I must admit that my ire over the heading of this post is what made me read more but I'm grateful it was written. It exposes many of the negative aspects of healthcare systems around the world.
What I do take offense to are these very real problems being likened to having been the victim of a sexual assault in any way, shape or form. Whether I agree with it or not I do not invalidate the claim of the patient who made it. I simply and respectfully question whether it was made from a point of ignorance rather than knowledge.

I understand the dehumanizing sense of helplessness the hospital system in particular can give a person. You feel like you are insignificant and every part of your health and daily functioning is dictated by another. I myself suffer from PTSD following the traumatic birth of my daughter. At 14 pounds she was an attempted vaginal delivery that went wrong. Partially delivered I ended up having a section done under a general even though I had an epidural already. As a registered nurse I knew I was in a lot of trouble and that both my life and the babies was in danger. For days afterwards I was in so much pain I wished I had died. Then i had problems with a DVT. I joke now I'm in a rare group of women who can claim to have had both an episiotomy and a section but that statement hides a lot of pain. I now avoid doctors and will only go to hospital for something life threatening. It was the second most traumatic event of my life.

The most traumatic was having experienced the very thing that the healthcare system is compared to. In my case I can say the two are nothing alike. There may be similarities in feeling out of control, of having things done to you. Dismissive and agressive know best attitudes of medical staff will never equate to those of a sex crime perpetrator. I agree that this is an area that could benefit from improvement. However the same intent to hurt, humiliate and affect profoundly is not there. I would imagine few hospital staff come to work that day sadistically hoping they will get to traumatize somebody. The same way rape is not sex as it is void of that intent even though the act may be the same.I'll take the modesty depleting hospital gown over the terrified humiliation of rape any day.

I can only imagine what you've been through, darling.
Thank you for sharing.
Sending love as I often do
Lissa

Thank You for this recent Blog. I recently underwent 2 surgeries and was prone for nearly 2 years. I felt violated, traumatized and expressed to a friend that I had felt "raped". I have allowed myself to heal, to grieve and to let go- yet this took time. During the down time, I founded and started 2 new healthcare non-profit corporations. I literally started these from bed!

I realized that I had been put to "the test" through my surgeries. Growing up with 7 autoimmune diseases (1 potentially fatal), living a life of rotating doctors and natural paths, then having a wonderful son who ended up with CFIDS (Viral Induced CFS), I realized my world needed a shift. Always a fighter, I fought to get my son treatment that mainstream society has said "does not exist". I fought the mainstream medical community for the right to treat and save my sons' life; then I listened intently to excellent integrative, alternative and natural path specialists who were part of our saving grace to life and better health.

I did feel violated from the surgeries. At 48-49 years old, these were traumatic and invasive surgeries. Yet, I also learned that letting go of all of the trauma I had experienced in my life that occurred leading up to the surgeries; was a huge part of my recovery process. And, allowing "time" to do this healing, no matter how much time I needed, was worth every moment.

Your work is amazing. Western medicine saved both my son and my life. However, Alternative and Integrative medicines and clearing the "junk" from our minds and diets also saved our lives. It was a balance. One which is individual, yet the parts of the puzzle remain the same.

Best,
Julia Hugo Rachel

Thanks for this post, Lissa.

More and more, over the years, I have pondered whether chronic illness has the potential for trauma. As a Psych NP, AND as a patient with a genetic kidney disease having been on dailysis, surviving kidney transplant and multiple rejection episodes and all the complications from the multitude of medications and side effects and adverse reactions, I feel there is a huge component of trauma in just being sick.

I looked up PTSD in the DSM-IV and it does mention trauma from life threatening situations, but I ask "what about the day in and day out of having a chronic illness", and wonder about all the doctors appointments, invasive studies,worrying about the results and the toll it takes on patients.

In all of the medical care I have received over the years, I can think of a handful of MDs who really knew me as a whole person and appreciated the stress I had dealing with all of these issues.

All that being said, I learned that it was up to ME to take charge of my care and to make sure I created a team of healers who "got" me and really cared about me as a whole person. That's why I'm so committed now to working with women suffering with chronic illness and helping and showing them how to empower themselves, because Lord knows, no one else is telling them "Get in your power!", except for guardian angels such as yourself :-)

It's up to all of us to change the paradigm of health care to empowering patients as equal partners working toward an agreed upon goal. That's why I love your "Doctor Patient Agreement". We need a movement to make this happen!

Just know I am here, holding the faith that you can let this go, move on, and get well.
Anything is possible. There's always hope.
With love
Lissa

I appreciate you sharing your stories and hope others who might feel this way find healing in the ability to connect through story.

WIth love
Lissa

Having a rare neuromuscular disorder, and having spent years, total, in one hospital or another, I can say that PTSD from medical "care" does indeed exist. I have had both very good and absolutely horrid experiences. I would say that the very good experiences came about only because someone, a nurse, a doctor, an intern, a medical student, actually and honestly cared and were able to at least somewhat place themselves in my position (do empathy) to see what needed to change to make things better for me. This, of course, is contrary to what medical professionals are taught to do - they are supposed to remain objective.

The horrid experiences - too numerous to even talk about - have made me now totally avoid the medical profession. I now research and treat my rare disease as much as possible and, frankly, will die before I ever go back to another hospital. I do see a family practice doctor for other health issues (yearly female issues, etc.) and thankfully she will listen to me if I ask for a particular treatment or say I do not wish to pursue a particular treatment. Unlike so many at the hospital, she actually listens when I explain how the disease affects me and what has worked/has not worked in the past.

Most doctors are so arrogant that even though they've never even heard of the disease they assume they know how to treat it. On Medicaid at the time, I have been kept in a teaching hospital for months (away from my then small children) without them doing necessary treatment, or even listening to me as to what has worked in the past.

Yeah. PTSD, absolutely. Medical abuse, absolutely. I have little if any respect for most doctors.

I am an Army wife living in Germany with my husband who is stationed here. When I gave birth to my son, I essentially bled out due to uterine atony, and almost lost my uterus. Shortly after my traumatic birth experience, our orders came down for myself and our two children to move to Germany. My grandfather passed away that same week due to a hemorrhage in his brain caused by Coumadin.

In the past year I developed bilateral deep vein thrombosis. Between the German hospital, and our poor excuse for a medical clinic on post, it took them 3 weeks to decide on a treatment plan. In that time I thank God I did not develop a pulmonary embolism. I was put on heparin shots by the German doctor, and then switched to Coumadin by the American doctor on post. Every time something happens, our clinic automatically sends me to the German hospital. Just recently I presented there because I was vomiting. Before they even saw me, the admitted me, and gave me what I later found out out to be vitamin K shots, against my will. The hospital then lied to our post clinic about the medications they gave me. As you can imagine, this totally messed up my once perfect INR. I have had problems with my spleen, chronic pain issues, migraines: the list goes on. Instead of listening to my pleas of trying to figure out what is going on with my body, they treat the symptoms, and send me on my way. My husband and I now choose to drive 5 hours away to the only American hospital here in Germany.

Moral of the story: as bad as we often perceive American healthcare, it is far better than the socialized healthcare system that Germany has. The German hospital doctors are some of the most uncaring, cold, and condescending doctors I have ever seen. And because they can, they admit Americans, treat them like second class citizens, and pump us full of meds for no reason at all, and they won't tell you what they ar for. They do this because Tricare pays them tons of money. So if you go in for a cold, you stay 2 weeks. This past time I signed myself out AMA, and am headed to our Army hospital this week.

I pray that when I come off the coumadin this summer, they can find the cause for all the issues I have been having, and I can go back to a normal life with my young daughter and son. This was supposed to be an all expense paid 3 year vacation via the army. Instead it's been nothing short of my worst nightmares coming true. I cannot wait to go home to the states.