Early treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder

In 2008 after taking crisis intervention training to become a Chaplain I was sure I found the answer I had been searching for. There had to be a reason I did not have PTSD after too many times with my life on the line.

While I have never served in combat just living had me facing many times when I should have died along with another time when I wish I did.

The fact I am still here, changed by what I survived proved to me that the difference was my family. I had a large Greek family much like the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Nothing was a secret. Everything was talked to death by everyone. I knew they loved me, were willing to spend as much time as I needed to listen and while most of the time they gave lousy advice, I always knew I could talk to someone anytime I needed to. There were things I talked to my Mom about, other things I talked to my Dad or brothers or cousins or Aunts. Sometimes I talked to friends.

You have to know that my first experience with facing death happened when I was only 4. Doctors said I should not have survived what someone did to me, but I did even though I had TBI when no one really knew what damage was done to the brain. Someone did it to me. It was another kid getting impatient with me on a high slide I was too afraid to go down by myself. He pushed me too hard on one side and I hit the concrete head first.

I wrote about what my life taught me and how some psychologists have it all wrong. Psychologist is wrong on critical incident stress debriefings but that isn't really new. The problem is when they get attention as "training professionals" and I as a lowly person go up agains them. The fact is when you spend over 30 years researching something as if your life depends on the answer, it matters a hell of a lot more than what someone reads is a book while planning to make a career out of it.

There is healing after traumatic crisis no matter what caused it. I have said too many times that while we cannot prevent PTSD in everyone we need to understand what works and what has failed.

Well finally the MAYO Clinic has produced yet another report on how effective this is.

Early treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder

Early therapy can stop post-traumatic stress disorder from taking hold, say doctors at the Mayo Clinic. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop after a car crash, an assault, or a major catastrophe like the terror attacks of September 11 last year. Symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance, lack of concentration, sleep disturbance, irritability and guilt. Left untreated, someone with PTSD will lapse into a state of chronic anxiety.

I have worked with police and firefighters as well as veterans because I not only believe it works, I am living proof it does.