To understand a bit more about PTSD, Karen J. Erickson, an alternative health practitioner, answers some questions for us. Karen is founder of the Enlightened Healing Center and is a certified hynotherapist, Reiki master teacher, Quantum Touch practitioner, Shaman, Kahuna ARCH (Ancient Rainbow Conscious Healing) practitioner, Animal communicator, Therapeutic Touch practitioner, Emotional Release Technique, NLP ractitioner, Light, Sound & Color Therapy, AuraMed Biopulsar-Reflexograph practitioner & as a Medicine Wheel practitioner. She is also a practitioner with Chicagohealers.co.

Marijke Durning: PTSD can affect anyone who experiences a traumatic event. Are there people who can be more easily affected than others – in other words, is there a way that you can pinpoint who may be at higher risk of developing PTSD?

Karen Erickson: Children and teenagers, mentally disabled, people who are more socially isolated, who don’t have a good support group, people with emotional, such as depression, and substance abuse issues, people who have been exposed to long duration of extreme stress, babies of mother who had PTSD during pregnancy and people with a family history of depression.  The highest incidence of PTSD is among people who have been raped, military personnel who have been in combat or held captive, and people who have experience political genocide or internment.

MD: How is it that some people experience the effects of PTSD long after the event or events may have occurred?

KE: Many times, it takes another event (loss of a loved one or job, extreme stress at work or home) that creates these feelings of being unsafe and triggers the PTSD, which is really coming from a long time ago.  Their coping threshold for handling stress has exceeded what it can handle.  It is these unresolved traumas in the unconscious mind that create the reaction.  The person having the PTSD may not know that it is coming from a long time ago.

MD: Is there a difference in the number of men versus women who develop PTSD?

KE: Yes, women are twice as likely to develop PTSD than men.

MD: Can PTSD be associated with other mental disorders and if so, are there any more common than others?

KE: Yes, there are many which can either precede, emerge concurrently, or follow the PTSD.

Panic Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder are the most common.   Substance Related Disorders, Agoraphobia, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Social Phobia, Specific Phobia, and Bipolar Disorder are some of the others.

copyright Marijke Vroomen-Durning

MD: What can someone do if they believe a loved one is experiencing PTSD? Is there anything he or she can do to help?

KE: It is important that they feel safe, loved and supported.  The more you can help them feel this way, the better they will do.  So spend time with them and show them love and support.  It is important that their environment is peaceful, loving and stress free.

Pets can really help the person de-stress, feel better and loved.  Let them know you are willing to listen to them and just listen when they talk about it.  Don’t push them to talk about it, let them do that on their own time and don’t react when they do.  Just hold a loving and supported space for them to talk without judgment.  Help them refocus their attention when their symptoms start to appear to break the cycle.

Get them on a healthy diet full of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids to promote good mental health or have them see a natural health practitioner.  Encourage professional or spiritual help, meditation, yoga, Reiki or other types of energy healings or natural therapies.

MD: What are the most common treatments for PTSD?

KE: Most common treatments are psychotherapy, group therapy, medication, hypnotherapy, and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing).  Also, meditation, spiritual studies and practice and yoga can help.

MD: What is the prognosis for someone with PTSD?

KE: Usually pretty good.  Symptoms can start to improve quickly with the onset of treatment, especially if you work with someone that helps you release the trauma and be at peace with it, like a hypnotherapist, instead of just treating the symptoms.

MD: Is there a way to prevent PTSD?

KE: The most important thing is to get help right after the event happened and to not be isolated.  It is important to talk about it, express your feelings, and work with a spiritual or traditional councilor, or a hypnotherapist, who uses tools or methods to work with you to help put the truama into a different perspective, so you can release it and become desensitized to the event.

MD: What can you do for someone who you know has gone through something very traumatic but won’t respond to any offers of help?

KE: In this case, the way you can help her besides being supportive and spending time with her is by encouraging her to raise her consciousness and spiritually grow.  If she likes to read or listen to books on tape, buy her some books that would help her shift her belief systems, help her grow and evolve.  You can also get her guided meditation CD’s that help you release issues, balance chakras, or receive spiritual guidance.

Meditation can help her raise her consciousness and stay balanced.  Another option is getting her gift certificate at a Healing Center (like mine) for reflexology or massage with essential oils or with one of our energy healers.  The trauma is stored in the body as dense stagnant energy.  Energy healings or body work with essential oils helps heal the physical, mental, emotional and causal (spiritual) energy fields of the body and can move this energy and help her release or shift it.

If she has any health issues (allergies, PMS, etc.), you can take her to a PSE (Psychsomatic Energetics) Practitioner (this is one of things I do).  The Practitioner can help them identify and heal unconscious issues through this system using a very special type of homeopathics and testing equipment.  PSE brings mind, body and spirit back in balance, raises consciousness and changes belief systems.  You could also take her to seminars or conferences with inspirational speakers.

So, help her by introducing her to the tools, services or people who can help her grow and evolve and then, step back and see if she is ready to do so and honor her choice.  As the old saying goes, “when the student is ready the teacher will appear”…when she is ready…you’ll know.  Many times people have to go down the difficult path before they are ready to heal.

Thank you Karen for a very enlightening interview!

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Images: StockXchng.com, Marijke Vroomen-Durning

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Alternative Health, PTSD & Karen Erickson

According to a company press release , “The approval was supported by two placebo-controlled Phase III clinical studies comparing Fanapt(TM) to placebo and active control in patients with schizophrenia, as well as safety data from more than 3,000 patients.”

Schizophrenia is a fairly common mental illness, estimated to strike one out of every 100 people in North America. While all mental illness is devastating, schizophrenia seems particularly so because it strikes in the prime young adult years, from late teens to mid-20s.

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Image: Newscom

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FDA approves new schizophrenia med

One drug, Topamax, reportedly “reduced the number of days on which alcoholics drank heavily” more than with just therapy alone. Topamax is currently used to treat epilepsy and migraines. Another study says people that took naltrexone and attended therapy were more likely to stay clean, and drink less when they did fall off the wagon.

Obviously, these results are preliminary and much more research is needed. But any strides in the treatment of addiction are a good thing.

Image: sxc.hu.

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Addiction Pill

Depression, women and heart disease.  I have written about this so many times in the past. Our emotional and physical self all works as one. Never be too proud to admit when it is time to seek help for depression.

Symptoms of depression include:

• Loss of interest in normal daily activities
• Feeling sad or down
• Feeling hopeless
• Crying spells for no apparent reason
• Problems sleeping
• Trouble focusing or concentrating
• Difficulty making decisions
• Unintentional weight gain or loss
• Irritability
• Restlessness
• Being easily annoyed
• Feeling fatigued or weak
• Feeling worthless
• Loss of interest in sex

Learning to control our emotions as women will help our heart health and decrease our risk of heart disease.

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Depression and the increased risk of heart disease in women

“There is good evidence that if a person has depression after a heart attack, they are more likely to die from cardiac causes in the following months and years,” said lead author Jeff Huffman, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

Aside from obvious life altering changes in diet and exercise-  mental health needs to be addressed as well. These findings would also suggest that physicians and clinicians also need to keep a close eye on persons with heart disease or risk factors.

via Science Daily

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Depression increases risk of complications post heart attack

Increased risk of heart disease due to depression is right on the mark and is a vicious cycle indeed. Depression medications lead to weight gain, food cravings and feelings of lethargy. Feelings of lethargy lead to a sedentary and less than “healthy” lifestyle. And a round and around we go!

How do we break the cycle? The more depressed one is the higher the chance of being a smoker, less physical activity and more calories are consumed on a daily basis.

And if depression is not enough, here comes the link between anxiety and heart disease- this is very tongue in cheek. Anxiety increases your heart attack risk by 30-40%… but don’t worry over it!

The role of anxiety in hiking heart attack risk also goes beyond the effects of depression, anger, hostility, Type A behavior and other negative emotions. “These psychological factors are important in predicting the risk of heart disease, but anxiety is unique,” Dr. Shen said. “Older men with sustained and pervasive anxiety appear to be at increased risk for a heart attack even after their levels of depression, anger, hostility and Type A behavior are considered.”

Do you are feel sad or know someone that is depressed after their MI, reach out and ask if they want to talk, or open up yourself. There is nothing weak, or crazy about depression, especially after a life changing event such as this. Do you agree?

A study by the University of Alberta and McGill University found that 14.3 percent of women had worsening depression one year after their initial myocardial infarctions. Eleven percent of men studied had a similar experience.

Our emotional wellbeing is just as important as our physical self. We need to remember to connect with others and reach out to deal with all of our feelings and fears. It is so important!

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Theme Day all about mental illness- Heart disease and depression/anxiety: it is directly related