Hi, Harvard Gazette; Higher prevalence of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a debilitating mental illness that can have life-long negative consequences, has been found in young adult gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and “mostly heterosexuals” compared with completely heterosexuals at considerably younger ages than previously identified, according to a new study by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and Boston Children’s Hospital researchers. The researchers found higher symptoms of PTSD in sexual minorities compared with heterosexuals in individuals in their early 20s.... Higher risk of PTSD for gay, lesbian, bisexual, ‘mostly heterosexual’ youth | Harvard Gazette Previous studies by Roberts and her colleagues identified more PTSD symptoms in a group of sexual minorities aged 40-60. Gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, Trauma evidently does not need to be overt. Is the closet and denial PTSD? Tom ---------- Post added 17th Jan 2014 at 01:07 PM ---------- PTSD, a mental illness which is characterized by distressing memories of the traumatic event, avoidance of objects, places, or people associated with the event, emotional numbing and an increased sense of vigilance. PTSD in turn can lead to drug and alcohol abuse, depression, and difficulties with relationships and employment if it goes untreated I avoided openly gay people I avoided all things gay I avoided Pride parades or showing interest Vigilant ha about it ha ha 24/7 365+++ So what happens if "gay" and all the oppression that entails IS the trauma? Not an isolated event but rather an ongoing one? I developed a lost memory I wonder what all the symptoms are and if "closeted" behaviours run close to them; Re-experiencing the traumatic event Intrusive, upsetting memories of the event Flashbacks (acting or feeling like the event is happening again) Nightmares (either of the event or of other frightening things) Feelings of intense distress when reminded of the trauma Intense physical reactions to reminders of the event (e.g. pounding heart, rapid breathing, nausea, muscle tension, sweating) Avoidance and numbing Avoiding activities, places, thoughts, or feelings that remind you of the trauma Inability to remember important aspects of the trauma Loss of interest in activities and life in general Feeling detached from others and emotionally numb Sense of a limited future (you don’t expect to live a normal life span, get married, have a career) Increased anxiety and emotional arousal Difficulty falling or staying asleep Irritability or outbursts of anger Difficulty concentrating Hypervigilance (on constant "red alert") Feeling jumpy and easily startled Other common symptoms Anger and irritability Guilt, shame, or self-blame Substance abuse Feelings of mistrust and betrayal Depression and hopelessness Suicidal thoughts and feelings Feeling alienated and alone Physical aches and pains
Does PTSD ring true with you if the "trauma" is the ongoing oppression related to being gay? What happens when you replace "trauma" of PTSD with "gay oppression (GO)" Re-experiencing GO Intrusive, upsetting memories/thoughts of GO Flashbacks (acting or feeling like GO is happening again) Nightmares (either of GO or of other frightening things) Feelings of intense distress when reminded of being gay Intense physical reactions to reminders of being gay (e.g. pounding heart, rapid breathing, nausea, muscle tension, sweating) Avoidance and numbing Avoiding activities, places, thoughts, or feelings that remind you of being gay Inability to remember important aspects of being gay (denial) Loss of interest in activities and life in general Feeling detached from others and emotionally numb Sense of a limited future (you don’t expect to live a normal life span, get married, have a career) Increased anxiety and emotional arousal Difficulty falling or staying asleep Irritability or outbursts of anger (internalized homophobia) Difficulty concentrating Hypervigilance (on constant "red alert") Feeling jumpy and easily startled Other common symptoms Anger and irritability Guilt, shame, or self-blame Substance abuse Feelings of mistrust and betrayal Depression and hopelessness Suicidal thoughts and feelings Feeling alienated and alone Physical aches and pains Hmmm... Is there a form of PTSD that affects gays in a spectrum of ways?
They symptoms sound pretty chillingly accurate. I'd hate to think that actually BEING gay was the trauma....as you suggest, perhaps the gradual realization of what being openly gay ENTAILS was the trauma. And perhaps those of us who went the most deeply into the closet were the ones who, for whatever reason, felt the greatest need to be accepted and to conform? And so, we created the thickest barriers and walls and buried ourselves the most deeply in our fears? God knows, I spent years feeling rejected by most of the world, and a straight marriage seemed like Nirvana because it was the big stamp of "NORMAL" all over me. And it's the gradual improvement of my self-esteem and sense of security that gave me the strength to even use the word "gay" about myself in the first place. The symptoms you post, oddly enough, seem to fit my wife far more than myself these days. She grew up in an abusive household with alcoholism, and her first marriage fit that pattern to a T as well.
I do not think "gay" is the trauma but rather how society traumatizes the gay population through mistreatment. Society is broken, not the gays. We simply take the societal pounding which is ongoing, wearing trauma.
But there is also the indirect trauma of internalising what is said about being gay, and forcing oneself to ignore and suppress that which is integral to who we are as people. That can be very damaging, as what we are, and who we say we are, does not match up and provides a great source of internal conflict.
PTSD. I hate it when people toss this around. Let's say you get attacked. Let's say you've been attacked in the past. You get through it, but afterwords, when everything has calmed down, you freak. Is that PTSD? No. PTSD is more like, I'm walking down the street and I hear a bell ring. I flash back to a bomb that exploded and dive for cover. That's PTSD. Freaking out after you are attacked is NORMAL. That's acute stress reaction. Everyone has a breaking point. If I pour on the stress on you long enough, you'll snap too. PTSD is snapping when you don't have a good reason. When most normal people would be fine. Freaking out over a smell, or a sound, or an image. Frankly, the main stream media has been throwing the term around so much it almost doesn't mean anything anymore, which is a real shame because the people who honestly have it don't need to be marginalized. Another example: I have a fear of rings. I will not explain why. When someone shoves a finger in my face with a ring, it upsets me and reminds me of horrible things that have happened. Is that PTSD? Depends? Is someone just waving a ring in my face and am I curled up in a ball screaming? Then yes. If all it does is make me uncomforable, then all I have is a phobia. Having a phobia is not PTSD. It's a phobia. I'm afraid of hights. I'm afraid of Pie. I'm afraid of many things that are not normally dangerious, but were at one point in my life. However, I understand the fear and I control it, it does not control me. The OP seems to have the best of intentions, but this is a bit of an sore issue for me. When someone just throws up a wall of text, I begin to wonder if the OP really understands the topic.
PTSD is thrown around a lot. It might be diagnosed too sparingly. It could be diagnosed too liberally. I wonder if being the victim of rape or sexual abuse would ordinarily lead to PTSD, with the operative word being ordinarily. I have a friend who went through such an event and was formally given that diagnosis and had to see a therapist who was specially trained to deal with trauma. This person indicated that not every therapist has the training in the methodology to deal with trauma survivors. We all know that we hear it most with reference to those who are in or have returned from combat. Some aren't able to piece their lives back together. It's sad.
Hi, It is not a wall of text I hope when Harvard University publishes the linkage. The basic question being is societal treatment of gays (internalized & externalized) a emotional trauma in slow motion which results in PTSD (or PTSD like) symptoms. Similarly is living in the closet a type of freaking out?
