PTS? PTSD? PTSI? Oh For the Love of...

Acronym confusion.  Just what we all need.  There has been a lot of discussion recently, for and against, changing the classification of PTSD.  I didn't want to weigh in on this subject until I had done a little more research and listened to all sides of the argument.  My official opinion:  call a spade a spade.  This politically correct crap had gone far enough.  The apologists says that calling it a disorder unfairly stigmatizes veterans.  They say calling it an injury fairly describes what we suffer from.  People are confused enough about what PTSD actually is.  Does anyone actually think that the general public is going to just say, 'well golly, if it's an injury, I guess my assumption that they're crazy is just plain wrong'.

PTSD advocacy and education hasn't come nearly far enough.  We have made strides in ending the stigma, but Dr. Phil is a prime example of just how far we have yet to go.  Changing the name of the disorder (I call it that because that's what it is) won't change a damn thing except make it even harder for VA benefit evaluators to quanitfy.  Some people believe that this is an attempt by the government and US society at large to avoid living up to their responsibilities to our service members.  While I gave this some serious thought, I finally came to the conclusion that this was not true either.  Do you know what I see as the motivation for the classification change?

Hubris.

Incredible hubris on the part of the psychology/psychiatry professions at large.  These no talent idiots actually think that they can 'heal' us.  They give those who do 'get it', like Rod Deaton (his blog is amazing), a bad name.  So now, I want to hear from the horse's mouth.  Docs, prove my assertion wrong.  Let me lay this out for you in terms that you can identify with:

• The goal is to change the classification of PTS from Disorder to Injury.  Does this also mean that all of the service-connected cases of General Anxiety Disorders will now also be called Anxiety Injuries?  Does is also me that folk with service-connected Obsessive Compulsive Disorder(OCD) will now have Obsessive Compulsive Injuries (OCI)?
• Disorders are managed, not recovered from.  Correct me if I'm wrong but docs do still teach people suffering from OCD how to better cope with and manage their symptoms, right?  They don't evaluate them a few years later and say, 'TaDa!  You're cured!'.  They teach people with this disorder how to manage long-term.  I say that the approach is the same for folks with PTSD.  You help us learn to cope with and manage our disorder, long term.
• My experiences in Iraq fundamentally changed the way I view the world.  Morality and ethics are black and white, right and wrong.  Anyone who violates this code angers me to the extreme.  My morality and ethics are informed by experiential criteria.  Do you propose to tell me that you know with absolute certainty that you know what is right and wrong, morally and ethically?  Do you know what actions fall in shades of grey?  Are you now the moral authority?  Part of the disorder is learning how to cope with this and manage my anger response.  That anger response will never go away, but its effects can be mitigated to some degree.  Are you now also an expert on my experience?

If my strong opinion offends people, so be it.  I have never been known to candy-coat what I perceive is the truth, no matter how much it hurts or offends others (a personal flaw, I know).  I sure as hell won't start now.  All that will ensue from making this classification change is people will be even more confused.  I have already heard, "PTSI?  Is that different from PTSD?  I thought you guys coming home had PTSD.  What's the I stand for?  Illness?"

Think on that last quote for a second.  Does anyone here really truly think that reclassifying PTSD will reduce the stigma?  Or is it more likely that it will just add another layer of 'crazy' for people to label us with?  Think long and hard on this folks.  I can't say that my opinion is the correct one.  I am no more the moral expert on this subject than the docs are.  All I can say is that serious discourse needs to take place.  A precipitous decision to change the classification doesn't do anyone any favors.