PTSD treatments that work never include Resiliency

Ritchie ran down the list of common "treatments" that have made the headlines but one thing stands out here. Nowhere has "resiliency" shown up in any of the suggestions about what works from articles posted on the subject. Why is that?

PTSD: Treatments That Work
By ELSPETH CAMERON RITCHIE
May 1, 2012

The recently-issued policy on screening and treating PTSD from the Army’s Office of the Surgeon General (OTSG) is dense, specific and should be helpful in advancing the field of post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis and treatment.

Last week, I posted on the change in the criteria for diagnosing PTSD. Now we’ll examine a central focus of the policy: evidence-based treatment, including cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT), exposure-based treatment, and medication.

Evidence-based treatments are ones that are proven, in scientific trials, to be effective. The American Psychiatric Association and DoD-VA have published treatment guidelines.

There are other treatments that have not been proven, but show promise. They may be called evidence-informed treatments, or promising new treatments.

A brief description of these treatments follows. More information can be found in a number of forums, including at the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
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Last night during a conference call with Point Man International Ministries Resiliency Training came up and I had to control myself from hitting the roof on this. I pointed out that the rise in suicides, attempted suicides, calls to the Suicide Prevention Hotline along with veterans committing suicide can all be tied to this "program" that has done more harm than good.

It was introduced under Battlemind Training. While the program has some great aspects to it, the problem is, the message being delivered from the start is, PTSD is their fault for not training their minds to be tough. Yes, that is what the troops hear.

If someone told you that you could train your brain to be tough, wouldn't you think that meant you had a weak mind and not strong enough to take combat? Wouldn't you then assume after an event like a bomb blowing up some of your friends, and you couldn't get over it, that they were right and you are just not tough enough? Wouldn't you then find that notion stronger if you looked at your buddies after they went through the same thing but seem to be fine?

Would you want to talk to any of the people you were with about how it is effecting you knowing they took the same training you did but feel as if you are weaker than they are or didn't train right?

That happens all the time after the DOD has basically told them and everyone else they are with that PTSD is the fault of a weak mind.

They can claim anything they want but the end result is after over 4 years of the Battlemind approach, under different titles, it has not worked but they continue to push it. What is worse is the VA has been using the same type of response. Look at the number of suicides along with everything else and then you'll be as angry as I am about this.

DOD message has been PTSD is your fault

I've held enough Marines and soldiers in my arms as they cry and apologize for not "training" right. They didn't feel safe to talk to anyone about what they were going through because the others were "stronger" and "able to take it" when they couldn't. No one told them the rate of PTSD after an event is 1 out of 3 (some use 1 out of 5) which means not everyone ends up with PTSD after a horrific event during combat. No one told them that while they needed to heal after it, too many times they were exposed to more events piling on top of the event they just survived.

There is too much they are not being told and told too many times the wrong thing. Resiliency Training is the worst message they can hear!