Yes, PTSD is a disorder & will not be changed to ‘Injury’. Here’s why.

The only people pushing for PTSD to be classified as PTSI – replacing Disorder, with Injury, are military people, who believe calling it a disorder makes some combat soldiers not want to seek treatment.

Source http://www.dsm5.org/Documents/PTSD%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf

However, PTSD is a disorder, because it is a collective set of symptoms, that are not normally experienced, that negatively impact daily functioning.

Some members of the military (and some other PTSD survivors) don’t seem to be concerned they are increasing mental health stigma, by wanting this change.

As per the DSM-5  “A mental disorder is a syndrome characterized by clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior that reflects a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental processes underlying mental functioning. Mental disorders are usually associated with significant distress in social, occupational, or other important activities. An expectable or culturally approved response to a common stressor or loss, such as the death of a loved one, is not a mental disorder.”

PTSD fits this criteria, as with all other disorders.

PTSD is also not the only disorder that can be caused by trauma. Many mental health issues, can be triggered by trauma.

As per Eleanor Longden’s amazing TED talk about her experience with Schizophrenia – she correctly stated, that with all mental health issues, the question should….

“Not be what is wrong with you, but what happened to you” ~ Eleanor Longden

See here https://www.ted.com/talks/eleanor_longden_the_voices_in_my_head?language=en

It is also needed to know there is research now that confirms there are genetic predispositions for PTSD, just as with many other mental health issues.

What true inner strength looks like ~ Lilly Hope Lucario

To suffer long term ongoing severe abuse, and yet choose to be a person completely different to the perpetrator, is true inner strength.

Some of the most amazing people I have been honoured to connect with, are survivors of severe abuse and complex trauma. Yet, they are nothing like those who chose to abuse them. They have empathy, a conscience and a deep desire for no-one to suffer, as they have.

These acts of ongoing bravery – to survive such life impacting trauma and yet be good people, with beautiful character traits and heart…….. is true inner strength.