Anyone know these terms?
Can anyone tell me what these mean? The only one I think I know for sure is male SA = sexual abuse? What are "PTSD, DD, Male RTS and male SA" and is there another one, "DID"?
Hi Lostnlonelyme --
Let me introduce myself, I'm 'babs' and the wife of an SA survivor. I've been married to 'getteddie' for 22 years today!
We have only been on this emotional roller coaster for about a year because he had repressed the SA trauma for 40 years, but I'm well versed in the professional jargon.
PTSD = Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
DD = Dissociative Disorder
Male RTS = Male Rape Trauma Syndrome
DID = Dissociative Identity Disorder
I'll post later and describe meanings as best I can.
Another Partner in Pain,
babs
Let me introduce myself, I'm 'babs' and the wife of an SA survivor. I've been married to 'getteddie' for 22 years today!
We have only been on this emotional roller coaster for about a year because he had repressed the SA trauma for 40 years, but I'm well versed in the professional jargon. PTSD = Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
DD = Dissociative Disorder
Male RTS = Male Rape Trauma Syndrome
DID = Dissociative Identity Disorder
I'll post later and describe meanings as best I can.
Another Partner in Pain,
babs
This isn't silentnomore but his wife, who's been corresponding with Babs also.
I can talk about PTSD. It's an anxiety-related problem which is usually characterized by flashbacks, disturbing recollections of a trauma, nightmares, hypervigilance, and an increased startle response (most of my work is in the area of disability, so I've gotten to know some of this). In my work, we often see it in Vietnam veterans. Various sensory stimulants might cause flashbacks. For example, I've seen cases with vets who had flashbacks after smelling freshly cut grass or gasoline or after hearing helicopters. Accident victims often have flashbacks or nightmares of an accident.
I don't know too much about DD or DID yet, although there have been posts here by guys who have discussed these.
I can talk about PTSD. It's an anxiety-related problem which is usually characterized by flashbacks, disturbing recollections of a trauma, nightmares, hypervigilance, and an increased startle response (most of my work is in the area of disability, so I've gotten to know some of this). In my work, we often see it in Vietnam veterans. Various sensory stimulants might cause flashbacks. For example, I've seen cases with vets who had flashbacks after smelling freshly cut grass or gasoline or after hearing helicopters. Accident victims often have flashbacks or nightmares of an accident.
I don't know too much about DD or DID yet, although there have been posts here by guys who have discussed these.
Lost --
My descriptions of these terms come from my personal understanding through my readings.
DID used to be called Multiple Personality Disorder. This is generally considered to be the result of great trauma at a very early age (less than 6 YO) while child/pesonality is still actively developing. It is a coping mechanism in which the child cannot handle the real life situation (too scary) so they retreat inward and create another personality that is safe. Many DID individual have several such 'alters' or 'littles'.
DD is the ability to mentally remove oneself from what is happening around you. Again it is generally a coping mechanism to deal with trauma. Older children and adults use this to emotionally distance themselves from painful and terrifying experiences also described as “spacing out”.
Rape is a total loss of control over even the insides of one's own body, resulting in feelings of utter vulnerability and powerlessness. This makes control and power key psychological issues for all rape survivors.
Male RTS consists of a number of additional serious injuries/issues specific to the male gender which add greatly to the traumatization of being raped.
Excerpts below are from https://www.spr.org/
(1) Men are generally brought up to expect internal inviolability. They are expected to be able to defend themselves against attack. They have been socialized to consider total helplessness incompatible with masculinity and thus intolerable.
(2) There is the perception that the victim's sexual identity as a male has been compromised or even demolished and reversed.
(3) The third major injury, for heterosexual survivors, is often related to manhood issues, and results from peers who spread the unfounded belief that the victim's sexual orientation is compromised or even transformed by his involuntary experience.
Resulting symptoms appear in stages and problems of each stage can include:
Stage 1 –
suicide attempts, self-damaging behavior, or violently aggressive compensatory behavior , Nightmares and sleep disturbances are common. Shame, humiliation, and embarassment are characteristic. The ability to concentrate may be lost and dissociation ("spacing out") become frequent. Memory may be impaired. Victim tends to be numb, withdrawn, talks slowly or inaudibly if at all, and denies or disbelieves the experience.
Stage 2 –
self-worthlessness or self-contempt, self-blame for the victimization, sense of being a failure, various forms of shame, severe depression, homophobic panic, anxiety, extreme insecurity, obsession with body areas involved in the rape, restlessness, urge to escape, compulsive movement, other compulsive behaviors, inability to trust (including those who are trying to help), disturbances in sexual functioning, resistance to intimacy of any kind, ambivalence towards females, fear of males, fear of being or going "crazy", fear of persecution, cynicism, social isolation, loss of motivation, anger, and rage. Personal boundaries are confused, and relationships chaotic and conflicted.
The victim often develops a marked suppression of feelings combined with an attempt to "carry on like normal." The suppression period can last for many years, even decades.
Stage 3 –
The suppressed rage resurfaces and may be accompanied by violent behavior, obsession with vengence or with the rape experience itself, belligerence towards all holders of power , disturbing sexual fantasies, phobias, substance abuse, disruption of social life, self-destructive behavior and revictimization, lifestyle disorganization, antisocial and criminal activity, and aggressive assertion of masculinity, including the commission of rape on others.
Stage 4 –
Involves a partial or complete resolution of these issues and a reintegration of the self which allows the past victimization to recede in importance, though traces will remain for the rest of his life.
This looks like I'm guilty of TMI. Too Much Information.
Praying for stage 4, someday.
babs
My descriptions of these terms come from my personal understanding through my readings.
DID used to be called Multiple Personality Disorder. This is generally considered to be the result of great trauma at a very early age (less than 6 YO) while child/pesonality is still actively developing. It is a coping mechanism in which the child cannot handle the real life situation (too scary) so they retreat inward and create another personality that is safe. Many DID individual have several such 'alters' or 'littles'.
DD is the ability to mentally remove oneself from what is happening around you. Again it is generally a coping mechanism to deal with trauma. Older children and adults use this to emotionally distance themselves from painful and terrifying experiences also described as “spacing out”.
Rape is a total loss of control over even the insides of one's own body, resulting in feelings of utter vulnerability and powerlessness. This makes control and power key psychological issues for all rape survivors.
Male RTS consists of a number of additional serious injuries/issues specific to the male gender which add greatly to the traumatization of being raped.
Excerpts below are from https://www.spr.org/
(1) Men are generally brought up to expect internal inviolability. They are expected to be able to defend themselves against attack. They have been socialized to consider total helplessness incompatible with masculinity and thus intolerable.
(2) There is the perception that the victim's sexual identity as a male has been compromised or even demolished and reversed.
(3) The third major injury, for heterosexual survivors, is often related to manhood issues, and results from peers who spread the unfounded belief that the victim's sexual orientation is compromised or even transformed by his involuntary experience.
Resulting symptoms appear in stages and problems of each stage can include:
Stage 1 –
suicide attempts, self-damaging behavior, or violently aggressive compensatory behavior , Nightmares and sleep disturbances are common. Shame, humiliation, and embarassment are characteristic. The ability to concentrate may be lost and dissociation ("spacing out") become frequent. Memory may be impaired. Victim tends to be numb, withdrawn, talks slowly or inaudibly if at all, and denies or disbelieves the experience.
Stage 2 –
self-worthlessness or self-contempt, self-blame for the victimization, sense of being a failure, various forms of shame, severe depression, homophobic panic, anxiety, extreme insecurity, obsession with body areas involved in the rape, restlessness, urge to escape, compulsive movement, other compulsive behaviors, inability to trust (including those who are trying to help), disturbances in sexual functioning, resistance to intimacy of any kind, ambivalence towards females, fear of males, fear of being or going "crazy", fear of persecution, cynicism, social isolation, loss of motivation, anger, and rage. Personal boundaries are confused, and relationships chaotic and conflicted.
The victim often develops a marked suppression of feelings combined with an attempt to "carry on like normal." The suppression period can last for many years, even decades.
Stage 3 –
The suppressed rage resurfaces and may be accompanied by violent behavior, obsession with vengence or with the rape experience itself, belligerence towards all holders of power , disturbing sexual fantasies, phobias, substance abuse, disruption of social life, self-destructive behavior and revictimization, lifestyle disorganization, antisocial and criminal activity, and aggressive assertion of masculinity, including the commission of rape on others.
Stage 4 –
Involves a partial or complete resolution of these issues and a reintegration of the self which allows the past victimization to recede in importance, though traces will remain for the rest of his life.
This looks like I'm guilty of TMI. Too Much Information.
Praying for stage 4, someday.
babs