With respect to this thread on PTSD, I think it's important to understand causality vs. association. Hypervigilance is a potential symptom of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
I understand Bill , I`m aware of PTSD and how it works , and while I mentioned PTSD on another thread i wasnt necessarily thinking conciously of this one .
there just a lot of implication that those who delve to deeply into the martial , well ... they miss the other more meaningfull parts and must be unbalanced somehow
where as Ive yet to meet one of those folks in reality , all the nutjobs Ive met in MA couldnt get past themselves far enough to be really good practitioners .
Many dojos are nothing more than mutual admiration societies which allow like minded individuals to not experience the discomfort that comes with the need to let go of the false self images that we al carry.
there just a lot of implication that those who delve to deeply into the martial , well ... they miss the other more meaningfull parts and must be unbalanced somehow
Biggest crock of crap you will ever hear/read, Marcus.
It is what those people know about themselves that scares the hell out of them. So they need to pontificate from the 'you wouldn't understand pulpit' to diffuse the 'tremors'
look around, then look at them on the floor, and you'll know.
We appear to have two coexisting topics here. They are tangentially related.
The topic of this thread is all about the syndrome. It's something that costs our society a tremendous amount (after Vietnam, and now after Afghanistan/Iraq) in terms of health care resources, relationships, productivity in the work place, and individual lives destroyed.
Professionally I spend part of my time measuring illness in its many forms, and studying the quality and efficiency of dealing with it. PTSD is one of many illnesses that has a range of severity levels. It exists around us in many forms from the mild to the completely disabling.
The NEJM article referenced spoke to the serious nature of the illness, and the problems that exists with people seeking treatment. Our society placed a heavy burden on over a hundred thousand very young men and women, and they are coming back with both physical and psychological casualties. We owe them all - big time.
And there is much we can learn from these young men and women. Most only dream of battles in their dojo; these folks saw and dealt with the real thing.
Yes, Van. Yes, Marcus. It ain't pretty. In this we agree.
It is my sincere hope with this thread to bring academic clarity to a difficult subject, and hopefully also to help destroy the stigma of seeking treatment when it is needed. And this doesn't just happen on the battlefields of Iraq; it is also happening on the streets of our countries as well.
The causes of all this are many. And the subject Van and Marcus are discussing courses through some of these issues.
from this thread. I've also discovered that many disturbed students that I've worked with over the years, who were obsessed with the dangers around every corner and behind every door did not get better or worse from any help I thought I was giving them.
Because of the perceived nature of the martial arts in the minds of the public, the dojo obviously became a haven for many people who should have been looking for help from a psychologist instead of attempting to curb the demons inside themselves by learning Sanchin.
Seems me and Gem agree that the martial arts isnt a tool to cope with these problems , and what folks need is referal to properly trained individuals .
Curious Gem , when you begun training was karate marketed in a way that it could help with such things ? , In your experience is that a valid case for many , or is it as you say above and should be left to experts in appropriate feilds ?
It seems that all the old timers on Okinawa in the 50's studied karate as a "way of life", with little emphasis on the fighting element. The Okinawans, by nature are a gentle and peaceful people, who by circumstances were always occupied and mistreated. When necessary, they could fight, but it wasn't something they bragged about or emphasized in their instruction.
There was no "attitude" or arrogance in any of the old masters.
When the Okinawan martial arts were discovered by the West, the instruction and attitude of many of the newer seniors changed. . . becoming more macho and more fight oriented. . . That's what the westerners wanted and thats what they got and in the process, Okinawa and many Okinawan instructors became like their western counterparts.
I believe that many of the early teachers believed the martial arts could help a decent person become an even better person. They kicked many a drunk American soldier out of their dojo during these early years, feeling that they could not be taught Uechi-ryu. According to Tomoyose, I was allowed to study the "real thing" (vs just allowed to pound on a makiwara and heavy bag until the person became bored and left the dojo) as an experiment. I have to assume that the reason they had never allowed another westerner to study the actual art of Uechi-ryu, was because of Okinawan's distrust of foreigners up to that point and because they believed what they were teaching had some value other than just punching and kicking.
Anyone who has read "The Way of Karate" or "Uechi-ryu Karate Do" will understand what I got out of the training.
