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Originally Posted By Judy

We have decided to adopt a 12-year-old girl who has a preliminary diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress and depression. Are there any good books on this? She is in therapy twice a week and is on several medications. Please let me know if there are any good references on this subject.

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Originally Posted By Jerry

PTSD is the result of some trauma that has shaken the foundation of our belief system. There are three main categories of symptoms; intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal. Intrusion can be flashbacks or nightmares. Avoidance would be unusual avoidance of reminders, or situations that could bring on nightmares or flashbacks. Hyperarousal is being "jumpy" or hypervigilant. The key is to remember that the "foundation of their belief system" has been destroyed. This is not just being surprised or stunned, or shocked.

As an example to what a PTSD moment can be like: Imagine waking up in the morning and finding yourself in a foreign prison. There's no one you can trust and you are terribly alone. Everything you have believed in, (your home, the safety of your family even your ability to handle any situation) has no place in your new life, it's useless and as if it never existed. No one knows you are there, which means there is no hope of rescue. There is no consolate member coming to check on you, no one who cares about your existance. There's NO REASON as to WHY you are there, but nonetheless, you are there and the only emotion you can feel is complete and total hopelessness. It doesn't matter if you sleep or are awake, if you eat or don't, cry or not. This is all that will be forever.

....................Now when you begin to refocus on the world you are in remember This is just a flurry of words that reveal a split second or moment in that persons life, a very thin slice of what it is like. It can be a devastating and debilitating disorder, but you can come back.

As every person is different, so their manifestation of PTSD will be different. PTSD can also bring on chronic depression, anxiety attacks and disassociative disorders.

You said she was seeing a therapist. The therapist is your best source of information; However, There are tons of resources on the web. There is a webring for PTSD and I believe that there are support listserv's and so forth for family members (sorry I don't have the address). The information I offered here is from personal experience, interviews, and the DSM IV. I certainly hope I didn't disturb anyone with my description, we color our rainbows with the crayons we have.........and sometimes the only crayons we have are dark colors......we use those colors until we're done with them and then we look for brighter ones.