An injection of cortisol shortly after exposure to a traumatic event could prevent the onset of PTSD.

Prof. Joseph Zohar from the Sackler Medical School, Tel Aviv University, has found that an injection of cortisol shortly after exposure to a traumatic event could prevent the onset of PTSD.

What a brilliant idea! Why wait for symptoms of PTSD to debilitate a person when prevention can address and effectively eliminate the problem altogether. Further, as inoculated trauma victims are returned to their families and societies, they are more likely to be more productive, better able to cope with their home environments, and quicker to adjust to later possible traumas.

Dr. Zohar’s idea of an injection shortly after exposure could backfire for those people susceptible to cortisol build-up or who’s bodies don’t process cortisol well. Many overweight people have difficulty processing the stress hormone and thus their bodies collect body fat instead of dealing with stress properly.

I propose that those exposed to traumatic events instead, use a quick de-stress process like RET or EFT to better utilize the cortisol they already have. In those cases where cortisol injections might be especially useful, I propose they be accompanied by RET or EFT sessions so that the cortisol is better utilized.

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Trauma affects people in different ways.

A University at Buffalo study, published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, compared the progress of 3,000 people who took different approaches over two years following the 9/11 attacks. It found people initially unwilling to talk were less likely to be adversely affected by the trauma two years later.

“We should be telling people there is likely nothing wrong if they do not want to express their thoughts and feelings after experiencing a collective trauma. In fact, they can cope quite successfully and, according to our results, are likely to be better off than someone who does want to express his or her feelings,” said Dr Mark Seery, University at Buffalo. The popular belief is that talking out your feelings is the best thing to do after a trauma experience. This study suggests that for many this may not be the best approach. Read the rest of this entry »

Vietnam veterans with PTSD – like chronic smokers – are at higher risk of early death from heart disease.

A new Geisinger study finds that Vietnam veterans who experienced posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were twice as likely to die from heart disease as veterans without PTSD. In a study published in the July issue of Psychosomatic Medicine, Geisinger Senior Investigator Joseph Boscarino, PhD, MPH examined the prevalence of heart disease, PTSD and other problems in more than 4,000 Vietnam veterans. The more severe the PTSD diagnosis, the greater the likelihood of death from heart disease, the study showed.

Vietnam veterans with PTSD–like chronic smokers-are at higher risk of early death from heart disease, Dr. Boscarino concluded. Boscarino says that PTSD equates to smoking two to three packs of cigarettes per day for more than 20 years.

The body releases stress hormones in reaction to PTSD, which leads to inflammation and damage to the arteries and cardiovascular system. “Increased levels of stress hormones and less cortisol from PTSD are a bad combination,” Dr. Boscarino explained. “Basically, PTSD just cooks your arteries in this situation.”

“The science is conclusively showing that if you suffer psychological trauma, it’s going to take a toll on your physical health,” Dr. Boscarino said.

“Getting counseling today is critical to avoiding a related problem tomorrow.”

Although I sprayed them every year they’d just come back stronger. They had become resilient.

There is a spot in our backyard garden where the same weeds pop up every spring – and which I spray each spring. Over time, the spray seems to be lessening its effect on them and now, the weeds simply cannot be killed using those sprays I’ve used before – they have survived and learned to be resilient.

For years I’ve believed that victimhood is the key to therapeutic inaction and failure. Clients who believe they are the victim of abuse feel powerless and helpless against the intense feelings that boil within them. “I can’t help it – I was beaten as a child. It’s DADDY’S fault I’m fat!”

What if you were to look at yourself instead as a survivor imbued with a strength called resilience? Rather than feeling helpless and hopeless, might you feel more empowered? And what if you were to learn that by putting your strength to work for you, you might actually make your life work better? What if you considered resilience an evolutionary gift rather than a problem needing correction?

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CO2 is heavier than normal air and so will tend to sit at the bottom of your lungs unless you exhale it.

John Wemmie and Michael Welsh of the University of Iowa, Iowa City, reported in the November 25, 2009 issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication, that they have discovered a chemical sensor for carbon dioxide deep in the brain’s emotional center – the amygdala. This part of the brain, when it senses an acidic condition (ph) created by higher levels of CO2 in the body, triggers fight-or-flight behaviors we label panic attacks.

I’ve discussed before in this blog the impact of chemistry, particularly CO2 levels in the body on mood and behavior. This is not a new concept – it’s been known for at least a century (the Chinese knew it millenia ago) that chemical imbalances in the body affect behavior.

If you’re experiencing panic attacks fairly often, it could be that your amygdala is hypersensitive to CO2 levels. You may need to breathe differently to expel excess CO2 and increase the oxygen levels in your body.

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