Most people associate PTSD with combat soldiers. Espescially the Vietnam war era, when I think the term was coined. Soldiers experience horrible things and some relive it when they get home in flashbacks and other symptoms.
Now if you had a rough childhood you can be diagnosed with PTSD. I am not discounting bad childhoods okay? The other day I saw someone had an alcoholic father and from that was diagnosed with PTSD. Now, lots of people come from families with alcoholism (Probably a good 75% of nurses for example), but seriously do the majority have PTSD? No. My point being, sometimes I think that people who are neurotic and anxious and can't seem to cope with life are given these labels too easily.
Another popular new label: bipolar disorder. Its the new de rigeur label. I mean Catherine Zeta Jones has it. Again, not saying there aren't a lot of people who truly have it. Lord knows I've seen my share of manic patients, but sometimes I think it is just too easy to diagnose someone with a serious mental illness.
What bugs me the most is when kids are given these labels, teenagers. Its a big deal to be labelled at any age, let alone adolescence. It becomes a part of your medical record. Then the medication merry go round begins in which they try ten meds to see which one works, which messes people up further and if you weren't nuts to begin with, you will be by the end.
Its a sometimes a stressful, harsh world we live in. Perhaps its easier for psychiatry to label people and throw a pill at them, then it is to talk to them and teach them how to cope. Mental illness still has a lot of stigma, how will it ever be taken seriously if this labelling fad doesn't stop?
I think they're moving away from the peds bipolar fad. Now the hot thing is calling formerly "naughty" then "bipolar" kids is "oppositional defiant disorder" with ADHD or some combo like that. Now every kid has oppositional defiant disorder.
ReplyDeleteWell I have hit the jackpot having been diagnosed with bipolar AND PTSD. I can tell you that I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy and am sick of hearing about celebreties being diagnosed with these conditions. You are right that it was first diagnosed after the Veitnam war but the military did not want to accept this information. Actually PTSD and Bipolar often go hand in hand. I am now getting treatment but it took 20 years to be diagnosed.
ReplyDeleteThose disorders suck when they're legit. Being diagnosed with BPD gave me something concrete to focus on and get help for.
ReplyDeleteIt was strange to actually see the underlying causes of my self-hate and weirdness. Not that I'm any less weird now... but at least I can function.
I was just mentioning this to someone the other day. The put a label on everything now. They also have schools "diagnosing" to parents that something may be wrong with their child, when really they just don't know how to act.
ReplyDeleteI like your blogs.
Bit late on this but isn't oppositional defiant disorder the normal pattern for a toddler? It describes the "symptoms" - just like polymyalgia rheumatica does, lots of muscles are painful. Doesn't necessarily mean it needs drugs to deal with though - just proper parenting. But that takes time and effort, stops you playing on your cell phone...
ReplyDeleteTo the guy who said it took 20 years to be diagnosed properly....I absolutly believe that!!! I literally just googled if you can be bi polar and have ptsd because I have been told I have both. I am 36 years old and have suffered all my life and never took meds lol but seriously my emotions are uncontrollable! My sleep is fucked...nightmares,sleep paralysis which is the scarriest shit ever...I'm jumpy all the time but I'm soooo depressed how can this be? Am I crazy?? Sometimes I get so amped up that when its over I crash like I haven't slept for a week!! And I get SO ANGRY....I'm shaking my head because its just so bad. It definatly affects my daily life!! I was never in a war but I'm a damn soldier in my own right, my childhood was horrible! I'm shaking right now because I'm getting pissed just talking about it! I haven't been properly diagnosed but I definatly have some serious issues going on and it irritates me when I look at some of these ppl getting government checks when the real ones who need them aren't being taken care of!! I'm ashamed that I have ptsd because that's the shit war dudes get...makes ya feel like ya didn't "earn" that title! You can see the stress on my face...I shouldn't look like I do and I shouldn't have to isolate either! Its caused so much chaos in my life and it seems the drs around here are shit!! There's a serious problem when I can take a 250 pound man and have him all over the room like a ragdoll LOL!! Why can't I get the proper diagnoses?? It wasn't just the physical,emotional and sexual abuse as a child....other forms of all of those things have continued to happen over the years. I have self medicated for years but its not what I need...I need the proper meds! I don't want to be a lab rat or a zombie. My mind has no problem wandering off as it is!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,I know where you are coming from. My 17 year old has been in level 14 residential care since age 12. She has ptsd (was molested at age 3 by her 16 year old cousin and when I got blood clots and was hospitalized cps took her and put her in 6 different abuse filled homes)she also is bipolar like dad and her brother who also has ptsd. At 13 she started cutting and running from the home having sex with everyone among other things. So she is also bpd my side of family has depression issues which seems to account for all the depression swings. I got her into a different place with DBT therapy cbt didn't work. She is better but not well will have to learn to live with these things I am sorry to say. She has made great progress and may be coming home soon so hang in there some where there is light at the end of your tunnel I am cheering for you. Mom missing daughter
ReplyDeleteI too have ptsd and Bi-polar. I need answers and more help. I just want it to end. The Anonymous comment at 6:20pm... Ditto to that. You expressed all that I go through and there is a lot more.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteHealthline just launched a video campaign for bipolar disorder called "You've Got This" where bipolar patients can record a short video to give hope and inspiration to those recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
You can visit the homepage and check out videos from the campaign here: http://www.healthline.com/health/bipolar-disorder/youve-got-this
We will be donating $10 for every submitted campaign to To Write Love On Her Arms, so the more exposure the campaign gets the more the videos we'll receive and the more Healthline can donate to research, support, and treatment programs for mental health disorders.
We would appreciate if you could help spread the word about this by sharing the You've Got This with friends and followers or include the campaign as a resource on your page: http://emergency-room-nurse.blogspot.com/2011/07/you-are-bipolar-with-ptsd-and.html
Please let me know if this is possible and if you have any questions. And, if you know anyone that would be interested in submitting a video, please encourage them to do so.
Best,
Maggie Danhakl • Assistant Marketing Manager
p: 415-281-3124 f: 415-281-3199
Healthline • The Power of Intelligent Health
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