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Avoidance in the form of 'trigger warnings' may actually worsen the underlying problem for people with PTSD because avoidance can strengthen the underlying fear

Avoidance in the form of 'trigger warnings' may actually worsen the underlying problem for people with PTSD because avoidance can strengthen the underlying fear. Successful treatment often actually involves confronting the fear, little by little, until it no longer causes discomfort: "Exposure therapy is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy[118] that involves assisting trauma survivors to re-experience distressing trauma-related memories and reminders in order to facilitate habituation and successful emotional processing of the trauma memory. Most exposure therapy programs include both imaginal confrontation with the traumatic memories and real-life exposure to trauma reminders; this therapy modality is well supported by clinical evidence." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posttraumatic_stress_disorder#Management https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posttraumatic_stress_disorder#...

ebola1717 10y ago
Classrooms aren't treatment centers. Regardless, your point is a much fairer one to raise than the "intellectual rigor" argument the University is making.
tangent128 10y ago
Exposure therapy can be effective, but under controlled circumstances as supervised by a professional and prepared for by the patient. Uncontrolled exposure is more likely to worsen the anxiety than extinguish it.
- aninhumer 10y ago
  I feel like the idea the parent was suggesting is that avoidance behaviour itself can increase anxiety about the topic, and that encouraging it may end up being more harmful than the risk of uncontrolled exposure, especially when the result of such exposure is not necessarily negative.
ZeroGravitas 10y ago
This argument is absurd and yet I see it often enough that I assume it is a standard political talking point. I mean, are you really arguing that the clinical approach to trauma is to surprise the patient with the topic in the middle of important everyday tasks? Obviously, trigger warning provide a useful tool for people to manage their own exposure to these panic attacks. If this was not the case then no-one would ever suffer from PTSD as it would be instantly self-healing!
- vonmoltke 10y ago
  You glossed over the first sentence: > Avoidance in the form of 'trigger warnings' may actually worsen the underlying problem for people with PTSD because avoidance can strengthen the underlying fear. The argument is that active avoidance is bad because it makes the ensuing panic attacks worse when they do happen and makes it harder for exposure therapy to work. Your post is addressing a strawman.
  - ZeroGravitas 10y ago
    A trigger warning is not avoidance. No one is advocating avoidance, that is the straw man here. I repeat myself: "Obviously, trigger warnings provide a useful tool for people to manage their own exposure to these panic attacks." This allows for simple acts such as taking anti-anxiety medication beforehand or sitting at the end of a row to allow you to leave a lecture unobtrusively if you need to.
vertex-four 10y ago
It's not your right to attempt to "treat" someone of a disorder as someone who isn't their doctor.

ebola1717 10y ago

Classrooms aren't treatment centers. Regardless, your point is a much fairer one to raise than the "intellectual rigor" argument the University is making.

tangent128 10y ago

Exposure therapy can be effective, but under controlled circumstances as supervised by a professional and prepared for by the patient. Uncontrolled exposure is more likely to worsen the anxiety than extinguish it.

aninhumer 10y ago
I feel like the idea the parent was suggesting is that avoidance behaviour itself can increase anxiety about the topic, and that encouraging it may end up being more harmful than the risk of uncontrolled exposure, especially when the result of such exposure is not necessarily negative.

ZeroGravitas 10y ago

This argument is absurd and yet I see it often enough that I assume it is a standard political talking point. I mean, are you really arguing that the clinical approach to trauma is to surprise the patient with the topic in the middle of important everyday tasks? Obviously, trigger warning provide a useful tool for people to manage their own exposure to these panic attacks. If this was not the case then no-one would ever suffer from PTSD as it would be instantly self-healing!

vonmoltke 10y ago
You glossed over the first sentence: > Avoidance in the form of 'trigger warnings' may actually worsen the underlying problem for people with PTSD because avoidance can strengthen the underlying fear. The argument is that active avoidance is bad because it makes the ensuing panic attacks worse when they do happen and makes it harder for exposure therapy to work. Your post is addressing a strawman.
- ZeroGravitas 10y ago
  A trigger warning is not avoidance. No one is advocating avoidance, that is the straw man here. I repeat myself: "Obviously, trigger warnings provide a useful tool for people to manage their own exposure to these panic attacks." This allows for simple acts such as taking anti-anxiety medication beforehand or sitting at the end of a row to allow you to leave a lecture unobtrusively if you need to.

vertex-four 10y ago

It's not your right to attempt to "treat" someone of a disorder as someone who isn't their doctor.