Drug Treatment for Trauma Victims

I just noticed on Yahoo a feature on a drug commonly used to lower blood pressure, propranolol, that supposedly can reduce the salience of memories of traumatic events. This is hopeful news for people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Apparently, propranolol decreases the amount of epinephrine (adrenaline) in the amygdala which amounts to a decreased fear response to the memory. The memory would therefore be seen as a more harmless event and would not come to the individual's conscious attention as readily.

The drug has stirred some controversy, however. Some say that the drug takes away control from the victim and takes away some of the psychic energy that drives people to follow through with handling the effects of the trauma (for example, a rape victim telling the police about the incident). Some are even concerned the drug can be used by criminal offenders to reduce the guilt of their actions.

IMHO, I believe that hurtful experiences should not be looked at as completely bad. Suffering can promote growth. However, to say that a person should forever bear with a traumatic event because they need to believe they have control seems to underestimate the effects of such an event. Trauma can have serious effects on a person's health and mental well-being. I hope that propranolol turns out to be useful in helping individual's with PTSD, especially given the probable increase of PTSD that will occur from those who have served in the war in Iraq.