We're just about to wrap up our series here -- a cycle of blog posts about the various treatments available for PTSD from the pharmaceutical, Complementary and Alternative Medicine ("CAM"), and mind-body medicine worlds. We've talked about bodywork therapies that show promise. Heck, we've even talked about street drugs like marijuana and ecstasy that appear to have some beneficial effects as well! (Sheesh -- we're not recommending them, per se -- we're just trying to do a comprehensive look at everything reasonable that's out there, that might help sufferers.)
We started this cycle of blog posts back in the beginning of June, with one about how the military was expanding its concept of treatment options to include some "revolutionary" non-drug approaches, linked here. (We'll add to the cycle of posts over time as the need indicates, but the bulk of it is already done on this topic. This post also builds on a previous post, which talked about how a layperson can learn more about the effects and side-effects of medications prescribed, as well as where to learn about possible warnings when used in combination with other medications. That post is linked here.)
One of the most interesting developments is something I get to share with you now -- that a year or so ago when I first learned about it, was not robust enough to be of much value to PTSD sufferers. Perhaps by now it really is. The "it" I'm talking about here is something called "Revolution Health," the brainchild of AOL co-founder and marketing genius Steve Case, a project he began in 2005, after he left AOL.
Revolution Health is a number of things, but particularly for our purposes here's it's an online "community" of other patients who give their impressions, pro and con, of the treatments they're using for various illnesses and conditions -- including PTSD -- and not just of all the popular pharmaceutical medications, but also the non-drug therapies as well. Finally, in one place, patients can check out what other people's experiences of the same drugs or therapies they've been prescribed, along with more straightforward information about the treatments themselves, the possible side-effects. Clearly, for something like this to work, there need to be a LOT of people checking in and providing their impressions.
When I first checked out the site, those numbers just weren't there. It's not so exciting, interesting, or frankly even helpful to learn what three people think of a medication or a non-drug treatment like acupuncture or craniosacral therapy -- it gets a LOT more interesting as more people participate. Such seems to be the case these days (no pun intended) -- but act quickly -- the site has been experiencing layoffs, and with Web businesses, even those founded by geniuses like Steve Case, you never really can count on how long they'll be around. So be sure to check out what interests you while you still can.
This is what the site said a year ago about itself, which is still good advice:
This service is in its infancy, but our philosophy is that if millions of people participate, it will emerge as a useful tool for people as they consider their treatment options. Please note that treatments include a mix of some that are designed to directly treat a condition, some that treat side effects, some that provide symptomatic relief.
While individual real-life experiences can be a valuable health resource, they must be viewed in the context of evidence-based data and are not a substitute for medical advice. You should always consult a qualified health care professional before beginning, changing or stopping a treatment.
Now let's get down to business:
Want to learn how other participants rank, rate and review the various treatments for PTSD, both drug and non-drug? (Currently there are dozens suggested!), say, Duloxetine? Click here, for a list of the various, searchable treatments. (Better yet, click herefor them ranked by users in order of effectiveness!) Want to take a look specifically at the pharmaceutical drugs for PTSD? Click here. How about the various non-drug treatments for PTSD? They're there, too, by name. (You can sort either set of results by "most helpful," "most recent," and "highest effectiveness" on any individual treatment (of the 363) or on the category as a whole.)
Note: Be aware that not everyone who's weighing in with their opinion on what treatment they're loving or hating for PTSD has combat trauma-induced PTSD. They may have PTSD from some completely other cause. However, as far as relatabilty goes, this is the best we're gonna get for now -- a "Revolution Health" for veterans only does not appear to be in the works. Ahhh, but we can dream, can't we?!
To reinforce the warning, though -- given the fact that nothing's permanent on the Web, especially "revolutionary business models," get in -- get your information -- and get out -- in case the website goes away, and/or the company goes out of business. We sincerely hope that Revolution Health sticks around, because it's performing a useful AND innovative, visionary function -- but even more than that, we want YOU to get the information you're looking for, while you still can. Oh, and if you sign up to be a member -- I believe that it's free -- you can also contribute your ratings to the user-generated rankings.
There's a Revolution going on...in health care. Get yours now, while it lasts.
Editor's note: The usual "yada." Be sure to consult with a qualified health care practitioner before changing or implementing a course of treatment, to make sure that the choices you make are appropriate and best for you. We are presenting this material as information only, and it's not to be construed as medical advice. If we could, we would; but we can't, so we won't. There, we've said it.
