rspca animal rescue

[asal]

 

 

So made a huge mistake watching this, the program still on.                                                 Ridiculous that over 24 years and still a trigger point

rspca nsw are called to two lost dogs, the younger

German shepherd puppy hit by a car, "leg badly broken, requires immediate surgery BUT without being able to contact the owner for permission to operate by law, they cannot operate.  Unless they can get the owners permission to operate, the puppy will have to be put down".

 

LAIR'S, LAIR'S, LAIR'S

 

they took my stringy, took three skin plugs so big they had to put two stitches in each of them.  An operation according to the above , by law they cannot do without my permission!

 

done solely to try and find proof he had  sarcoptic mange, even though the seizing inspector had already been told by my dogs vet that he has blue gene alopecia, they told the then Minister for Agriculture Richard Amery, That they "had seized him because the dogs vet had no records of testing the dog" Despite the fact that the dog had been stolen at 1pm on Sunday November 1999 and never been in contact with the dogs vet until Monday morning when Richard phoned demanding they return him as he only has blue gene alopecia, (Richard rang them every day for the 13 days they had him demanding his return)  he had diagnosed he had it when he was 4 months old and he began to show short hair along the top of his tail and topline to his shoulders on an otherwise long coat pup, bit like a mini lion.  A condition that bears NO resemblance to either demodectic or sarcoptic mange, yet their own vet not only had never heard of blue gene alopecia but refused to even look it up or believe the dogs vet.

 

They lied to the Minister for Agriculture to justify almost killing my dog.  When they finally exhausted their attempts to find something they could charge me with I was finally called and told I could pick him up.  He was foaming at the mouth and their idiot vet admitted he had no idea what was wrong with my dog and offered to "examine him at your cost" 

 I kid u not.

taken straight to his own vet he was found to be suffering pneumonia and a torn trachea from his vet opinion, an oversize trachea tube being forced down .

 

Dogs nsw Liaison Officer Alan Candlish had tried for 13 days to get the dog returned.  He said he had never been treated so rudely in all his years of dealing with rspca nsw. He formed the opinion,

The difference being as Alan Candlish the then Liaison Officer for Dogs NSW told me, "you have seriously pissed off someone with friends in very high places in the rspca."

 

A year later I did accidently learn who that was, interestingly that person is still a member and breeder of dogs nsw and used to play with him at the chihuahua club meetings as he always came with me. I noticed an add for that kennel only yesterday here.

 

Was heard at a show that even though failed this time would not give up getting me kicked out because I dont show enough to be considered an ethical breeder. How I learned who almost sent him to his death.

 

walk to the drum of the thought police or pay the price of persecution has been the mantra ever since for so many for way too long.

 

 

19 years of "where these smoke there's fire" (that was the date of the last time someone here wrote that about me)  because I spoke up about being stupid enough to go public my dog had been stolen by the sacred cow rspca

 

 

On a happy note, the Shetland pony in Victoria, after all the drama, "will or wont she have to be put down!"

 

They took her to a horse  vet,( non rspca.}  but taken to him and asked by them to work on her feet. and surprise, surprise, even though they could not contact the owner, was still given a general anesethic (remember nsw, same program, said they cannot without owners permission as without it poor puppy will have to be put down)   he operated  to reshape her hooves after he had removed the massive overgrowth hooves.

 

Learned a neat trick to help a foundered pony,  after trimming the hoof much as much as the vet  could during the operation and she was back on her feet, cut a block of polystyrene for each hoof, taped it to the bottom of the hoof and the ponies weight squashed it down and thus fitted to the bottom of the hoof protected the sole from the ground so pony could walk pain free until the hoof adjusted .  Lucky pony, only the front feet were overgrown.   Often is all, front and back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 15 by asal

[asal]

its on again right now if you want to watch it

 

channel 72 in nsw

[tdierikx]

19 hours ago, asal said:

German shepherd puppy hit by a car, "leg badly broken, requires immediate surgery BUT without being able to contact the owner for permission to operate by law, they cannot operate.  Unless they can get the owners permission to operate, the puppy will have to be put down".

 

They could stabilise the leg with a splint to give time to find the owner. I've personally seen a dog's leg with a femur shattered into 5 pieces put into a Robert Jones splint to stabilise it until surgery could be performed a few days later. I have also stabilised a goat's badly broken leg with the same splint method until it could be seen by the vet the next morning.

 

T.

[asal]

On 17/01/2025 at 5:41 AM, tdierikx said:

 

They could stabilise the leg with a splint to give time to find the owner. I've personally seen a dog's leg with a femur shattered into 5 pieces put into a Robert Jones splint to stabilise it until surgery could be performed a few days later. I have also stabilised a goat's badly broken leg with the same splint method until it could be seen by the vet the next morning.

 

T.

 

 

 

what was so utterly glaring that NSW lied, "BY LAW they could not operate".

Yet also aired in the same episode, was the Victorian seizure of the foundered pony, they too could not locate the owner yet the surgery was done immediately..

As usual they pick and choose what they want to do and cite "the law" as the reason when choose not to . "It has food and water, our hands are tied"  no mention they tied their hands themselves because in this instance they dont want too "form the opinion/view, and seize" most likely no money to be made that time.

 

Yet this episode, NSW are prepared to kill it instead.

Edited January 17 by asal

[asal]

 

 

I realised maybe some one somewhere may need to have a letter like this done and sealed, to be permanently on display, along with sending them a copy to have on file.

 

The information contained, given you this right.  Was sent to me by the solicitor fighting for the lives of the two Marama's seized some time earlier that year.

They were finally saved and returned but not before much heart ache, trauma and expense to the owner.

Same as my experience.

 

Anyway this is my version filed for ever more to at least protect you from them sneaking onto your property and taking what they like when you are not at home as was what happened to Stringy.

I think his Marama's were stolen when he was not home too? but it was many years ago now so not positive.

 

Any way, use what is highlighted in black below (like this) in your letter of notice.   It worked, and still does. .  About 10 or more years ago someone reported my 30 year old horse, didn't enter without my permission.   (you feel so hugely less violated, they Don't care a crap if you have a  breakdown from the stress they inflict. Seen it in so many over the decades)

All these decades later still works.  Discovered that when they came to do the POCTA inspection. Actually asked permission to come?

Mind she couldn't resist advising me.

"I am an rspca inspector, I have more powers than the police, which is why so many of us are shot at."

 

Couldn't believe my ear's.

Had me wondering, does she want to be shot at? so she can boast, been one of the attacked?

 

 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

17/5/01

For the attention of

The Chief Inspector and CEO RSPCA

201 Rookwood Road

Yagoona 2199

Dear Sir,

Up to the 21 November 1999 I had a good opinion of this organisation.  This was put in doubt that day by the behaviour of your Inspector Donnelly.  The subsequent two weeks then the events of the 2.12.99 destroyed all respect for your assertions of caring “on behalf of all creatures’ great and small.

 

As a result this letter is to advise that henceforth all entry onto this property by RSPCA or its agents is 17/5/01

Denied without my express permission in writing.  THIS APPLIES TO ALL RSPCA OFFICERS AND ALL AGENTS, INCLUDING SPECIAL CONSTABLES AND MEMBERS OF THE NEW SOUTH WALES POLICE.

I also intend to use the provisions of Freedom of Information to obtain copies of all RSPCA records pertaining to the related incidents which related to my personal affairs.

If you do not respond I will then apply to the Information Commissioner.

I make this request based on the case of ;- Taylor – v – Chief Inspector, RSPCA 91999- nsw adt 23 (19 April 1999) NEW SOUTH WALES ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONS TRIBUNAL 0 CITATION: Taylor – v – Chief Inspector, RSPCA

 

It is unfortunate I did not learn of my rights under Judicial Revue earlier.  Hopefully I am learning fast and will continue to learn.

Since I have now learnt the new order cares for nothing but successful prosecution even to the exclusion of the well being, even to risk the life of perfectly healthy but differently coated representative of the “creatures great and small” in a futile attempt to secure a conviction solely based on “the Inspector formed the view that the subject dog may have required veterinary treatment in relation to its presenting condition. As a result the dog was seized in accordance with section” etc.

Excuse me, but while I waited for the return of my dog I was given the Autumn Edition to read.  Why was my dog and I not accorded the same treatment and opportunity as Ms Chalmers????????

Or, was she before the new order came in force?

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

Edited January 17 by asal

[Little Gifts]

My sister was at a shopping centre only yesterday and was accosted by someone trying to raise funds for the RSPCA so they could prosecute more animal abusers and neglectors. He claimed they'd only been able to afford  to do 14 prosecutions in QLD last year. My sister said I would be so proud of her. She told him but you have enough money to prosecute more now - have you seen your own profit line? Then she went on in detail about how they use people's emotions to raise money but don't spend it on the animals. If they are too sick or have behavioural issues you put them to sleep pretty quick. The others get farmed out to other rescues to vet and rehome. She said she went on and on and he was trying to find  a hole to crawl in to.

 

But maybe he might actually explore the values and achievements of the organisation more and make up his own mind? I think the only way they are going away is if their finances shrink and they can't afford to operate. They only represent themselves these  days.

[tdierikx]

6 hours ago, Little Gifts said:

My sister was at a shopping centre only yesterday and was accosted by someone trying to raise funds for the RSPCA so they could prosecute more animal abusers and neglectors. He claimed they'd only been able to afford  to do 14 prosecutions in QLD last year. My sister said I would be so proud of her. She told him but you have enough money to prosecute more now - have you seen your own profit line? Then she went on in detail about how they use people's emotions to raise money but don't spend it on the animals. If they are too sick or have behavioural issues you put them to sleep pretty quick. The others get farmed out to other rescues to vet and rehome. She said she went on and on and he was trying to find  a hole to crawl in to.

 

But maybe he might actually explore the values and achievements of the organisation more and make up his own mind? I think the only way they are going away is if their finances shrink and they can't afford to operate. They only represent themselves these  days.

 

Ummm... didn't RSPCA Qld have their prosecutorial powers severely limited by the Qld State government in the last 18 months or so? After all the findings of the inquiry into their illegal activities on numerous fronts?

 

T.

[asal]

I decided to go looking for the murry grey studs submission to the inquiry.

since in their case the owner had an appointment to meet the inspector to discuss his cattle, but the rspca inspector did not show up.

as for the rest of the story.

 

Logged into   https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/inquiries/Pages/inquiry-details.aspx?pk=3025#tab-submissions

2023 Inquiry into the operation of the approved charitable organisations under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979

This inquiry was established on 13 December 2023 to inquire into and report on the operation of the approved charitable organisations under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979.

 

found this . It just beggar's belief that the people conducting the inquiry reading this alone, still did nothing to make these monsters accountable??????

 

https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/submissions/83587/0007 Dennis Phillips.pdf

 

.

 

.

Edited January 22 by asal

[asal]

Didn't remember there were two?

 

 

https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/inquiries/Pages/inquiry-details.aspx?pk=2851#tab-submissions

2021 Inquiry into the approved charitable organisations under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979

The inquiry commenced on 25 November 2021.

 

Ok im cherry picking the submissions.

as many dont say much if u go to the above link you can open the submissions box yourself and check them all.

 

https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/submissions/76889/0006 Mr Grant Holman.pdf

 

 

 

 

I well remember reading Mr Grant Holman;s submission. 

I well remember my submission and I very well remember Mr Holdsworth and Ms Ellison's  murry grey cattle stud submission yet neither mine or theirs can be accessed any more and they certainly were accessible last time I looked? 

 

 Even stranger, when I first opened the link all the submissions were listed, well over 40, over half labelled as "confidential" and could not be opened, Now when I opened it all the "confidential" marked ones are gone from the list completely? not even numbered?????

Have to wonder why the change? 

Aside from the fact my submission was marked "name supressed" certainly not "confidential" neither was Mr holdsworth and Ms Ellison's.    Cannot wonder how long before all dissappear?

 

Their submission was very well written and laid out. Particularly the costs rspca ran them to in the fight to finally win their case, 10 years fighting for justice at a cost of 10 million and the loss of all their assets....... the rspca spent 14 million and lost, only have my memory of what they wrote now.  Never understand why the court did not award Mr Holdsworth and Ms Ellison costs? 

The courts always award the rspca costs, that's how they got over 600,000 in costs and Ruth Downey's home to sell out from under her.   Now the only thing u can find is go google and bring up the news reports?

 

Last I heard the rspca vic was still fighting to avoid paying the 1.4 million damages.

 

 

https://www.9news.com.au/national/farmers-sue-after-rspca-cull-herd/126675ea-f46d-4ecb-80e9-8e55b3c94a0b

 

Edited January 18 by asal

[asal]

I can't believe there has been three now and still nothing achieved?

 

My friend sent me the link to the first of the 3.  141 submissions including mine and the murry grey people and so many more. no wonder so few bothered to submit to the 21 and 23, nothing is going to stop them destroying lives and minds and we will never know why are so allowed to do so.  Although some states have stopped them prosecuting people has to be an improvement perhaps.

They should be stopped from milking producers annually to pay for the "rspca approved" logo, its just a money maker for them, nothing else , they have tried for decades to get the ANKC members to cough up an annual fee for their "rspca approved" logo too, but Dogs NSW have refused.

 Over 25 years now since they became monsters, yet protected by government is indefensible behaviour by our politician's surely?

 

https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/listofcommittees/Pages/committee-details.aspx?pk=263#tab-submissions

Edited January 18 by asal

[Little Gifts]

19 hours ago, tdierikx said:

 

Ummm... didn't RSPCA Qld have their prosecutorial powers severely limited by the Qld State government in the last 18 months or so? After all the findings of the inquiry into their illegal activities on numerous fronts?

 

T.

Not sure T but you are often more current in your knowledge than anyone else on here. I did a quick Google and we had a new Animal Care and Protection Amendment Bill come in in 2022. In the foreword it said it is to strengthen oversight of the RSPCA in QLD and actively monitor the delivery of their services. Maybe something actually happened? I can't follow  RSPCA news as it brews anger inside me that isn't healthy.

Edited January 19 by Little Gifts

[tdierikx]

34 minutes ago, Little Gifts said:

Not sure T but you are often more current in your knowledge than anyone else on here. I did a quick Google and we had a new Animal Care and Protection Amendment Bill come in in 2022. In the foreword it said it is to strengthen oversight of the RSPCA in QLD and actively monitor the delivery of their services. Maybe something actually happened? I can't follow  RSPCA news as it brews anger inside me that isn't healthy.

 

OK, made some inquiries, and they are still allowed to do prosecutions, but have to have them approved to go ahead by DPP first, which is most likely why there have been only 14 commenced... all the bullsh!t ones were tossed out...

 

T.

[asal]

found one of the submissions made by the Murray grey stud

same as I had seen before but found it on the Victorian enquiry

 

https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/get-involved/inquiries/inquiry-into-the-rspca-victoria/submissions

 

not much of an "enquiry" since none of the submissions were addressed in any way. As commented on by Glynn "3. Documents linked to the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry. This Inquiry had very broad terms of reference compared to the the NSW Inquiry, and seems to have been an inquiry the Andrews government was forced to set up in response to the public scandals created by the Framlingham court case and the terrible fate of the Bulla race-horses. Daniel Andrews made clear that he was supporting the RSPCA, and the Report that the Victorian Committee produced was an insult to the intelligence of Victorian citizens, and partook somewhat in the nature of a cover-up, by way of silence (There were just 27 pages of text!!!). However, despite these drawbacks a couple of papers in particular were eye-openers to those generally concerned with the public interest, and the negative impact of the RSPCA on that interest. Specifically, Submission 18, from John Maitland (lawyer) and Submission 43 (from Heath-Ellison Holdings) deserved much more attention than they received."

 

https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/4af9be/contentassets/bb6b1a60936e46b886623f0042860e92/submission-documents/submission_43-ja_heath_inland_holdings.pdf

 

 

interesting submission from a firm had represented Victorians prior to 2017

 

https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/4af9af/contentassets/b11ed85a4ed94d408c50647f2cd580db/submission-documents/submission_18-maitland_lawyers.pdf

 

 

.

Edited January 21 by asal

[coneye]

Had a few dealings with the RSPCA  and everyone of them unpleasant , have purchased over the last 40 or so years 4 dogs off them  including the present one , but  now i would never go near the place again ,  the  one close to my home has far has i'm concerned  is nothing more than a boarding kennels , run   with cheap labor (volunteers ) and houses a  few strays  to  qualify for the govt money ,

[Little Gifts]

Coneye I was one of those volunteers for a couple of years. I can still remember when they stopped letting us feed the dogs and pups (for reasons unknown). We were allowed to do the cleaning and socialising. The staff were nowhere to be seen for hours at a time. We'd have done all the cleaning and the pups in particular would be starving and we couldn't do anything about it The refuge would open at like 10am and those unfed pups and dogs were all feral so we couldn't be in there socialising them and noone was interested in them because they weren't being all calm and cute. There was noone we could talk to about our concerns either. This was a while ago now so things will have changed, but the staff attitude towards the dogs at that location was abysmal and that stuff is entrenched.

 

There was also a huge walk in cage up the front for surrenders. People would  come in tears giving up their pets. Reception would say all these kind things to them about them getting a new home straight away then black tag them and put them in the cage for immediate euth. They weren't even being assessed and I think that happened at times when they were already full.

 

That's the organisational culture people are donating their money to. To me though are no better than the church run orphanages of old. They just shouldn't exist anymore.

[coneye]

On 28/01/2025 at 9:39 AM, Little Gifts said:

Coneye I was one of those volunteers for a couple of years. I can still remember when they stopped letting us feed the dogs and pups (for reasons unknown). We were allowed to do the cleaning and socialising. The staff were nowhere to be seen for hours at a time. We'd have done all the cleaning and the pups in particular would be starving and we couldn't do anything about it The refuge would open at like 10am and those unfed pups and dogs were all feral so we couldn't be in there socialising them and noone was interested in them because they weren't being all calm and cute. There was noone we could talk to about our concerns either. This was a while ago now so things will have changed, but the staff attitude towards the dogs at that location was abysmal and that stuff is entrenched.

 

There was also a huge walk in cage up the front for surrenders. People would  come in tears giving up their pets. Reception would say all these kind things to them about them getting a new home straight away then black tag them and put them in the cage for immediate euth. They weren't even being assessed and I think that happened at times when they were already full.

 

That's the organisational culture people are donating their money to. To me though are no better than the church run orphanages of old. They just shouldn't exist anymore.

Not good is it , my opinion its all about money ,  Think i've told the story before on here , but the dog i presently own , i bought from there 8 years ago , Now in them days you could walk in have a walk around and pick a dog , So i actually went in one day walked around and seen a bull mastiff i liked , I went home next day , casually said to the wife , lets go to the dogs home , where i was casually going to walk around be suprised to see a bull mastiff in there , take a shine to it and take it home , Not wanting to be too obvious because she did'nt really want a dog  ,  i walked the long way around the kennels , then i seen this little white fluffy thing with a cone on his neck , stopped to pat him , and he picked me out , i asked about him and they said theres a hold on him  but   the next day if he is not took  a could have hime , i immedietly went in put a second hold on him price was $350 , next day  never heard , day after i rang up to see if he had gone , , i was informed the person did'nt want him , so come and get him ,  i went there straight away , wife was overjoyed and so was I , . done all the paper work got out my $350  and was informed no he's $450 , i asked why the increase , and was told  we can sell little cute dogs like him all day so he's dearer than all the others , i just paid it 

 

Now jump forward  a couple months , and i was on the river , in my boat 300 klm from home , i'm playing with him on the bank , and heres a woman shout  is that Oliver , i look up says yes ,  she says did you get him from the pound i said yes , , and he's mine now , no way was i giving him up , she comes over and pats him , says what a cutie he was , and tells me the story about  her daughters freind worked there , knew she wanted a little dog like that ,  and had shown her a picture , and offered her the dog for , $600 ,  TIME TO PAY UP SHE DECIDED SHE COULD'NT AFORD HIM   and hence why i got him ,  so much for  dogs welfare  ,  the staff were selling him  and making money , but hows that ,300 klm from my home and the shelter , in a little country town .

 

, Also remember about  35 years ago same place , i rang every single day  looking for Zac my boxer who had got out  jumped the fence ,  each day i was told sorry no boxers have been in here for months , don't know what made me do it , just intuition but i drove around there  affter about 5-6 days , was walking through  looking in the kennels , and i seen him there ,the kennel had a   hold sign on him  , he was due to be sold the next day   the 7 days or so was up , and guess who was taking him ,  the staff member who answered the phones , i carried on like a pork chop so much they just returned him free of charge  , i had the prove he was mine , (tattood )  Zac was a absolute  perfect specemin off a boxer , i was convinced  he would off been in the paper and sold privatly soon after if i had not of gone there.

Edited January 29 by coneye

[asal]

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder WHAT HAPPENS IN THE BRAIN.docx    

 

This document was sent to me years ago.  looks like u need tp click on it and save to your computer to read it?

its a no nonsense explanation of the damage resulting from so many people targeted and mentally destroyed by the rspca, its not just caused by war or other trauma causes, although can often be the last straw as it was for Marion Alcorn and suspect thousands of others over the decades.

 

page 7 really explains what's happening better than any other I've read.  highlighted in the copy below.

Edited February 12 by asal

[asal]

                                        

I copied and pasted for those like me had difficulty opening the above link.

The real surprise was to learn the damage is real, it can be seen in a mri,  when they mri people before being sent to a war zone, its visible on the mri when they return????  ditto for anyone affected, is not just your imagination being the problem at all

 

 

 

 

    Post Traumatic Stress Disorder what

                                                          Happens in the Brain?

                                    Sethanne Howard and Mark W. Crandall, MD

                                     US Naval Observatory, retired, Wash. DC

                                               Reisterstown, Maryland

Abstract

This is a brief look at the processes that lead to post traumatic stress

disorder (PTSD) and what happens in the brain. We take a light handed

approach to the insides of the brain, not to demean but to promote

understanding. PTSD is a disabling misery that is best understood

through information.

Introduction

Everyone Suffers Trauma At Some Time. The first

documented case of psychological distress was reported in 1900 BCE by

an Egyptian physician who described a hysterical reaction to trauma.  One

in two people will be exposed to a life-threatening, traumatic event in their

lifetime. It can be the death of a loved one; it can be war; and attack

robbery, rape; it can be the loss of a job. Usually the person recovers after

some time, and the trauma fades to a memory – painful but not

destructive. Trauma, however, is not the same as the mental disorder

PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Now and then, the body cannot

quite heal the trauma, and there are long-term changes in the brain.  If the

trauma is severe, prolonged, or life threatening, the aftereffects can last for

years, physical damage can occur, and one suffers the debilitating effects

of PTSD.

       While many people experience traumatic events, not everyone

develops PTSD. The best epidemiologic or population studies indicate that

about 7% of Americans have had or will have PTSD at some point in their

lives, and that about 5% have PTSD at any given time. Women are twice

as likely as men to develop PTSD. At a cost of over 44 billion dollars a

year in medical and related costs, PTSD is a disorder well worth the time

to understand.

       Many people in the Western world take a "blame-the-victim"

approach to avoid dealing with mental illness. One might call it the "just"

disease. "It 's your fault you are miserable, you know. You just can't cope,

you just feel sorry for yourself you just don't want to get well, you just

want everyone else to solve your problems for you, you just" ... you just...

you just... this list goes on and on. A litany of'you just.' That word 'just'

causes a lot of problems. The 'just' speaker is not going to understand.

The speakers will not try to understand. They have already closed their

minds and will make sure that you know how bad their situation is

compared to yours. Shame, denial, and misinterpretation are used to bad

advantage (quit asking for sympathy, quit over-reacting, etc.).

       The medical profession tries to help. The World Health

Organization publishes a diagnosis book: the International Classification

of Diseases (ICD). ICD-6 contained, for the first time, a section for mental

disorders. The history of mental disorder in the United States is

interesting. In 1840 medicine used only one category for mental illness:

idiocy/insanity. By 1860 there were seven categories: melancholia, mania,

epilepsy, monomania', paresis", dementia, and dipsomania"1. It was not

until after World War II that a more useful set of definitions appeared. In

1952 the first edition of the American Psychiatric Association's

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, DSM-I, appeared. The DSM-IV, the

current edition, is essentially the diagnoses 'dictionary' for mental

illnesses. It is a thick book available at bookstores. We now have the 9th

edition of the ICD-9. So the current set of diagnoses is barely fifty years

old.

       There are some very interesting things in the DSM-IV. Is there a

firm separation between a 'physical' disorder and a 'mental' disorder? The

answer is no. Every physical disorder has a mental component; every

mental disorder has a physical component. Together they form two

interlocking pieces of the whole person. We can't have one without the

other. It can even happen that the person with schizophrenia has the flu!

Unfortunately we (and medicine) do not have a good word for this, so we

keep the two words 'physical' and 'mental'. A good physician understands

this.

        Society and even many physicians assume that the DSM-IV

classifies people not disorders. Actually the book does exactly the

opposite: it classifies disorders not people. Society persists in this cruel

fiction of classifying people instead of disorders. They use mental illness

to define the whole person (You are a manic-depressive.). Try to picture a

person pointing a finger and saying "You are a broken bone. " Hopefully

they sound equally silly.

Sometimes, however, they don't. Add to this misuse of words the

additional injury that Americans still assign shame to mental illness and

associate it with a character or moral flaw, and we have the terrible

situation where countless mentally ill people suffer the doubly cruel injury

of the ravages of the disease and the scorn of an uncomprehending society.

                Insurance companies use the DSM-IV and ICD-9 to assign

payments. All insurance claims insist on a diagnosis code (It may be

buried deep in the paperwork, but it is there). So physicians and other

mental health professionals use it. This is both good and bad. It is good,

because it enables a payable insurance claim. It is bad because it forces a

diagnosis that may not be fully appropriate. The DSM is a laudable

attempt to organize mental illnesses into definable categories. If mental

illness had well separated and defined categories this would work well.

Unfortunately mental illness does not separate out into nice, neat labels.

So the codes in the DSM-IV are far from perfect, just as the treatment and

diagnosis of mental illness are not perfect. A good mental health

professional knows this and will provide appropriate diagnoses for the

insurance claim; one that will minimize any social damage. Then they will

throw it away and treat you as a whole person, using whatever method is

best for you.

         The diagnoses of mental disorders are now multi-level. (Actually

they concocted five diagnoses axes. If you are mathematically inclined,

this is a 5D space. If you are not mathematically inclined, they have five

ways to classify the disorders, and it can often take all five to identify the

disorders properly.) That is good for the doctors, but it makes it more

complicated for the non-professional to have a clear definition to use. A

broken bone is an easy one. All the sub-types, severity levels, even

decision trees in the DSM-IV make it hard to find a single word to use for

mental illnesses. "I suffer from ...." When those dots really are paragraphs

of words - well you see the problem.

People shy away from saying these things anyway because society

has this unhealthy association of shame with a mental disorder. That leads

to a lot of misconceptions. There are sixteen types of mental disorders.

One is the anxiety disorder class. PTSD is an anxiety disorder. The DSM -

IV diagnosis code for PTSD is 309.81. Panic attacks belong in the anxiety

disorder class. Clinical depression, a common mental disorder, is a mood

disorder.

 

                                        Trauma and PTSD

       I shall concentrate on PTSD. Most people are familiar with  the

definition concerning soldiers in a war; however, PTSD has expanded

from its original wartime definition to include all people, not just soldiers.

It can result from a single or prolonged life-threatening event.  The

memory can bury itself deep in the mind and, for years afterward, torment

the person with all kinds of strange unexplained feelings. Some people

come through these events and recover. Some do not. Why the difference?

As yet, probably no one knows.

        PTSD is difficult to treat, even difficult to diagnose. The disorder

carries an especially strong stigma of dishonour and moral weakness

During the first and second world wars, people called some soldiers

suffering from PTSD and stress breakdown "cowards" or "deserters." The

military has come a long way since then in recognizing the seriousneness of

this disorder. Since PTSD is actually the body's natural response to an

injury, it is not really an illness in the same sense as depression.  It is,

however, often accompanied by depression and other mental illnesses.

       There are six criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD. (1) The person goes

through or sees something that involves actual or threatened death or

serious injury. The person responds to this with intense fear, helplessness

or horror. (2) The person then relives this traumatic event through dreams

or recollections. He or she can behave as if the trauma is actually

happening right then, and can react strongly to events that even resemble

the original trauma. (3) The person tries desperately to avoid this, and to

avoid anything associated with the trauma, in fact, may not even

remember the trauma yet still react strongly to certain stimuli. (4)  The

person often has difficulty sleeping and concentrating. He or she may be

hyper-vigilant. All this lasts longer than (5) a month and causes (6)

significant distress in daily life.

        Perfectly straightforward, isn't it? Someone is "scared to death”

leaving behind an injured brain that relives the event and stays scared all

the time. The next edition of the DSM will contain an updated definition

for PTSD that will widen the criteria to include emotional as well as

physical trauma.

       Typically one thinks of trauma as a single life-threatening event;

however, trauma can also arise from an accumulation of small incidents

rather than one major incident. Examples include: repeated exposure to

horrific scenes at accidents or fires, repeated involvement with serious

crime, breaking news of bereavement caused by accident or violence,

especially if children are involved, repeated abuse (verbal, physical, or

sexual), regular intrusion and violation of one's physical or psychological

space (bullying, stalking, harassment, domestic violence), etc. People who

are especially vulnerable to these events are emergency workers (e.g.

police, firemen, and hospital workers), crime scene investigators, children,

and soldiers. Some mental health professionals now use the term

Prolonged Duress Stress Disorder (PDSD) when the symptoms are the

result of a series of events.

       Although it is fair to think of PTSD as an injury rather than an

illness, it is important to remember that a disabling injury is as difficult to

handle as a disabling illness. Unfortunately, the sufferer may not know he

or she suffers from PTSD, and may think the suffering is "madness." The

sufferer is afraid to tell anyone because of the social stigma associated

with emotional distress. To make things worse, even professionals often

misinterpret many of the PTSD symptoms as psychotic ones. They

misdiagnose the person and therefore provide possibly harmful treatment

and drugs.

        PTSD is not madness. It is a normal reaction to undue and deadly

stress. The body says "Hey! I am not designed to work this way. If I let this

go on there will be irreparable damage. I will do something dramatic now

to reduce or eliminate the stress. We 're talking survival here, dummy!"

And so the body takes action.

What is going on here? A lot of things. The human body is a

marvellous system. It is also a complex system, full of feedback loops.

Mess too badly with some of those loops, and one result can be long-term

disabling PTSD.

                                        The Two -Part Body

Let's look at the whole system before we leap into the brain. Not

the 'whole' body - there is too much detail inside a simple human body -

so we start with a two-part body: the automatic part versus the thinking

part. One thing the human body does is keep the basics going so you do

not have to think the basics. The basics are too, well, too basic to be left to

our thinking skills. This is the automatic part. What does this automatic

system do for us? The autonomic (the word is linked to autonomous)

nervous system is an entire little brain unto itself. It keeps on going

whether we think about it or not. It runs bodily functions without our

 

awareness or control. (Thank goodness, too. I would hate to think my way

into every single breath.) It has two pieces: the sympathetic system and

parasympathetic system.

      The sympathetic system handles automatic responses to the "fight

or-flight" condition. (Υ ο, I'm in danger here body, get with the program

and do something.) These responses are actions like dilating the pupils and

blood vessels (got to have room for that increased blood flow), increasing

the heart rate, and putting digestion on hold. (You don't have time to eat

right now, worry about that hunger later. I am busy fighting off that tiger

on your behalf.)

        The parasympathetic system does other things, including slowing

down the heart, constricting the pupils, and stimulating the digestion. It

takes care of what the body needs when it is off-duty from fighting for

survival. (I can stop running from that tiger now, so it's time to eat.)

       The two pieces seem to drive the body in opposite directions. We

hope the body can keep the system in balance and not let one or the other

run amuck.

        The autonomic nervous system sends a constant stream of

information to the hypothalamus (another piece in the brain). The

hypothalamus has an important job - regulation (There is always a limit

switch somewhere) - to maintain the status quo. It controls an amazing

variety of things. It gathers data from all over the body and then sends

back signals to compensate for anything out of whack. It soaks up

information from that autonomic nervous system, reads body temperature,

checks your balance, blood pressure, visual cues, blood sugar levels,

chemical levels, and memories. It gathers signals from the outside through

the five senses (Ouch, that's hot! Yuk! Bad smell)·, each sense having its

special area in the brain; for example, visual data to the occipital cortex,

tactile to the sensory cortex, auditory to the middle temporal gyrus, and

olfactory to the orbitoffontal cortex.

       The hypothalamus also integrates all this information and sends

back messages to the body (squint to reduce excess light hitting the

eyeball, etc.). Messages also go back to the autonomic nervous system. A

lot of information goes through the endocrine system as well (including

the pituitary gland - a major piece of the endocrine system). This gland is

no larger than a pea and controls all the other parts of the endocrine

system. It produces all kinds of hormones. More about the stress hormone

later.

                         A Light-Hearted Look at the Brain

So where are we? Let the autonomic part continue to do its thing,

and let's leap into the entire brain. The brain has a basic structure to it.

Actually we have three brains in one. Brain 1 is in the center called

the "R complex" (R stands for reptilian because it is very similar to the

brains of reptiles). Brain 2 is wrapped around Brain 1, called the "limbic

system" or "old mammalian brain." Limbus is the Latin word for arc or

girdle. Brain 2 is shell-like or girdle shaped. Brain 3 is the outside surface,

the neocortex, and this is the evolutionary modern part of our brain.

 

Let's look top down on the brain. All we see from this view is

Brain 3 - the neocortex.  On the top is the cerebrum divided down the

middle from the front to the back into the left and right cerebral

hemispheres.  When you hear about that left brain/right brain thinking, they

are talking about these hemispheres. The brain also has a side-to-side

division towards its back end, although this one is not as distinct as the

other one. In front of this side-to-side division are the frontal lobes (one

left and one right naturally because of those hemispheres).

At the back end of this side-to-side division are the

parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes. If we peer sideway

brain, under that cerebrum, there are more parts. Tucked under

there is the cerebellum. Inside the middle of all this are the pons and

the medulla. The brain stem comes from the spinal cord into this region. The

thalamus, hypothalamus, hippocampus, and many other things are in there. The _

autonomic nervous system connects in  here. In terms of evolution, this area of

the brain is quite ancient. This makes sense too because the autonomic

system has to take care of things like breathing without our having to think

about them. All living things share this type of automatic functioning in

some manner. That blade of grass does not have to "think" itself into green

(or brown if it gets no water). Basically your conscious control tends to

happen in the cerebrum area (that is the thinking part). The automatic

control tends to happen in the

cerebellum.   The hippocampus is the piece that handles memory creation and

storage. Apparently it stores memories all over the brain.

{It finds a good spot, dumps in a memory, sets up a database entry

somewhere, and moves on.)

       The hippocampus is deep inside the brain. It is a long narrow strip shaped

almost like two horseshoes. The knobs at the end are the amygdala. The

hippocampus makes new memories. Without it you could not live in the

present, you would be stuck in the past. The figure to the left is a cut away

of the brain showing the pieces important to stress.  0sorry could not copy and paste it)

                                     Neurons and Neurotransmitters

      All the parts communicate through an amazing network of neural

pathways: nerve cells strung out along axons (the neural highway.  A

nerve cell has two things to do. One: it has to propagate any impulse

signal along the highway {keep the traffic flow going), and two: it has to

transmit information to another nerve cell not on its axon {across the gap).

     Impulses along an axon are electrical, mediated by sodium and

potassium ions. An impulse is an all or nothing proposition. It goes, or it

does not go. Electrical signals travel through the axons at quite respectable

rates, sometimes as fast as 120 meters/second {4,700 inches/second, about

268 miles per hour. In other words a signal makes its merry way around

your body *very* fast. Light itself travels slightly less than 1,000 times

faster than that.). There are a lot of these neurons too, probably about 10

of them". Even more interesting is that these things can reconnect in new

ways, and probably do this all the time.

        The other thing the nerve cell does is to transmit a signal from

itself to another neuron. This involves actually a lot of chemical reactions.

These involve the neurotransmitters {NT's). There are lots of them

Neurons emit NT's into that gap and other neurons with compatible

receptors absorb them. {How else can the information get around the

body? If we were all one continuous nerve cell this would be easy, but we

re not. Instead we are billions of these things. So the signals have to

'jump ' the gap between neurons.) The signaling process, not to put too

fine a point on it, is sensitive, you see. Those neurons have to be well

tuned before they can talk properly. Drugs, disease, moods, genetics all

can affect the proper signaling of neurons. When a neural bundle in the

brain talks to another neural bundle, it uses NT's to help the

communication (chemical reaction). It is a multi-step process.

1. Neuron makes and stores up NT's.

2. Neuron releases NT from a nerve terminal.

3. NT's wanders the gap and interacts with a receptor (something

receptive in the next neuron)

4. Terminate that interaction with the receptor. (I don't know why the

brain has to turn this stuff off quickly but it does.)

5. Destroy the NT or re-absorb it back into the original terminal.

      We can see, though, that this is a sensitive process. Lots of things

can alter it. Mess with the creation and storage. Mess with the release.

Mess with the receptor, mess with the shut off, and mess with the re-

absorption. The figure above shows two neurons with a gap between them.

One has terminals; the other has receptors. The neuron on the left has two

terminals about to release an NT; one terminal is ready to catch (re-

absorb) the NT just released by the receptor on the other neuron.  There are

several wandering NT's in the gap. The neuron on the right has receptors

receiving them quickly, closing off the receptor once it caught one, and

tossing the NT back into the fray to the terminals for re-absorption.  One

terminal is ready to re-absorb the NT.

       Two important NT's are serotonin and dopamine. Dopamine has

many functions in the brain. Most importantly, dopamine is central to the

reward system. Low levels of dopamine may lead to depression. Serotonin

is sort of a midwife to the whole process. Serotonin wanders around in

between the bundles, in the gap there. Actually the bundles are emitting

and absorbing the serotonin all the time. They emit and reabsorb all kinds

of things. However, serotonin facilitates the communications. If there is

not enough serotonin around then the communication is faulty. A selective

serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) is a psychiatric drug that stops the

neural bundles from re-absorbing the serotonin [inhibits the re

absorption]. So the serotonin stays around the gap a bit longer and is there

to aid communications. Drugs like Paxil, Prozac, and Zoloft are SSRI's.

         Serotonin receptors - there are 3 main types and type 1 has 4

subtypes. One subtype seems to like the hippocampus area. Another type

is found in the 4th layer of the cortex, etc. Anyway, if somehow there is

not enough serotonin in that gap then the neural signaling can go awry.

       Back to the autonomic nervous system that keeps the basics going

so you don't have to think about them. We left the hypothalamus telling

you what to do. It checks the status of your body and signals changes to

keep things stable. So you shiver when you are cold, you sweat when you

are hot, and you salivate when you are hungry. These signals play a role in

your emotions. They activate that "fight-or-flight" reaction, for example.

This also includes signals to adjust the hormone levels.

Cortisol

The endocrine glands {pituitary - in the brain, and adrenal - near

the kidneys) secrete hormones. One is important to stress. It is, naturally,

the "stress hormone," Cortisol. Cortisol is a steroid hormone that regulates blood

pressure and cardiovascular function as well as the body's use of proteins, carbohydrates,

and fats for energy. A body under stress (illness, trauma, even temperature extremes)

increases Cortisol production. More Cortisol means storing extra sugar for fuel, pumping

up blood pressure, increasing heart rate, etc. All these are responses to stress. High levels

of Cortisol impair verbal memory performance

         Throughout a 24-hour day the level of Cortisol in your blood

stream varies; high in the morning, low at midnight. The graph at the right

shows this variation over one day. Actually the Cortisol levels are bumpy;

the smooth line is an average of the bumps.

       Well, the feedback loops are looping, hormones buzzing, basics

going, and, as if it wasn't busy enough, the brain engages in puzzles! Is it

harmful or safe? That's a puzzle to solve. Well, let's check the memory

banks for any background information on this, and then decide to make a

new memory, update an old one, ignore it, or take an action. The activity

level is continuous, multi-leveled, and easily disrupted. There are lots of

neurons firing, neuropeptides coming and going, chemicals reacting, and

hormones, lots and lots of hormones. Cognition, memory, and mood all

result from this constant activity of electrical impulses through the

complex network of nerve cells throughout the brain.

Hippocampus and Amygdala

       OK, loops, hormones, signals, senses, basics, puzzling. What's

left? The solution. Something needs to make a decision. That means the

brain needs to check the databanks for past information that might help.

Enter that hippocampus. When you build or retrieve a specific memory,

the hippocampus brings together memory elements from all the sensory

areas. It stores them initially right there in its storage areas as short term

memories. When you tire of paying conscious attention to those memories,

it reorganizes them and moves them into other parts of the brain. Under

normal conditions, then, a short-term memory converts to a long-term

memory, the database entry is built, and the memory stashed away

accessible at some later time.

       The amygdala gets involved in all this too. It mediates emotional

content. It is continually asking questions about current events and sensory

inputs: "Is this a danger? Is this safe? Are we happy? Do I like this? Do I

need to worry? Do I need to start up the stress responses, trigger those

hormones?" It queries the hippocampus to check the database for past

instances of this event. It integrates information from internal chemistry,

xternal events, and memories, attaches the emotions, and decides an

action.

       Information arrives from the other parts of the brain; then an action

flows out. Finally a decision! ("0/7 yes, this was a good thing. I like french

fries." Take french fry and munch. "Nope, that's bad. I don't like bills.'"

Pay bill and grimace. "Ah-h, I remember that song." Gentle smile. "Ouch!

don't do that!" Bonk nose of nurse giving the shot. Well, OK, control the

bonk, but desire to bonk.)

       Loops, basics, puzzling, signals, hormones, senses, database

building, database retrieval, and voila, we are ready to integrate to the

solution! The entire process goes on continuously. It is a very busy brain.

No wonder we get headaches!

       Another way to look at this is to picture two systems, one hot and

one cool. The cool one is a cognitive, complex system (the thinker); the

hot one is an emotional-fear system (the trigger finger). The hippocampus

is cool. It records, in an unemotional and neutral manner, well-elaborated

autobiographical events, complete with their spatial-temporal context. It is

subject to control, (i.e., I can think my way in and out of it, or I can

alter my interpretations and reactions.) The amygdala is hot. It

reacts to un-integrated fragmentary fear - it hooks directly to low-level

 fear responses. It is direct, quick, highly emotional, and inflexible. It

keyS more to instinct and is less subject to easy control.

       What's normal? Both. Everyone has hot and cool

memories. Your memory database stores it all, both the cool and the hot:

the cool system codes the context of the event; the hot system contributes

the emotional highlights of the event (specifically the ones associated with

fear). Later, a stimulus can evoke a hot memory and you relive the original

low-level response. A cool memory is narrative, recollective, and episodic

with a sense of time. You remember the event; you do not relive it or

mistake it for a current event.

       What happens if something interrupts or diverts all this signaling

traffic control, and memory storage to the wrong place? There are many

diseases that interfere with this process. When an interruption occurs, the

signals (the NT's) falter, leading to a failed transmission of information

from one point to another in the brain. In some cases this loss may be

inconsequential. You never notice. In other cases it may cause a massive

failure of the system: loss of memory, misperception of reality or inability

to perceive reality, or inappropriate reaction. The graph above shows what

happens to a person's memory performance over time when there are

small and large levels of Cortisol present. Clearly when the body releases a

lot of Cortisol in response to stress, a person's memory performance

degrades. A little bit seems OK, and the body does have some Cortisol

present all the time.

Trauma

       Trauma breaks the normal processing. Trauma is danger. The

amygdala, busy with its continual questioning, determines that danger

exists. The brain triggers the intricate fight-or-flight chemical dance to

protect itself. "Do I run away, do I fight, do I shut down? Whatever I do, I

am going to do it right now?''

The "hot" drive for survival takes over. The brain is now in the

middle of the dangerous event. It is not "outside" looking in at this event,

and therefore, the entire system is not easily subject to rational control.

(I'm busy, damn it. Quit bothering me with logic.) The danger response

takes several actions. Some of them are instinctual. They come with the

brain at birth, hard-wired as it were. Until the danger signal is resolved,

the hot system is in charge. The cool system is disabled or put far in the

background. (/ don't care how much you think about it, it ain 't gonna

change a thing. We are taking action pal, so give it up.)

       One typical hot action protects the brain through dissociation.

(Everyone dissociates at some time or other. This is quite normal and

usually benign. The stupor that comes from a long boring drive is

dissociation.) The dissociated brain stops the horror of the event before it

becomes a full real-time impossible reality. It "walls off' the event, and in

extreme cases induces amnesia. It is a very healthy survival technique.

       A danger response also sets off a cycle of stress hormones that

zoom around the body doing lots of things like raising blood sugar, blood

pressure and heart rate, and interfering with digestion. The normal process

that builds short-term memory is disrupted because the brain needs to

focus its attention on the immediate danger. (No time to store this away to

think about later, need to save the body now!) The body enters a state of

hyper vigilance with an increased acoustic startle response. That particular

response is a primitive reflex to threat and is seen in animals as well as

humans.

       All this is necessary when the body responds to a threat. The threat

is immediate. You need to fix it now, not next week but now. This is

short-term survival. We don't make it to long-term survival if we don't fix

the short-term danger. What is beneficial for short-term survival, however,

is not necessarily good for long-term health. So one hopes the trauma or

stress is short-lived and quickly resolved. Then the brain will, after a time,

recover from the danger signal, relax the hot system and let the cool

process become more active.

 

                               Trauma Goes Over into PTSD

       If the trauma is prolonged, extreme or repetitive, it can actually

physically injure the brain. The best analogy is that the amygdala stays in

the alert state so long that it gets "stuck" there. It keeps the body from

operating a healthy combination of the hot and cool systems. The neuron

pathways in the amygdala lose their "elasticity" or ability to recover

"Hey! I am still in danger here; I need to keep the body ready to fight

OK, hippocampus, just stay cool and wait over there until I get back to

you. Yo, hormones, keep 'em coming. Nobody's messing with MY survival

Liver, give me more sugar for energy, adrenals stay with me now.'" Whoa.

You can see what happens. The body depletes its resources.  

              Remember the cool system is the one that puts things in time order

in the database. (So you don't confuse today with five years ago.) Since the

cool system stays mostly "offline" or very weakly enabled during trauma.

it fails to put the right time stamp on all this activity, and so the real time

trauma events stay as fragmented disconnected memory bits. With

fragmented memory bits, the memory database is corrupt and has gaps.

But the body keeps sensing danger and sending out stress response signals.

The person keeps living "in the moment." If this goes on long enough or is

severe enough, the person develops PTSD. Long after the original trauma

ends, the person suffers from the symptoms. He or she lives and responds

to "now" even though "now" may be a memory fragment from long ago

He or she cannot separate "now and safe" from "now and danger."

       The longer the vigilant state lasts the higher the chances of

permanent damage. The cool hippocampus cannot get to the long-term

memories. The amygdala keeps shutting them down. Without the ability to

access the cool, cognitive solutions, the PTSD sufferer is unable to check

the safety of a current event, cannot distinguish danger from safety.

Current, safe events trigger flashbacks and other strange memory or

emotional signals. So the brain keeps retriggering itself all over again into

the hyper-alert state. Each new challenge and event is as dangerous as the

last. This phenomenon is sometimes known as sensitization.

       The injury is real. The injury is physical. It is not mere confusion

or misdirected thinking, or sign of a weak character. It most certainly is

not a case of "just get over it."

       There is a special and sad vulnerability for children. During early

development, the brain enters a hyper-alert phase as part of the learning

and growing process. Children absorb an amazing of information in a

short time. They learn walking, talking, communication, and how to

control information. Children leam the difference between their actions

and themselves. They leam to separate themselves from their

environment. They build their identités. One pictures that alert little

amygdala busy processing all that new information from the world, storing

up experiences, defining rules, figuring out language and the power of

words (that's the terrible twos.), figuring out society, and "look! See what

happens when I drop the ball - it falls to the floor and makes a noise and

rolls away. Will it do that again? Let's see." Children are wonderful

scientists and natural experimenters. It must be an exciting time for the

brain.

        What if there is trauma? Trauma can push this alert state to such

extremes that there is damage to the brain cells (PTSD). If the child stays

this way for an extended time, then memories that might have become

long term (and therefore retrievable later to the adult brain) are never

connected. She loses her memory of childhood. And she never fully builds

an integrated personality. This is not necessarily a multiple personality,

although in the most extreme cases, the child can develop the Dissociative

Identity Disorder (DID) that results in multiple personalities. Some people

have improperly characterized all such injuries as DID. Far more common

than DID, however, is the injured, traumatized personality that develops

PTSD.

         In the case of a young child this is especially serious. It seems as if

children are born with a brain filled with templates, some complete, most

needing some input from the environment to complete their structure. The

child fills in these templates as she grows and learns human behavior. At

some critical point the child integrates all the templates into an executive

control, an identity, a self. The safer the environment the healthier the

final product. Probably by the age of six the templates are complete

enough to define a whole person.

       If the child completes the integration, then she/he can endure a lot

of physical and mental attacks and not lose their identity. She/he will

develop their own strategies for survival. If however the trauma is severe

enough, then depending upon the trauma and when it occurred, one or

more particular templates may remain incomplete; she/he does not

integrate. Sadly, they do not know this has occurred. The painful future,

the misunderstandings to come, the failures and confusions, these will all

make little sense to them. They think that their brain is operating the same

way that everyone else's brain does. They think they have the same

genetic templates and the same completed personality. They do not

understand why they have problems.

       If there is enough fear, then the brain recognizes almost all real

time input as a threat, and if the links are weak to begin with, the child

never learns to "touch" reality.

Acknowledge, Accept, and Accommodate

       Certain problems are likely to occur with PTSD. They include

panic disorder, agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety

disorder, phobias, depression, sleep disorders, and substance abuse. These

disorders sometimes precede PTSD, but may also develop after the onset

of PTSD. Other medical problems like skin problems, pain, and

gastrointestinal distress, also seem to be more likely to occur in those

suffering from PTSD. Fortunately, successful treatment of PTSD often

results in the cessation of these problems.

       PTSD is real, painful, and disabling. The cost is over 44 billion

dollars a year, 23 billion in direct medical costs. Fortunately, there are

now effective treatments for PTSD. Acting early may prevent PTSD from

becoming worse and causing problems in one's career and relationships.

PTSD is treated by a variety of forms of psychotherapy (talk therapy) and

pharmacotherapy (medication). There is no single best treatment, but some

treatments appear to be quite promising, especially cognitive-behavioral

therapy (CBT). CBT includes a number of diverse but related techniques

such as cognitive restructuring, exposure therapy, and eye movement

desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). Treatment can last from

months to years.

If you know someone who suffers from PTSD, what do you do?

Remember that your meta-language (body language) conveys 90% of your

message. Your words convey only 10% of your message. Convey positive

messages, not degrading ones. For example, in the workplace the

following are not good for anyone but disastrous for someone suffering

from PTSD: unstable physical environment, hostile environment, long

work hours, and stress. In handling PTSD as in handling any disability,

acknowledge, accept, and accommodate.

There are a large number of useful web sites on PTSD. Two of them are:

http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/ncmain/index.jsp is the Department of

Veteran's Affairs National Center for PTSD and

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/HealthInformation/ptsdmenu.cfm is the National

Institutes of Health site for PTSD. Both have lots of useful information.

Endnotes

I Monomania is a type of paranoia in which the patient has only one idea

or type of ideas

II In the past, the term was most commonly used to refer to "General

paresis," which was a symptom of untreated syphilis.

111A dipsomaniac is a person with an uncontrollable craving for alcohol. It

differs from alcoholism in that it is an uncontrollable periodic lust for

alcohol, with, in the interim, no desire for alcoholic beverages.

Dipsomania is a dated term.

IV As a comparison, there are about 10" stars in our Galaxy.

Fall 2007

 

 

Edited February 12 by asal