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Buddhist way of dealing with Post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD.

hermitwinhermitwin Veteran
edited March 2011 in Buddhism Today
Ven Anando, veteran of Vietnam war wrote this;
Its very nice to have a label. But how to make it go away.
I know from years of experience that as long as there is resistance
to fear, then it has power over us. Mettabhavana is wonderful when
dealing with such conditions.

Comments

  • SkyLotusSkyLotus
    Interesting concept, here! Resisting fear certainly is what holds us to that stressful situation, and even if we survive something traumatic, we still wonder about the 'what ifs' or constantly re-live the situation in our minds. (At least that's how it was for me for a very long time). Accepting that I will eventually die regardless was something that really helped me with my PTSD, although, I still haven't entirely accepted it.
  • SherabDorjeSherabDorje
    There are therapies that include mindfulness techniques as part of therapy for PTSD and Complex PTSD. I would guess that it depends on the severity of the symptoms, but mindfulness seems to help deal with the negative emotions that arise.

    PTSD is a serious illness, however, and I would think mindfulness would not be the only technique used in treating it. I would say it should only be tried with a qualified therapist or mindfulness teacher because of the severity of the symptoms.
  • fivebellsfivebells Veteran
    I was coming over here to say "cultivate metta", too.
  • SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
    My wife Sarah has been diagnosed with Complex PTSD and, although I worked with people suffering classic PTSD from the police service for a number of years, I find it hard to be of real use.
  • DakiniDakini Veteran
    edited March 2011
    There are several very effective treatments for PTSD that don't require years of therapy. One is called "Somatic Experiencing", another is EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). EMDR was tested on Vietnam vets in the US back in the 70's or 80's and found to be a resounding success. It saves lives, and shifts people from zombiehood to happy, functional human beings in just a few treatments. For less severe PTSD, an acupuncture treatment called "7 Dragons" (old Taoist treatment) is quick, easy and cheap, if you can find an acupuncturist who knows it. I've had the 7 Dragons treatment for PTSD after a car accident, and I can vouch for it. No more symptoms, no recurrences, ever. PM me if you want to discuss any of these modalities more.
  • TekchefTekchef
    There are therapies that include mindfulness techniques as part of therapy for PTSD and Complex PTSD. I would guess that it depends on the severity of the symptoms, but mindfulness seems to help deal with the negative emotions that arise.

    PTSD is a serious illness, however, and I would think mindfulness would not be the only technique used in treating it. I would say it should only be tried with a qualified therapist or mindfulness teacher because of the severity of the symptoms.
    I agree with this. I think that if a person were to see a qualified therapist and work with a mindfulness/meditation teacher together, the results could be great. Dealing with such stress is not easy..my father and step father to this day still show signs of PTSD because of their experiences in Vietnam..they both still need professional counsuling. My step-father might be open to the idea of Meditation/Mindfullness as he is intersted in what I am doing now with Buddhism, so I am going to refer him to the Monastary near where he lives to work with them.
  • buddhajunkiebuddhajunkie

    The U.S. military seems to be behind meditation:

    http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1920753,00.html
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