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Morphine for Trauma Survivors?

Hey, I read an article in the news today that made my mind go all over the place.

NYT - Morphine May Help Traumatic Stress

On one hand, I think it's great that they are now able to decrease some of the more scary (not the right word, but I can't think of a better one) symptoms of PTSD, but it also made me greatly afraid for the people who will be treated with morphine for this purpose. It reminds me of when a person has a cold and is taking cough suppressants; it does nothing to make you healthy, it just hides your sickness. I'm afraid that this will be the same way and that using morphine right after a trauma will just make it harder for the survivor to mentally heal, because symptoms have a purpose: to tell you that something needs to be addressed. In relation to massage, if the morphine treatment does just bury the trauma deeper, will the somatic memory be effectively increased and catch these people too off-guard if a massage stirs something in them?

Does anyone else have thoughts on this?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Dustin Fox on January 14, 2010 at 8:11pm

Well Martha, I recently made some connections with the local VA Hospital Mental Health folks to see if I can do some work with my fellow Veterans and I hope that Morphine is only being used to alleviate physical pain. That is what it was orignially designed to do. Having said that, it may be that the Mental Health Community has always done and will continue to do what the Medical Health Community has done and that is to work from the symptom perspective which is to treat the symptoms and not treat the cause that lead to the symptom's appearance. Without working towards the resolution of the bottom line cause of the trauma they just stay stuck until the next 50 minute session. Anti-depressant Drugs were offered to me as a result of my PTSD symptoms, but I refused them since they are designed to mask the emotional pain. I finally found a shrink who was dedicated to resolution of the causes of my problems. She advised me to get regular massages not just give them and work on working to change my perspective on life. (She became a regular recipient as well) Regarding the somatic memory, it is my experience working with the traumatized/abused that they can get caught off guard during a massage since massage is designed to relax the body of the recipient emotionally. Bad memories are totally an emotional experience that may have started during a battle/beating/divorce/loss of a loved one, but remain long after the physical healing has been taken care of. I have found that the best method of facilitating for them in my practice is to be totally honest with them regarding things like their absolute safety, my respect for them and their situation, treating all interactions as privileged and my willingness to be there for them. I do have a slight advantage in working with Vets because I am one who has survived and moved on. Letting them know that no matter what they say or do during their massage in reaction to the issues that are troubling them, I will not judge, shame or blame them. The main thing is that I really let them know before a session begins that I truly believe and accept that I am there to facilitate a positive outcome for them and that I will honor my commitment to their concerns like safety, respect, privacy and support. I just try to make it easy for them to develop an understanding of self respect, inner trust & self forgiveness. This approach has worked with accident victims, war vets, rape victims and the emotionally neglected and abused. Giving unconditionally is something that has stood me in good stead for my entire massage career. I hope that this helps you and your work with the traumatized/abused. Be well, and God Bless!!!

Permalink Reply by Erica Olson on January 14, 2010 at 9:19pm

Hmmm. A couple of random thoughts:

- a 2007 study involving VA hospitals was released by the AMA in their Archives of Surgery; it focused on the efficacy of massage for post-operative pain management. The results didn't address depression, particularly after the hospital stay of up to 5 days, but I'd bet that the test subjects suffered from post-op depression. I've had quite a number of surgeries myself, and even though I was a) unconscious during the surgery, and b) on morphine afterward, I still have residual trauma and had problems with depression 5-12 days after the incident. Morphine may help, but I'd be suspicious that it blocks the symptoms more than it treats them.

- I wonder how studies involving oxytocin-releasers, such as, say, Ecstasy, would fare in comparison to morphine.

- and if massage releases oxytocin into the system (as that's a big part of what I got out of this), wouldn't massage be just as/more efficient and less habit-forming?

Hmmm, indeed.