This is a question that has been argued over the months between my psychiatrist and myself - Is PTSD a Psychiatric Disorder?

Would someone PLEASE clear this up???

I think it's a psychiatric disorder... it's listed in the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). You could also say it's a neurobiological disorder, because it causes a chemical imbalance in the brain, and you can actually see changes in a person's brain on an MRI. My brain has some changes to it...

But I don't get it, what is your argument with your psychiatrist exactly?

LOL! So is transsexuality and homosexuality.

Homosexuality isn't listed in the DSM-IV; it was eliminated as a disorder when the publication came out in 1994. The DSM-III was the last version to mention homosexuality. The DSM-IV does still list transsexuality but it is now called "Gender Identity Disorder".

hi morts...why dont you ask him if hes a psychiatrist,or just the product of psychiatry?...he sounds like he needs help from someone qualified in the field..obviously not him....sometimes they get so carried away with their bullshit that they start believing it..ive had several therapists etc. that were completely brain dead...they think because you have mental health issues you are automaticaly stupid...i have great fun playing with their minds...ive met a couple with an iq high enough to help...but not many!

I had some problems with terminology like this a few months back. I was very distressed by the idea that I might have "a mental illness." On the other hand, I have no problem accepting that I have suffered from clinical depression, which is no doubt a mental illness. Something about PTSD really bothered me.

I think, honestly, my frustration was in being "stuck" or "labelled" with a disorder based on something that happened to me. It pissed me off; it wasn't fair. I've since chilled on that point. There are things about the way I am that are no doubt a bit off the norm, things that are explained by the diagnosis of PTSD.

Here's the question: what if PTSD is a psychiatric disorder? Why is that important to you?

Ask him this-
Can one force schitzophrenia on another? What about Bi-Polar Disorder? What about diabetes or epilepsy? Heart disease?
Yet they are all treated.

Yet we all know that PTSD itself CAN be forced upon us by others, and if not treated can become permanant. So should PTSD be considered a psychiatric disorder or should the actions taken that cause it be instead considered criminal?

Example- If I sexually assault you and beat you up and from that you get PTSD, shouldn't the rape and SA be treated as a crime and you as a victim and thus treated accordingly instead of overlooking the crimes committed against you being ignored and you treated as a mental case thus ridiculed by the government and/or public?

All illnesses, even something minor like a broken leg, can bring on depression. So does diabetes and heart disease. Should we also include diabetes or heart disease as psychiatric disorders?

Yes, it's listed as a psychiatric disorder. So is ADHD (I was diagnosed with this as a child). Both are things that are permanent fixtures in my life and have to be dealt with. The fact that one I was born with and one is caused by trauma really doesn't matter when it comes to learning to deal with them. What's important is that I do deal with them.

Labels and names are thrown around like candy at a kid's party sometimes. Honestly I wouldn't care if PTSD was called bippity-boppity-boop. It really comes down to admitting, at least to yourself, that this is in your life. Understanding what it means now and what it can/will mean in the future. Dealing with your traumas and getting your life back.

Anything that changes your life takes time to get used to and understand. Then it takes time to adapt and make the changes needed to adjust to what's different. And learning the skills necessary to live a productive life with this change also takes time.

I'm not sure why your doctor is being so pedantic about this whole thing. If you want to continue with him, take what you need and ignore the rest. If you want to change doctors, then it's your right to do it. Take care of yourself.

Lisa

Yes it may be listed, but is it really a psych disorder?
If it's listed it's considered permanant. We know that it's not permanant if treated.

It is permanent. PTSD is incurable. However, I think it should be listed as a brain injury not a psych disorder.

bec