Is PTSD classed as a mental illness?
Is PTSD classed as a mental illness?
- Thread starterArchnut
- Start date
I found this on website about the DSM-IV, so I assume it is.
leosha
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
The patient has experienced or witnessed or was confronted with an unusually traumatic event that has both of these elements:
The event involved actual or threatened death or serious physical injury to the patient or to others, and
The patient felt intense fear, horror or helplessness*
The patient repeatedly relives the event in at least 1 of these ways:
-Intrusive, distressing recollections (thoughts, images)*
-Repeated, distressing dreams*
-Through flashbacks, hallucinations or illusions, acts or feels as if the event were recurring (includes experiences that occur when intoxicated or awakening)*
-Marked mental distress in reaction to internal or external cues that symbolize or resemble the event.
-Physiological reactivity (such as rapid heart beat, elevated blood pressure) in response to these cues
The patient repeatedly avoids the trauma-related stimuli and has numbing of general responsiveness (absent before the traumatic event) as shown by 3 or more of:
-Tries to avoid thoughts, feelings or conversations concerned with the event
-Tries to avoid activities, people or places that recall the event
-Cannot recall an important feature of the event
-Marked loss of interest or participation in activities important to the patient
-Feels detached or isolated from other people
-Restriction in ability to love or feel other strong emotions
-Feels life will be brief or unfulfilled (lack of marriage, job, children)
At least 2 of the following symptoms of hyperarousal were not present before the traumatic event:
-Insomnia (initial or interval)
-Irritability
-Poor concentration
-Hypervigilance
-Increased startle response
The above symptoms have lasted longer than one month.
These symptoms cause clinically important distress or impair work, social or personal functioning.
Specify whether:
Acute. Symptoms have lasted less than 3 months
Chronic. Symptoms have lasted 3 months or longer
Specify if:
With Delayed Onset. The symptoms did not appear until at least 6 months after the event.
Coding note
*In children, response to the traumatic event may be agitation or disorganized behavior. Young children may relive the event through repetitive play, trauma-specific reenactment or nightmares without recognizable content.
leosha
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
The patient has experienced or witnessed or was confronted with an unusually traumatic event that has both of these elements:
The event involved actual or threatened death or serious physical injury to the patient or to others, and
The patient felt intense fear, horror or helplessness*
The patient repeatedly relives the event in at least 1 of these ways:
-Intrusive, distressing recollections (thoughts, images)*
-Repeated, distressing dreams*
-Through flashbacks, hallucinations or illusions, acts or feels as if the event were recurring (includes experiences that occur when intoxicated or awakening)*
-Marked mental distress in reaction to internal or external cues that symbolize or resemble the event.
-Physiological reactivity (such as rapid heart beat, elevated blood pressure) in response to these cues
The patient repeatedly avoids the trauma-related stimuli and has numbing of general responsiveness (absent before the traumatic event) as shown by 3 or more of:
-Tries to avoid thoughts, feelings or conversations concerned with the event
-Tries to avoid activities, people or places that recall the event
-Cannot recall an important feature of the event
-Marked loss of interest or participation in activities important to the patient
-Feels detached or isolated from other people
-Restriction in ability to love or feel other strong emotions
-Feels life will be brief or unfulfilled (lack of marriage, job, children)
At least 2 of the following symptoms of hyperarousal were not present before the traumatic event:
-Insomnia (initial or interval)
-Irritability
-Poor concentration
-Hypervigilance
-Increased startle response
The above symptoms have lasted longer than one month.
These symptoms cause clinically important distress or impair work, social or personal functioning.
Specify whether:
Acute. Symptoms have lasted less than 3 months
Chronic. Symptoms have lasted 3 months or longer
Specify if:
With Delayed Onset. The symptoms did not appear until at least 6 months after the event.
Coding note
*In children, response to the traumatic event may be agitation or disorganized behavior. Young children may relive the event through repetitive play, trauma-specific reenactment or nightmares without recognizable content.
Hi Arch,
I know how you feel. I have my own favorite pet peeves about labels.
Anyway, the plus side to this one is that before there was a description of symptoms called PTSD, there were shaming descriptions of men who were too "chicken" to go right back into battle after being wounded. Naming this condition Post Traumatic Stress Disorder validated the symptoms that people feel after an assault, and continue to feel when triggered, and tries to educate the non-believers that we're not "faking" it for attention or something stupid like that.
Our nervous systems have been messed with and we react to stuff more quickly and automatically than non-assaulted people do. Giving it a name is a good thing in some ways yet feels bad when others use it to shame us even more. It isn't a disorder of the "mind" ie. "mental". It's in the family of anxiety disorders which makes it about the "nervous" system.
Just to check in on this issue, my favorite one is the word "sick". It's fine to use it about having the flu but it's the ultimate shaming word for me when used about an emotional problem like "boy is he sick"! I always say "I'm not sick, I'm in pain"! Then I tell them to @*!@ off!
Taz
I know how you feel. I have my own favorite pet peeves about labels.
Anyway, the plus side to this one is that before there was a description of symptoms called PTSD, there were shaming descriptions of men who were too "chicken" to go right back into battle after being wounded. Naming this condition Post Traumatic Stress Disorder validated the symptoms that people feel after an assault, and continue to feel when triggered, and tries to educate the non-believers that we're not "faking" it for attention or something stupid like that.
Our nervous systems have been messed with and we react to stuff more quickly and automatically than non-assaulted people do. Giving it a name is a good thing in some ways yet feels bad when others use it to shame us even more. It isn't a disorder of the "mind" ie. "mental". It's in the family of anxiety disorders which makes it about the "nervous" system.
Just to check in on this issue, my favorite one is the word "sick". It's fine to use it about having the flu but it's the ultimate shaming word for me when used about an emotional problem like "boy is he sick"! I always say "I'm not sick, I'm in pain"! Then I tell them to @*!@ off!
Taz
I have a problem with the labeling. Insurance companies force therapists to make a diagnosis in order to get paid. To give you an example about the "pathologizing" of problems, consider this.
A couple comes in to see me because he's cheated on her and got caught. They want marital therapy to work on their relationship. While maybe one could say he was crazy or stupid to have an affair, would you say that he was mentally ill? There is no mental illness or pathology here, but in order for me to get paid, I have to come up with a diagnosis to make the insurance company happy.
A lot of times it is a stretch to label someone in this situation with an acceptable diagnosis. I might have to give him an anxiety disorder or depression diagnosis to make it fit when all it is is poor communication and breach of trust (and all that goes with it). Mentally ill, hardly. But that's often the case.
This is especially a pain for treating victim issues. Few survivors I've seen over the years are mentally ill (by my definition). I usually give a PTSD diagnosis because I think it is less stigmatizing that a diagnosis that might be inferred as a "mental illness". Even in these situations, it is often a stretch to go with PTSD. If you read the definition that Leosha wrote, do you fit the category?
In other words, don't assume that because a therapist has to put a diagnosis there it is because you are "mentally ill". It may just be to be sure you are covered by insurance.
Ken
A couple comes in to see me because he's cheated on her and got caught. They want marital therapy to work on their relationship. While maybe one could say he was crazy or stupid to have an affair, would you say that he was mentally ill? There is no mental illness or pathology here, but in order for me to get paid, I have to come up with a diagnosis to make the insurance company happy.
A lot of times it is a stretch to label someone in this situation with an acceptable diagnosis. I might have to give him an anxiety disorder or depression diagnosis to make it fit when all it is is poor communication and breach of trust (and all that goes with it). Mentally ill, hardly. But that's often the case.
This is especially a pain for treating victim issues. Few survivors I've seen over the years are mentally ill (by my definition). I usually give a PTSD diagnosis because I think it is less stigmatizing that a diagnosis that might be inferred as a "mental illness". Even in these situations, it is often a stretch to go with PTSD. If you read the definition that Leosha wrote, do you fit the category?
In other words, don't assume that because a therapist has to put a diagnosis there it is because you are "mentally ill". It may just be to be sure you are covered by insurance.
Ken
I like what Taz says because I hate labels too. I also understand what Ken says.
But labels sometimes do have thier place. At least here in the U.S., I am recognized as a person with a disablity. That gives me protection against housing and employment discrimination.
But I like the "I'm not sick, I'm in pain!"
Marc
But labels sometimes do have thier place. At least here in the U.S., I am recognized as a person with a disablity. That gives me protection against housing and employment discrimination.
But I like the "I'm not sick, I'm in pain!"
Marc
Archnut - I've been told that I have PTSD...the same person told me that I am not mentally ill..... I don't know?!
I was told that if I was mentally ill, I wouldn't know that I was, therefore I'm not, because I thought I was?!?!
Sometimes I think the people that make these comments think differently about things than we do (or have different issues)!
It makes me feel nuts just reading back what they/I have said....I'm not though!
Rik
I was told that if I was mentally ill, I wouldn't know that I was, therefore I'm not, because I thought I was?!?!
Sometimes I think the people that make these comments think differently about things than we do (or have different issues)!
It makes me feel nuts just reading back what they/I have said....I'm not though!
Rik