Parkland Shooting Trauma Persistent and Far Reaching

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_DrW
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Parkland Shooting Trauma Persistent and Far Reaching

Post by _DrW »

When the Parkland Florida shooting occurred on Valentines Day, I mentioned on this board that one of my grandchildren was a close friend of one of the female victims when her family lived on the west coast. This grandchild had remained so when the victim's family moved from the west coast to Florida.

Last evening I learned that this grandchild had been more severely traumatized by the shooting and violent death of her close friend and member of the Church than anyone had realized at the time. Eight months later things have gotten so bad that her parents have decided to seek professional help for this young girl - who is now showing many of the signs and symptoms of PTSD. The decision to seek mental health care for an otherwise well adapted and smart teenager is not one taken lightly by believing Mormons.

This left me to wonder how many other close friends and relatives of the shooting victims have had their quality of live severely negatively impacted by the violent deaths of the Stoneman Douglas student victims, and have been unable to move on.

Some progress regarding gun laws that restrict access to high powered automatic rifles has been made since February, even here in Florida. However, more is needed.
David Hume: "---Mistakes in philosophy are merely ridiculous, those in religion are dangerous."

DrW: "Mistakes in science are learning opportunities and are eventually corrected."
_Jersey Girl
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Re: Parkland Shooting Trauma Persistent and Far Reaching

Post by _Jersey Girl »

Dr W I wanted you to know that you have been heard here. I did send you a PM about something of a practical nature.

In my experience (and unfortunately I have experience) people do not understand the crippling nature of trauma and resulting PTSD. We know the terminology and we know that it's bad. We just do not fully know the deep impact of a traumatic event.

I sure didn't until my eyes were opened.

Even the term PTSD is cavalierly tossed about online and in our conversations to the extent that it draws focus away from what PTSD actually IS and dilutes it's meaning.

When Parkland happened, I addressed PTSD in my posts here. I said that the students needed treatment on the spot. I am sure that for many or most, no immediate treatment was given.

The mistakes begin in the critical hours following a traumatic event. That is when treatment is needed. That's when it should begin and so often, that is not the case.

I have 2 people in my life who were first responders to 2 different types of traumatic events, both involving death. Neither received immediate treatment. Both developed PTSD.

When post traumatic stress is left untreated, it develops into a disorder. PTSD.

We treat victims of motor vehicle accidents for shock to the body. We need to be treating victims of trauma for shock to the brain.

That's exactly what it is.
Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up.
Chinese Proverb
_DrW
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Re: Parkland Shooting Trauma Persistent and Far Reaching

Post by _DrW »

Jersey Girl wrote:Dr W I wanted you to know that you have been heard here. I did send you a PM about something of a practical nature.

In my experience (and unfortunately I have experience) people do not understand the crippling nature of trauma and resulting PTSD. We know the terminology and we know that it's bad. We just do not fully know the deep impact of a traumatic event.

I sure didn't until my eyes were opened.

Even the term PTSD is cavalierly tossed about online and in our conversations to the extent that it draws focus away from what PTSD actually IS and dilutes it's meaning.

When Parkland happened, I addressed PTSD in my posts here. I said that the students needed treatment on the spot. I am sure that for many or most, no immediate treatment was given.

The mistakes begin in the critical hours following a traumatic event. That is when treatment is needed. That's when it should begin and so often, that is not the case.

I have 2 people in my life who were first responders to 2 different types of traumatic events, both involving death. Neither received immediate treatment. Both developed PTSD.

When post traumatic stress is left untreated, it develops into a disorder. PTSD.

We treat victims of motor vehicle accidents for shock to the body. We need to be treating victims of trauma for shock to the brain.

That's exactly what it is.

Thanks for the kind words, Jersey Girl. And thanks for the PM.

Your recommendation will be acted upon.
David Hume: "---Mistakes in philosophy are merely ridiculous, those in religion are dangerous."

DrW: "Mistakes in science are learning opportunities and are eventually corrected."
_Jersey Girl
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Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 1:16 am

Re: Parkland Shooting Trauma Persistent and Far Reaching

Post by _Jersey Girl »

You're welcome Dr. W!

You are doing all of us a service by reminding us of the victims. All too often, our focus turns to the perpetrator. Why, he was just in the news this week. We want to know about his status and sentencing while we inadvertently forget about the sentence imposed on the victims.

We need to hear about what the victims and their families are going through. It educates us and increases our understanding.

That can be a benefit to each of us. I'm always willing to discuss mental health issues here. We need to be more open in our conversations about this.
Last edited by Google Feedfetcher on Sat Oct 20, 2018 1:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up.
Chinese Proverb
_Jersey Girl
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Posts: 34407
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 1:16 am

Re: Parkland Shooting Trauma Persistent and Far Reaching

Post by _Jersey Girl »

This is what I stated after the shooting.

In terms of mental illness, the shooter replicated himself by the hundreds.


I wasn't wrong.
Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up.
Chinese Proverb
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