PTSD and natural mothers

[Momzilla4]

PTSD is not "officially" recognized as a possible consequences of surrendering a baby to adoption. This is because of the prevailing attitude that we "placed our babies" "made an adoption plan" or "decided on adoption"*

Even "professional" literature abounds with this type of presupposition of guilt/responsibility on our part. For an example, note Michael DeSimone who surveyed natural moms in 1993 and asked in his questionnaire: "For what reason(s) did you place your child for adoption?"**

But these mothers have PTSD from the surrender of their babies:

• http://neverunwanted.blogspot.com/2007/10/post-traumatic-stress-disorder.html
• http://aislin13.wordpress.com/2007/09/14/flashbacks
• http://paragraphein.wordpress.com/2008/02/24/victim-to-survivor/

So i think that the "experts" are full if sh*t.

Here's a quick screening test for symptoms of PTSD: http://www.reshealth.org/rhcservices/behavioral/ptsd.cfm. Remember, it takes a qualified professional to actually make a diagnosis of PTSD, but this test can give an individual an indication whether or not they should seek help.

Please spread the word to other support groups of natural mothers. Often what the "experts" tell us is "grief" that we should "get over" might actually be PTSD, which can last for a long time and even have delayed onset -- years after the actual event. Example: you may have survived the long separation from your child in a state of "numbness" and then after reunion it then hit you:  flashbacks, dissociation, anxiety, avoidance, hypervigilence, etc.  You may go for therapy and the therapist has NO idea how to treat you, and doens't even realize that it might be PTSD. Instead they tell you to "Move on" or "Think about what a wonderful thing you did for your child, giving them a better life" or "What a wonderful gift to give to an infertile couple!". 

More info on PTSD is available at http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/ncmain/information/.

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Footnotes:

*... and the fact that very few researchers bother to take a second glance at us unless it is devising studies to find out more ways to induce us to surrender our babies (like all the studies in the 1970s and 1980s that led to open adoption being "offered" so more moms would surrender).

**p. 150, De Simone, M. (1994). Unresolved grief in women who have relinquished an infant for adoption. Doctoral Dissertation. New York University School of Social Work, New York, N.Y.