Where has common sense PTSD research gone?

Where has common sense PTSD research gone?
by Kathie Costos
Wounded Times Blog
December 6, 2012


The latest headlines on PTSD are;

Bath Salts Dr. Nicholas Cozzi of the University of Wisconsin collaborated with the National Institute on Drug Abuse in a study of methylone earlier this year. He says anecdotal evidence suggests the drug holds promise for treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other anxiety-related conditions.

Ecstasy
A recent study conducted by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies found that 83 percent of the people in the study, who were given MDMA along with psychotherapy didn't need any more therapy sessions after two months. The researchers will now be analyzing the effects of MDMA in treating 24 first-responders and military veterans with treatment-resistant PTSD.

Mindfulness and behavior activation Kornfield evaluated 141 veterans who had subclinical levels of PTSD. The veterans were categorized into two groups: those from the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (recent war veterans, or RWV), and those who were not deployed in those wars (nonrecent war veterans, or non-RWV). Kornfield found that the most common symptom exhibited by the RWV was arousal, while the most common symptom among the non-RWV participants was avoidance. Both groups demonstrated high levels of depression. This raised concern for Kornfield because the first course of treatment for subclinical symptoms of PTSD in the new model is to target avoidance. Because the most distressed veterans—those who recently returned from war—exhibited arousal symptoms more often than avoidance symptoms, Kornfield believes the current treatment approach may not be adequately meeting their needs.

Veterans are not stupid. They understood that if they take something that can numb them, it doesn't matter what it is. Ever talk to a WWII veteran that drank too much? The last thing on their minds was trying anything illegal and medications were not available to them when they came home in the 40's. In the 50's research on what was still being called "shell shock" was too sparse to matter to Korean War veterans.

Veterans like my Dad were self medicating with alcohol but in his case he was an alcoholic. Some of the veterans he helped to get sober later as an AA sponsor had given up because the fact was they were not addicted to alcohol, but instead clinging to the relief it offered them.

Vietnam veterans did what their parents generation did. Research on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder started in the 70's and by 1978 the DAV had 70 Veterans Centers set up across the country along with a report stating there were 150,000 Vietnam Veterans with PTSD. Again they were trying to get numb an stop feeling.

Since 2002 the research into PTSD has gone overboard, repeating studies that were done 40 years ago, pushing medications no matter what the side effects were. They continued the practice even while troops with PTSD were being redeployed back into Afghanistan and Iraq.

Lisa Chedekel and Matthew Kauffman of the Hartford Courant reported on this in Zoloft and a Rifle There is a long list on this report that includes stories like;

When Army Sgt. 1st Class Mark C. Warren was diagnosed with depression soon after his deployment to Iraq, a military doctor handed him a supply of the mood-altering drug Effexor.

Marine Pfc. Robert Allen Guy was given Zoloft to relieve the depression he developed in Iraq.

And Army Pfc. Melissa Hobart was dutifully taking the Celexa she was prescribed to ease the anxiety of being separated from her young daughter while in Baghdad.

The common sense that has been missing in this country has supported therapy over medication since medication numbs but does not heal.

By the time these veterans turn chronic, they will more than likely be on medications the rest of their lives if they end up seeking treatment but they will not get enough help to heal.

As for the stigma think of it this way. When reports state that less than half of the veterans needing help for PTSD seek it, we need to wonder why. Considering if they do get diagnosed with service-connected PTSD, they get financial compensation along with free medical care, just as any other service related disability. Topping off this fact we also have hacks suggesting that veterans file claims for PTSD just for the money. Yep, after all these years.

Elspeth Cameron Ritchie wrote on Battleland that "to give automatically 50% disability for one particular diagnosis creates a major incentive to get that diagnosis — and keep it.

"To get that diagnosis and keep it?" First that would imply doctors just decide that they do not have to provide any medical evidence that the veteran has PTSD. Next that would also imply veterans are willing to endure taking medications that can make them feel worse on top of accepting this diagnosis on their medical records that will stay with them the rest of their lives during a time when most still think the diagnosis of PTSD means they are defective. The stigma is a lot stronger than the implied financial gain which is also a baseless claim considering if this was the case, you wouldn't see so many decide they'd rather "suck it up" and get on with their lives the best they can instead of filing claims, waiting for months if not years while fighting the VA to have their claim approved.

Common sense on PTSD is gone and will be AWOL as long as people get away with just claiming what they want, when they want and reporters don't know enough to ask the right questions.