WHY CRITICAL APPROACH?
This approach, as I see it, is opposite of the experiential approach. Instead of the focus being on how the patient reacts, lives and feels about his/her illness, critical approach incorporates the cultural history and the political, economic and social factors and how they portray the illness in today’s society and culture. So instead of being on the inside looking out, we’re now on the outside looking in.
HISTORY OF PTSD
As I said earlier, PTSD was made an official disorder in 1980. That has left decades of individuals that have suffered this disease without proper diagnosis or treatment. For example, Holocaust survivors, those part of pre and post the Jim Crow South and Blacks during the civil rights movement are some groups of people that would have had a high occurrence of PTSD, just to name a few. Steve Bentley wrote in an article that “three thousand years ago, an Egyptian combat veteran named Hori wrote about the feelings he experienced before going into battle. History tells us that among Egyptians, Romans and Greeks, men broke and ran in combat circumstances—in other words, the soldiers of antiquity were no less afraid of dying” (Bentley). As shown in this image, there were different names for PTSD like “soldier’s heart” and “railway spine”, the symptoms were similar. Just as the terminology has evolved, so has the disease and how its viewed by society
CULTURAL HISTORY
Historically, when people were diagnosed with PTSD like illnesses, they were underplayed and not considered to be as serious as it really was. In World War II, they started to realize it wasn’t just the “weak” that were breaking down. As a result of that they started doing psychological evaluations and instead of sending soldiers home, they would give them rest due to “battle fatigue.” After rest, they would be ready to go back to battle. Our culture was/is a culture of picking yourself up, dusting yourself off and advancing; we’re not a culture of laying down to rest and take care of ourselves, that is viewed as weak.
SOCIAL FACTORS
Studies show that people that have a stronger network are less likely to develop PTSD post traumatic occurrence. Dr. Yvette Stupart claims that this might be the high prevalence of PTSD in Vietnam veterans as when they returned they were met with little social support from society (Stupart). The connection is what also helps in recovery from trauma.
POLITICAL/ECONOMIC FACTORS
When the destabilization of the political and economic systems are presented, the ocurrance of PTSD is higher. Civil wars often result in forced migration, mass fatalities and violence. The idea of social political unrest and an upheavel in people’s environments and homes, results in a massive amount of stress which can lead to PTSD.
MEDICALIZED OR BIOMEDICALIZED?
I think PTSD is definitely medicalized. Sufferers are given pills (not all the time) to promote the idea that the pills were going to magically fix everything.
PTSD IN POP CULTURE
Today, PSTD is becoming more well known. I am hoping with social media which includes projects like the picture seen at the top of three US Marines which had their pictures taken pre-deployment, during their tour and after their return home. There are numerous artistic paths that people are taking with the help of technology and education.
This approach, as I see it, is opposite of the experiential approach. Instead of the focus being on how the patient reacts, lives and feels about his/her illness, critical approach incorporates the cultural history and the political, economic and social factors and how they portray the illness in today’s society and culture. So instead of being on the inside looking out, we’re now on the outside looking in.
HISTORY OF PTSD
As I said earlier, PTSD was made an official disorder in 1980. That has left decades of individuals that have suffered this disease without proper diagnosis or treatment. For example, Holocaust survivors, those part of pre and post the Jim Crow South and Blacks during the civil rights movement are some groups of people that would have had a high occurrence of PTSD, just to name a few. Steve Bentley wrote in an article that “three thousand years ago, an Egyptian combat veteran named Hori wrote about the feelings he experienced before going into battle. History tells us that among Egyptians, Romans and Greeks, men broke and ran in combat circumstances—in other words, the soldiers of antiquity were no less afraid of dying” (Bentley). As shown in this image, there were different names for PTSD like “soldier’s heart” and “railway spine”, the symptoms were similar. Just as the terminology has evolved, so has the disease and how its viewed by society
CULTURAL HISTORY
Historically, when people were diagnosed with PTSD like illnesses, they were underplayed and not considered to be as serious as it really was. In World War II, they started to realize it wasn’t just the “weak” that were breaking down. As a result of that they started doing psychological evaluations and instead of sending soldiers home, they would give them rest due to “battle fatigue.” After rest, they would be ready to go back to battle. Our culture was/is a culture of picking yourself up, dusting yourself off and advancing; we’re not a culture of laying down to rest and take care of ourselves, that is viewed as weak.
SOCIAL FACTORS
Studies show that people that have a stronger network are less likely to develop PTSD post traumatic occurrence. Dr. Yvette Stupart claims that this might be the high prevalence of PTSD in Vietnam veterans as when they returned they were met with little social support from society (Stupart). The connection is what also helps in recovery from trauma.
POLITICAL/ECONOMIC FACTORS
When the destabilization of the political and economic systems are presented, the ocurrance of PTSD is higher. Civil wars often result in forced migration, mass fatalities and violence. The idea of social political unrest and an upheavel in people’s environments and homes, results in a massive amount of stress which can lead to PTSD.
MEDICALIZED OR BIOMEDICALIZED?
I think PTSD is definitely medicalized. Sufferers are given pills (not all the time) to promote the idea that the pills were going to magically fix everything.
PTSD IN POP CULTURE
Today, PSTD is becoming more well known. I am hoping with social media which includes projects like the picture seen at the top of three US Marines which had their pictures taken pre-deployment, during their tour and after their return home. There are numerous artistic paths that people are taking with the help of technology and education.
REFERENCES
Ahmed, Ayesha S. "Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Resilience and Vulnerability." Advances in Psychiatric Treatment. January 1, 2007. Accessed August 14, 2014. http://apt.rcpsych.org/content/13/5/369.full.
Bentley, Steve. "A Short History of PTSD: From Thermopylae to Hue Soldiers Have Always Had A Disturbing Reaction To War." The Official Voice of Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc. April 1, 2005. Accessed August 8, 2014. http://www.vva.org/archive/TheVeteran/2005_03/feature_HistoryPTSD.htm.
"Mind Under Matter: PTSD." Pinterest. Accessed August 7, 2014. http://www.pinterest.com/adamsplacecrazy/mind-under-matter-ptsd/.
Stupart, PhD, Yvette. "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Understanding the Risk Factors." Hub Pages. Accessed August 14, 2014. http://purposeembraced.hubpages.com/hub/FactorsAssociatedWithIncreasedRiskofDevelopingPTSD.
Ahmed, Ayesha S. "Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Resilience and Vulnerability." Advances in Psychiatric Treatment. January 1, 2007. Accessed August 14, 2014. http://apt.rcpsych.org/content/13/5/369.full.
Bentley, Steve. "A Short History of PTSD: From Thermopylae to Hue Soldiers Have Always Had A Disturbing Reaction To War." The Official Voice of Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc. April 1, 2005. Accessed August 8, 2014. http://www.vva.org/archive/TheVeteran/2005_03/feature_HistoryPTSD.htm.
"Mind Under Matter: PTSD." Pinterest. Accessed August 7, 2014. http://www.pinterest.com/adamsplacecrazy/mind-under-matter-ptsd/.
Stupart, PhD, Yvette. "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Understanding the Risk Factors." Hub Pages. Accessed August 14, 2014. http://purposeembraced.hubpages.com/hub/FactorsAssociatedWithIncreasedRiskofDevelopingPTSD.