly as often as in the past. Shew…. just Shew.
        I Love your blog!! I Love that you Share like you do!!!
        Giving we Survivors a voice as Many feel they have none and like I said above feel like no one in the world feels like we can and do is HUGE!
        Brightest Blessings and on behalf of all that deal on a daily basis with these kinds of issues THANK YOU!!
        Namaste Si-STAR!

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      2. Oh that is so inspirational Bea. I would love to post that as well. I know that freedom comes from facing what has happened to us and being able to endure a flashback and not be pulled back into the past (as much as possible at that stage.. which takes so much work as you well know) shows we are well on the way. I love the words from the AA Big Book “we will learn not to regret the past nor shut the door on it.” Its okay to wish it never happened as that is all part of the journey but in time we do accept and in that way find freedom. I love what you shared here. Bless you so much. ❤ Deborah

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