Comments on: Defusing the Brain Bomb (Part II)

By: Bradley

Bradley — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:22:04 +0000

Ash, I’m happy to hear a person committed who plans to help others. Way to go and much gratitude.

By: Catatonic Kid

Catatonic Kid — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:50:25 +0000

That’s awesome, Ash =)
We seem to know just enough for it to be a v. exciting field, and not quite enough that there aren’t huge discoveries right on the horizon.

By: ClinicallyClueless

ClinicallyClueless — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:27:22 +0000

@Ash. That would be great to included PTSD. It is facinating how the neuropathways get grooved in with trauma and then the flashbacks set them in further. My understanding is that you can’t change to groove, but you can form new neuropathways to lessen or remove the symptoms. I’m glad you have dreams of doing this and hope others do too…like now.

By: Ash

Ash — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:46:32 +0000

One day, CK, I will be doing research in this very field… I want to focus more on mood disorders– such as BPI & BPII & major depression– but if I can throw some research on anxiety stuff in the mix, then PTSD will be covered, too.

One day…

By: Catatonic Kid

Catatonic Kid — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:05:35 +0000

Yes, probably but it’s by way of a happy accident I reckon. The meds they currently use, off-label, to treat PTSD (antipsychotics, beta blockers, a couple of older generation antidepressants and mirtazapine) are about symptom management, rather than treating the cause or designed to act to prevent further ingraining the traumatic response. Interestingly enough the beta blocker commonly used to treat PTSD (Inderal) is also used to prevent migraines – so again w. the possibility of a link.

I’m hoping that if the similarities are there between these neurological events then they’ll be able to target and treat the causative mechanisms behind flashbacks, as they do with Depression, migraines etc. It seems like there should be at least one medication specific to PTSD treatment by now.

By: ClinicallyClueless

ClinicallyClueless — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:33:33 +0000

I am taking an antipsychotic partly for the anxiety and intensity of my flashbacks. However, I am not psychotic. This goes in line with what you are thinking about hallucinations/auras and flashbacks…I think? Or am I hallucinating.

By: Catatonic Kid

Catatonic Kid — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:25:16 +0000

That’s enough, I should think, LouCeeL!

It’s so true though – PTSD costs society, and individuals all too dearly. It’s bad enough that it went unrecognised for so long. I mean you read the PTSD ‘bible’ by Judith Herman and you see how it has come into the fore of research and then been forgotten repeatedly over the past century or so. The least that can happen now, you’d think/hope, is that they’ll pour what resources are available into finding a rapid, long-term effective treatment. It has the public attention now so there’s no reason not to, especially in light of the sheer statistics we’re talking about. 1 in 5 Veterans at double the risk for it, and countless sexual assault, rape, natural disaster, terrorism, accident victims to boot.
I hope the pharmaceutical companies start paying attention to the statistics because there’s a whole lot of money to be made. Meds aren’t always the answer but gee it’d be nice if there was just one specifically for PTSD.

By: LouCeeL

LouCeeL — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 18:21:32 +0000

Yes, it would be helpful if the ‘desensitizing’ happened more quickly. If flashbacks could be dealt with sooner. It could save sanity, marriage, even life.

My PTSD cost me a marriage. And two kids. And a home. And countless hours of writing bad poetry. But that’s all. How many are in institutions? How many are in graves?