Below are two articles about trying to treat PTSD and other issues related to trauma. In them you will find what some of us have known and said for decades. Here is my bottom line:
Fancy Drugs and Fancy Psychological Interventions do not work in many if not most situations. These conclusions have been in my mind and heart since I finished a Doctorate at University of Cincinnati in 1975.
The research I did indicated that, although some medications and some types of interventions might help Clients some, the very best kind of treatment is talking with another human who shows us Faith, Hope and Love.
Four of us from Life Way Counseling Centers went to Ground Zero two weeks after the Twin Towers fell. We interacted with the First Responders, Listened to the workers and prayed and cried with the friends and family members. It was powerful and emotionally draining.
Some of our colleagues adopted a program with an official and nice sounding name. It called people together in small groups and urged them to share their deepest feelings. The Psychologists loved it. They got to hear all kinds of feelings of terror and shame. The Clients got no better. In fact, many became more traumatized. The "Surgery was a Success but the Patient Died!" (An old cliche.)
What worked was love, faith and listening. Period. But that does not require a fancy theory or any medication. It requires us to be quiet and listen to the Client/Seeker and encourage them to get better.
Unfortunately, this research will be treated just like all the past research. It will be ignored because the drug companies and the Doctors will not make enough money if the tell the truth and listen to people. Some medications will help a Patient if they really have a Medical problem but most Psychological issues are not Medical. They are problems of thinking, living and choosing wisely. No drug will change that.
Got to article one Here.
Get article two here.
If you are having mental, emotional, relational and feeling problems, go to Life Way Counseling Centers. We help people think, feel and act with health.
1 comment:
These articles make perfect sense to me. The legal system forced me to go to counseling as an abused child when I was ten. I hated it. It only made things worse. In fact, I harbored issues from that life well into my adult years.
Nothing really "fixed" me until I found Christ 18 years later, and for the first time I was able to truly forgive and have even reestablished contact with my mother after many, many years of silence.
She's even come to Christ, and although I can't say our relationship is perfect; it's much better than it's ever been, but it's only because of Jesus.
I've become a follower of your blog. My blogs are Go Light!and Manifest Blog if you're interested.
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