What you can’t see, can hurt you.
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk and brain science, trauma and attachment specialists are calling for serious treatment of developmental trauma. Developmental Trauma Disorder (DTD) was identified by Dr. van der Kolk in 2005, (left) — but the profession still denies it exists.
In fact, the APA even denied recently that "childhood adverse experiences" need a diagnosis. That needs a rebuke and Dr. van der Kolk's done it.
“Clearly our field would like to ignore social realities,” Dr. van der Kolk said recently, “and study genes…” (More below)
I call it “since the sperm hit the egg” trauma.
Developmental trauma starts at conception in utero, and goes on from there during the pre-conscious years. It usually continues until 36 months when the thinking brain (frontal cortex) finally comes on line. That’s 45 months ranging from anxiety to non-stop terror — all before age 3. A very long time to an infant.
It occurs as a continual process, not discrete incidents, in the period when a baby has not developed a thinking brain able to even recall incidents. Frequently it occurs before there are any discrete incidents.
Insecure attachment and attachment disorder generally are the cause of developmental trauma, not vice versa, as Dr. van der Kolk explains in a terrific May 10, 2013 speech at Yale (click for video). He lists DTD’s symptoms as chronic and relational: inability to concentrate, inability to regulate feelings, chronic anger, fear and anxiety; self-loathing; aggression, self-destructive behavior.
“These chronic symptoms do not occur in PTSD, but are rather a function of a disturbed attachment relationship,” Dr. van der Kolk states.
Until DTD is in the APA’s official Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), most mental health professionals will not diagnose or treat it, and no insurance company will cover it, Dr. van der Kolk warns.
But the APA just refused to put it in the DSM-5 released last year -- and their refusal letter actually had a veiled dig against the ACE Study - which is outrageous. Dr. van der Kolk read that letter in public and let 'em have it Read More...
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