-Caveat Lector- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: the invisible injury by David Kinchin "This is the book I so badly wanted to read when I was traumatised." David Kinchin, Author David Kinchin's reassuring and sensitively-written book validates, explains and relieves the silent unseen suffering of trauma. "Trauma survivors will feel vindicated, supported and reassured by reading this keynote book." Dr Gordon Turnbull, PTSD Treatment Unit, Ticehurst House Hospital, Sussex, UK The only book in the world, we believe, written by a former PTSD sufferer for PTSD sufferers (and their families, carers and professionals) I'm a 27 year old woman with PTSD and ADD. I just wanted to tell you that the book, "Invisible Injury" is the perfect title for a book that deals with PTSD. So few people understand it unless they've been through something traumatic themselves. (D Williamson) I want to thank you for your life-saving information. It helped me realize that I HAVE been injured and am not going crazy. (V Lyttle, Texas) "Most people will survive a major trauma but many do not believe this. David Kinchin's compassionate and informative contribution will help them." Suzanna Rose, Institute of Psychiatry Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a natural emotional reaction to a deeply shocking and disturbing experience. A former sufferer of PTSD, David Kinchin tells his story and those of ten others. He describes in plain language what it is like to suffer from PTSD and explains all the complications the disorder can include. The causes of PTSD range from a single major life-threatening incident (eg war, act of violence, accident, disaster, etc) to a prolonged series of events (eg bullying, harassment, abuse, violent partner, attending road traffic accidents, fires and disasters etc). PTSD has been recognised since at least the sixth century BC and has been given many names including shell shock, war neurosis, soldier's heart, gross stress reaction, transient situation disturbance, tunnel disease, railway spine disorder, combat stress, combat fatigue, battle fatigue, stress breakdown, adjustment reaction of adult life, post-Vietnam syndrome, traumatic neurosis, rape trauma syndrome, child abuse syndrome, battered wife syndrome and Buffalo Creek syndrome. The name Post Traumatic Stress Disorder first appeared in 1980 in DSM-III, the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Third Edition. The diagnosis was updated in 1994 in the latest edition, DSM-IV . Tim Field prefers the term "psychiatric injury" to "mental disorder". In World War 1, PTSD (then called shell shock) was labelled by British Army officers as "cowardice" and "desertion" often as a pretext for shooting their own men (306 were so executed - see separate page); in World War II it was labelled by the UK Royal Air Force as "lack of moral fibre" or "LMF". Today in the workplace it is often labelled as "stress". In each instance there is a deliberate inference that it is the individual's inability to cope; in truth, the designation is more likely to be a projection of the accuser's own inadequacy. In the UK, almost a million people are suffering the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Now surveys suggest as many as 14 million people are bullied at work; as a result, many more people are suffering symptoms of PTSD. Whilst we can all recognise physical violence and the injuries and damage it causes, we are less good at recognising psychological violence (bullying) and the psychiatric injury it causes. When psychiatric injury is caused by conditions in the workplace, the diagnosis is usually "stress" and "anxiety"; however, most employees are unaware that their ill health symptoms collectively are PTSD or that the cause of their stress is bullying. The symptoms of PTSD include: sleep problems including nightmares and waking early flashbacks and replays which you are unable to switch off impaired memory, forgetfulness inability to concentrate hypervigilance (feels like but is not paranoia) exaggerated startle response irritability, sudden intense anger and occasional violent outbursts panic attacks hypersensitivity - almost every remark is perceived as critical obsessiveness - the experience takes over your life, you can't get it out of your mind joint and muscle pains with no obvious cause feelings of nervousness and anxiety depression (reactive, not endogenous) excessive shame, embarrassment and guilt undue fear low self-esteem and low self-confidence emotional numbness (inability to feel love or joy) detachment avoidance of anything that reminds you of the experience physical and mental paralysis at any reminder of the experience Further symptoms of chronic stress and reasons for chronic fatigue are listed on the injury to health page. Few people realise that psychiatric injury can be even more devastating than physical injury; however, prospects for recovery are good, especially when you are in the company of fellow survivors or those with genuine insight, empathy and experience. Now David Kinchin shares the knowledge and insight gained from his own experience in a unique book by a former PTSD sufferer for PTSD sufferers, showing you how to: put the experience behind you master the memory that remains take advantage of counselling use a simple technique to record recovery seek help and evaluate treatments recover by tackling the problem, not avoiding it Chapters 1. What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder? How many people suffer PTSD? PTSD and the UK disaster era 1985-1990 (Heysel, Hillsborough, Hungerford, Herald of Free Enterprise, Piper Alpha, Marchioness, etc). 2. Personal stories - follow the progress of eleven people recovering from PTSD having experienced violence, rape, accident, bullying, ship sinking, suicide of friend, etc 3. Symptoms. The six criteria required for a diagnosis of PTSD. 4. Families, friends and faith. The reactions and support of those around the sufferer. 5. Complications. Panic, depression, drug abuse, adverse publicity, ignorance of PTSD, relapses in recovery, measuring progress in recovery. 6. PTSD and bullying. David Kinchin's and Tim Field's books are, to my knowledge, the only books in the world that map the collective symptoms of psychiatric injury caused by bullying onto PTSD. 7. PTSD in children. Characteristics of PTSD unique to children. Not only adults suffer PTSD. Aberfan, Romania, Bosnia, Ethiopia. Children are the forgotten victims, not only of hunger, disease, injury, abuse, malnutrition, and starvation, but also often a lifetime of unrecognised and undiagnosed trauma. 8. PTSD and physical or sexual abuse. Betrayal of trust and its effect on relationships. 9. PTSD and terrorism. The eight crucial Do's and Don'ts when helping victims of terrorism. 10. People who can help. From professionals to fellow sufferers. Recording and measuring rate of recovery. 11. Treatments. An overview from drugs to counselling and therapy. 12. Personal stories. Progress of the eleven people featured. 13. Legal actions. Pursuing compensation through the courts. 14. The future. Final update on the eleven cases. References and further reading. Index. Reassuring and essential reading for survivors of: accident disaster violence rape and incest bullying and harassment physical and sexual abuse crime abduction kidnap and hostage situations terrorism war torture bereavement trauma and their rescuers, relatives, carers, counsellors, therapists, etc. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. 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