One of the perils of trauma is that it can destroy a survivor’s sense of time. But when this happens, how can we help to restore it? Recently, I spoke with Bessel van der Kolk, MD, considered the world’s leading expert in post-traumatic stress. Watch below as Bessel explains how trauma affects our patients’ sense […]
Old Before Their Time: The Effect of PTSD on Children’s Telomeres
Stress and PTSD can take a toll on our bodies, minds, and spirits, resulting in damage that can age us before our time. That’s not an opinion − it’s been proven scientifically. It’s no secret that I love learning about telomeres, which are protective caps on the ends of chromosomes that keep them from deteriorating. […]
Leading Psychiatric Doctor Claims Re-labeling PTSD as PTSI will bring "Unintended Consequences"
Will re-naming Post Traumatic-Stress Disorder (PTSD) to Post-Traumatic Stress Injury (PTSI) help to reduce patient stigma?According to Matthew Friedman, MD, PhD, the answer is no. In our last post, I talked about whether or not we should drop the “disorder” from PTSD. Now, let’s get into the discussion the American Psychiatric Association is having. In […]
PTSD or PTS: Which to Use When Treating Trauma?
Did you know that only half of the soldiers with trauma are willing to seek treatment? Many are resistant because they do not want their symptoms to be labeled a “disorder”, as in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Can a name alone really be that powerful? According to Belleruth Naparstek, LISW, author of Invisible Heroes, there […]