Myths About PTSD

I wrote about PTSD yesterday in my series, Confident in God's Hands. Some comments from readers made me realize that there are a lot of myths about PTSD. I would like to address them today, because if you're suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, it will be difficult to develop much confidence.

Myth #1
PTSD is completely disabling.
Many people believe that someone suffering from PTSD is totally disabled. This may be true for people with very recent and severe PTSD, but it is not true for all people suffering from the disorder. Some survivors of trauma are able to hold down jobs, manage families, and look as if they lead normal lives.

I was diagnosed with PTSD about 15 years ago, as a result of nearly 20 years of marital abuse, following childhood sexual abuse and a rape during college. Prior to my diagnosis, I had managed to finish all of the coursework for a doctorate degree, raise three children, and hold a full-time teaching job.

While I may have appeared normal to the rest of the world, I was far from it. I coped by sleeping only three hours a night and working extremely long hours to accomplish what others could do in half the time. PTSD definitely affects our ability to work and to enjoy normal relationships. But it is not necessarily as completely disabling as many people think it is.

Myth #2
PTSD only affects combat veterans.
While it is true that combat veterans frequently return home with PTSD, they are not the only ones who develop this disorder. Women are more likely than men to suffer from PTSD, and children may be diagnosed with it.

We adopted eight-year-old twins from Ethiopia a number of years ago. They both had such severe PTSD from having been abandoned and sexually abused that they could not function within a family setting. They both disrupted their adoption and went on to live in a group home for similarly disturbed children.

Anyone who experiences a traumatic event will respond in the same way as the next person. The human mind is wired to either fight or flee when in danger. Trauma can lead to body chemistry changes that continuously trigger this fight or flight response, even when danger is not present. Whether man, woman, or child, PTSD will occur to anyone if the conditions are right for it.

Myth #3
People with PTSD are weaker than average.
Having PTSD does not mean that we are weaker than the average person. As stated above, it is a natural bodily response to trauma. However, some people are more prone to develop PTSD than others are.

If a trauma survivor has a family history of depression or anxiety, they may be more likely to develop PTSD than the average person. The disorder is more likely to occur if the survivor is a child or if a number of traumatic events occur over and over again in a short span of time.

Our twins developed severe PTSD, because they were sexually abused by a number of people on numerous occasions over a long period of time. They were not born weaker minded than the average person, but constant trauma led to more serious impairments than most victims exhibit.

Myth #4
People with PTSD are just over-reacting.
People with PTSD are not drama queens looking for attention. The disorder occurs when we experience or witness a traumatic event and feel that our life or someone else's life is in jeopardy. Domestic violence can create the same intensity of symptoms that combat veterans develop.

I was once told by a psychiatrist that marital abuse had had the same effect on my brain as if I had been a prisoner of war. Both domestic violence survivors and prisoners of war experience trauma, witness others being traumatized, and believe that death may be imminent.

Learning how severe abuse had affected me helped me to understand that I was not just over-reacting. I had always felt compassion for prisoners of war, who had no control over the brain-washing they received. After learning that emotional abuse has the same effect as brain-washing during war, I became more understanding and gentle with myself.

Myth #5
People with PTSD are crazy.
Survivors of trauma are no more crazy than the average person. They are merely responding as God designed them to when they experienced danger. However, their fight or flight response button is stuck in the ON mode.

My husband is, in my opinion, a very stable person with a healthy mind. However, as a combat veteran, he still struggles at times with flashbacks from a very traumatic experience caused by the Persian Gulf crisis.

When remodelers at the hospital began using a nail gun to install trim, Joe experienced classic symptoms of PTSD. His heart pounded, he broke out in a sweat, and fear gripped him. He remembered the day when his camp was bombed with chemical weapons, and he was overcome by the fear of dying.

Joe's response to the nail gun means that his brain is still wired to fight or flee in some circumstances that remind him of that traumatic day in the desert. But it doesn't mean that he's crazy.

Myth #6
People with PTSD are never the same again.
It is true that PTSD changes how we view the world. We are never the same, but it doesn't mean that we can't learn to overcome it and enjoy ourselves again. We will never forget the trauma, but we don't have to constantly live with the negative effects of it.

Like my husband, most people who have suffered from PTSD will always need to cope with it on some level. Instead of daily flashbacks, we may eventually get to the point where we only have one per year. PTSD never completely goes away, but we can learn to control the severity of the symptoms.

There is a lot of help available for people with PTSD, but they must tap into these resources in order to regain control over the symptoms. Some people say that the trauma changes them for the better, because it makes them more aware of who they are.

God did not design me to be abused and traumatized repeatedly throughout my life. However, he has helped me to adapt when challenges occur so that I can still be an asset in our world. I am using my traumatic experiences to help others learn how to thrive.

Myth #7
I can get over PTSD by myself.
Genesis 28:15 reads, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I have found tremendous peace and strength from knowing that God never leaves me. Through prayer and Scripture reading, I have often leaned on him whenever PTSD has become overwhelming.

There is some truth in the statement that time heals all wounds. PTSD, if treated properly, does become less problematic over the years. However, I don't think that prayer or time alone will cure PTSD. God provides for us frequently through other means, such as medications and mental health counseling. We need to take advantage of the help he gives us.

PTSD is not something we should take lightly or attempt to self-treat. Many people who do try to treat the symptoms wind up with issues related to either alcohol or drug abuse. Self-medicating with prescription pain killers is a common path taken by survivors of trauma and abuse.

Today's Challenge
After reading the myths about PTSD, how has your thinking changed? Do you, or someone you know, suffer from PTSD? Help is available, but it is up to the person with PTSD to take the first step.