Among people who experience some sort of trauma, what percentage do you think go on to develop post-traumatic stress disorder? A third? A Half? More?
Actually, the answer is 10%. An overestimation of how common it is to develop PTSD after trauma is one of the misconceptions my guest thinks are leading to its overdiagnosis and an underestimation of human resilience.
Dr. Joel Paris is a professor emeritus of psychiatry and the author of Myths of Trauma: Why Adversity Does Not Necessarily Make Us Sick. Today on the show, Joel explains what some of those myths of trauma are, including the idea that it's trauma itself which causes PTSD. Joel argues that PTSD is instead created when exposure to trauma meets an individual's susceptibility to it, and he explains what psychological, biological, and even social factors contribute to this susceptibility. We also get into how the methods used to prevent the triggering of trauma can backfire and how the treatment for PTSD will be ineffective if it only focuses on processing an adverse experience.
Resources Related to the EpisodeIs Cannabis a Safe Drug?
Advice on Making Love Last . . . From a Divorce Lawyer
Unlock the Power of the Unfocused Mind
The Life We're Looking For
The Psychology of Effective Weight Loss
The Most Insightful Personality Test
Why We Fight
Finally Learn to Say No
Set Your Future Self Up for Success
The Fourth Turning — How History's Crisis Period Could Unfold
Here's What It Could Look Like to Put the Trades Back in School
The Science of Getting Psyched Up
Thick Desires, Political Atheism, and Living an Anti-Mimetic Life
Master Microtransitions to Improve the Happiness, Success, and Flow of Your Life
Would You Have Been a Patriot or a Loyalist?
How to Read a Tree
Stop Being a Complainer
Become a Morning Workout Person
Cormac McCarthy, The Road, and Carrying the Fire
How Emerson Can Help You Become a Stoic Nonconformist
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Renewing Your Mind with R.C. Sproul
Today, Explained
Freakonomics Radio
Morning Wire