POLL #4 - Re "Traumatic" in "CPTSD

[Kizzie]

There is quite a bit of initial discussion about changing any/all of the words in CPTSD here - http://outofthefog.net/C-PTSD/forum/index.php?topic=6758.0 that you may want to have a read through it before voting.

[Resca]

I feel that adding the root "psycho-" anywhere in the diagnosis alienates a great many people whose trauma involved or was composed significantly of physical abuse. Yes, a portion of the trauma is psychological and a great many of it's resulting symptoms are, as well, but in the spirit of accepting and normalizing all types of experience, I think leaving the word "traumatic" as is would be most appropriate.

[sanmagic7]

getting there, kizzie.  i think you're doing a great job.   

[Blueberry]

I don't have a clear cut opinion on this yet.
Apart from what Resca mentions with physical abuse (which would also apply to CSA), I think "psycho-" anything is pretty loaded in English. "psychological": fine. But "psychotrauma", Idk, I think immediately of "she's such a psycho" just the sort of slandering that's done about us. 

Though I do think it's 'nice' to point out to docs that psychological / emotional / verbal abuse is real too and damages us just as easily as physical or sexual. IME this is often overlooked, which has been a real bugbear to me for years. (Goes off on little rant.)

[lexx]

Maybe the word Stress should be taken out of the name.
Post-Traumatic Disorder. (and we can figure out what the "c" should stand for XD)
Just my two cents..

[Kizzie]

I do see where psycho may be problematic for us and the public, but I also think it reflects the fact that all abuse/neglect is psychologically traumatizing.  And it is commonly used by mental health professionals (as per my recent tweet about a new program discussed at the Psychotraumatology Network site here - http://www.psychotraumanetwork.com/about/).  Finally it distinguishes psychological from physiological  trauma (which often comes up if you just search the word trauma. 

In the end I am good with "psychological trauma" as it is less negative in connotation.

[woodsgnome]

Some of these word configurations can sound good in theory, especially among professionals, but there's certain connotations that those navigating the therapy options find troubling.

Example: psycho vs. psychological. The latter is matter-of-fact, but the first has gotten a negative rap and if often used as a put-down word in certain social contexts. I know no one likes lengthy words these days, but in this instance I think psychological is the more accurate and encouraging use. Everyone has a psychological component, but only certain people are or appreciate being referred to as 'psycho'.

This condition is like that--some of us have an enormous sensitivity to words which others find acceptable. I've long had jumpy feelings about referring to the label 'disorder', but that's how the therapy profession prefers it, and unfortunately they sometimes act as if therapy is their private preserve, including throwing around words that can negatively impact the very people they say they're trying to help. And, as also has been pointed out, there's the long and suspicious reach of the insurance companies in all of this.

[ah]

How about cumulative traumatic injury? Or traumatic cumulative injury?

No "post" - which I personally dislike because it makes it sound like PTSD, and it's so deeply different from PTSD. Historically, c-ptsd was born out of growing awareness of ptsd but they're not nearly as similar as their similar names might suggest and if there's a chance to correct some lay and professional ignorance re. their differences, that'd be good.

No "psycho-" which I too find filled with stereotypes and stigma hoops to jump over. Sounds a bit like it could be interpreted to say "this is all in your head, get over your psycho issues". That's too gaslighting-y for comfort.

No "disorder" which I dislike, it's been used against me my whole life so I'd definitely not identify with it, to me it's another one of the ways I was abused, trying to pin a disorder on me instead of realizing traumatic events happened to me.
If there are others like me, I'm guessing some people who currently aren't getting help may be more open to it if "disorder" isn't there.

And "injury" makes a lot of sense to me. We were injured, badly, in a cumulative and traumatic way.

Read through all the ideas and thought I'd paste a few of the options together and add it to the pile.

[Blueberry]

I agree with a lot of what ah is saying.

I know I wrote further up that I find psycho- anything stigmatising. OTOH, I find Psychotraumatic Injury (Disorder / Syndrome) trips better off the tongue than Psychological Trauma Injury (Disorder / Syndrome)

Cumulative Psychotraumatic Injury?