Posttraumatic Stress (PTSD)

We got this excellent question from a trauma survivor, who understood the critical importance of the voice tone, timbre, pacing and music quality on a guided imagery CD. She understood her vulnerability to the wrong voice, and she wanted to find a way to hear a sample first.

Here is her question:

Belleruth,

I have just finished your book on healing post-trauma stress, "Invisible Heroes", and I am interested in obtaining some of your cds.

But first, I need to know what your voice sounds like. This is critical to me, because I am very sensitive to sound. I need an extremely soothing voice with soft music in the background.

Is there a place where I could just hear your voice before purchasing?

Thank you.

PS - Your book has helped me so much, but I believe the audio cds would help me more.

Hello. I am a trauma survivor, the kind that is the most seasoned from early life abuse and patterns of self-destructive behavior. Although the acting out ended decades ago, I am truly impressed at how much work it is to heal from this kind of trauma which is related to my sexuality.

I'm writing mainly to say a deep, heartfelt THANK YOU to Belleruth for helping me find genuine relief and therapy through her book and guided imagery for trauma survivors.

I say ‘better late than never’ as it took this long to find what soothes and heals the wounds. I have also found refuge in Sudarshan Kriya Yoga, which is used for war veterans to regulate their breathing and hormone levels related to PTSD.

Researchers from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor investigated the feasibility, appeal, and clinical efficacy of an MBCT (mindfulness-based cognitive therapy) group intervention, adapted for combat-related posttraumatic stress, or PTSD, as the VA still calls it.
   
Consecutive patients seeking treatment for chronic PTSD at a VA outpatient clinic were enrolled in 8-week MBCT groups, modified for posttraumatic stress (four groups, n = 20) or brief treatment-as-usual (TAU) comparison group interventions (three groups, n = 17).
 
Pre- and post-therapy psychological assessments used the CAPS scale (clinician administered PTSD scale) on all patients.  In addition, the MBCT groups filled out , self-report measures (the PTSD diagnostic scale, PDS, and the posttraumatic cognitions inventory, PTCI).

Question:

Hello -- love your work. Thank you.

One small quibble: I see that in the catalog your "heartbreak" material got listed under Posttraumatic Stress.

I worked the recovery effort at the World Trade Center (well -- I made coffee for the guys who worked in hell and hugged them when they left hell to come to me on hell's fringes) and know a lot of people who have truly seen the worst of the worst. Some of them - unsurprisingly - have PTSD.

It can be tough to get them to deal with it in some cases, and they can be rightfully touchy. One of "my" guys - who truly went through hell thousands of times: he's the bravest man I know - called me in a fury recently.  He'd read an article about a woman claiming she had PTSD because someone pinched her. He felt (and I agreed) that that cheapened his experience (and it's very hard for PTSD sufferers to be taken seriously, as you know).

I'd move the "Heartbreak" material out of the PTSD section for the same reason. Heartbreak is awful -- I've been there. But PTSD is different and worse.

Please consider reorganizing that listing. "My" boys would appreciate it.

Thanks,
Karen

Question:

Hi Belleruth,
I would like to get a tape for a friend who has had a series of health issues after having a cardiac event, which in the end turned out to be nothing serious, although she was quite scared.

She was healthy and vibrant before the event. Now it seems like there are non-stop health issues (digestive issues, odd pains, hypervigilance, fear everything is cancer, etc.), some of which are likely psychosomatic in nature.

What tape would you suggest for her to recover her past health and well being?

Thank you!
Mark

Hi,

I’m an LPC and LMFT and attended one of your workshops (Houston, 2004 maybe). I refer a lot of clients to your website to purchase CDs and love your work.

I have a new client who is on Lexapro, Resperdil, and Xanax for the most severe anxiety Ive seen in my 42 years counseling.
 
Jan. 2013 he suffered a spinal cord injury in a ski accident/long rehab/finally back to work as an attorney and walking w/crutches. Doing well.

Then several months later, he falls apart w/anxiety, physical pain in legs and legs shaking constantly/spastic - finally quits going to work and is now in a wheelchair.
 
Had another brain and spinal cord MRI and doctors find nothing wrong. Just sits & does NOTHING. No hope. Becoming irritated by everything.

I had them buy your Ease Pain CD and Healthful Sleep (as hes getting only a few hours of sleep). He listened to Ease Pain only a few times and says it irritates him and he refuses to listen.

Any suggestions?

Thank you.

Listen to an audio sample of Healing Trauma

BR got this wonderful note from a hard working EMT who was suffering from all the times he couldn’t save someone –the images of kids especially stayed in his mind and kept him awake at night.  Check it out:  

Dear Belleruth,

I figured out recently that I have PTSD.  I am an EMT who has seen a lot of hard situations.  

The scenes that stayed with me, kept me awake at night, were the ones where I tried but couldn’t help, in spite of my best efforts.  Especially the failures with kids got to me. It was years of building up.

My social worker girlfriend hooked me up with the HJ site.  The reviews of the Trauma imagery got my attention.  I ordered the download and to my surprise, it helped me immediately. I listened to it every night for about a week. It never failed to bring tears to my eyes, but they were good tears and I was okay with that.

These days I listen to it every now and then.  It is my booster shot.

I sleep well now.  I stopped faulting myself for the failures. I do the best I can and I know I am good at my job.  I feel strong and appreciative of what I try to do. I know I make a difference when I can.

I want to encourage others to use it.  It’s the best thing I’ve done for myself when it comes to emotional trauma from the work I do.

Andrew P.

Researchers from the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System assessed therapist and patient outcomes from a national training initiative with eleven cohorts (391 therapists and 745 depressed patients) across the country in using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for depression or ACT-D.
 
Three-hundred thirty four therapists successfully completed the requirements of the ACT-D training program.
 
Ninety-six percent of therapists achieved competency by the end of training, as compared to 21% at the outset of training.
 
Mixed effects model analysis indicated therapists' overall ACT-D competency scores increased from 76 to 112 (conditional SD = 6.6), p < 0.001.

Researchers from the VA Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle, WA assessed outcomes resulting from Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) for 47 veterans with PTSD, depression and quality of life.

The subjects were randomized to treatment as usual (TAU; n = 22), or MBSR plus TAU (n = 25), and assessed at baseline, post-treatment, and 4-month follow-up.

Intention-to-treat analyses found no reliable effects of MBSR on PTSD or depression. Quality of life improved at posttreatment but there was no reliable effect at 4 months.

Question:

I'm looking for the best CD's for some friends who have experienced the loss of a child, Magnolia. She was 22 months old when they found her dead in her crib one morning for no apparent reason - SUCD (Sudden Unexplained Childhood Death).

This happened a year ago in January 2013. (I'm not sure why I didn't think of something from Health Journeys sooner.  I too lost a child 27 years ago before I knew of Health Journeys)

They have struggled and do struggle mightily. They are expecting a baby again in late spring and also have another daughter, who is 7.

I would like suggestions for both the couple and the daughter. They have processed very openly and publicly with a blog, a book donation drive for children through the New York Public Library ($40,000 so far), and services in the Bronx and Denver, CO area, both when Magnolia died and at the one-year anniversary of her loss.

The pain is still quite raw as they deal with how wrong it is that Magnolia is not with them or in this world, and even that any healing means they are more separated from her.  

Additionally, we are good friends with Magnolia's grandmother and would love suggestions for her.

Best, V.