| 2/24/2014 11:05:23 PM |
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cowboy4672
Lillian, AL
69, joined Dec. 2012
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When I think about Agent Orange and the claims its birthed I know some are legitimate and deserving .We had the shit dumped everywhere in I Corp when I was there and triple canopy would die practically overnight and look like the moon in a couple days! Nasty shit.It was in the air and water table and nobody is sure how long the chemical life of it is....I know a lot of vets got compensation, but we all drank the water, bathed in it (infrequently usually) and breathed it.The unlucky ones suffered. Others (like me) seemed to have dodged that bullet.
What amazes me is its still there, laying in the ground and water table and the Vietnamese have had their share of birth defects, miscarriages , cancers etc...and probably will for generations yet to come and they haven't asked for restitution or compensation, but guys who spent their entire tour in Cam Rahn Bay are still clogging up the VA looking for a check.....
Just a little side note:
Dow, Monsanto and the US government built the hospital in Nam and paid $900 million in restitution!! The hospital is government healthcare, funded by taxes on Chemical companies in country!!
Monsanto built factories and housing for Viet Cong workers who were affected by agent orange. 
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| 2/25/2014 10:59:16 AM |
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eastfoot
Bossier City, LA
61, joined Jul. 2012
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I was not a nurse but a CHPNA, Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse Aide. There aren't enough nurses to go around so they use certified nurse aides to sit bedside ...it's also cheaper. (Hospice CNAs are not all specialty certified.) My internship was in a retirement/nursing home for nuns. I served as a patient's advocate in every hospital, nursing facility, or mobile home within a 200-mile radius. The shifts were 12+ hours because changes in pt. condition were less likely to go unnoticed. When available LVNs usually stay overnight (a some of them hadn't slept for days). Families without insurance will be advised by a nurse over the phone vs. the visitations. Doctor visits were in unique cases --and I often assisted. The teams of doctors 'n nurses working '8 to 5' are mostly involved with the patient's initial care when coming onto the service then the ongoing support, but I also worked with the triage team on weekends. There were times when we couldn't get to the pt. soon enough. CNAs are the cleanup crew, the ones crying with the families, and many times the only friend a patient had. We protected the rights of the dying. We were called 'death angels' because no one wanted to go near it,,,or go into the secluded sometimes contaminated areas. The pecking order is interesting: RNs do a lot of what MDs used to do, LVNs do a lot of what RNs used to do, and CNAs do a lot of what LVNs used to do,,,and in hospice care, all the sh*t rolls downhill, ha. This was my experience in '08 ...imagine what it's like now. Note, the Oath Keepers are operational with special Civilization Preservation Teams.
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| 2/27/2014 12:01:52 PM |
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eastfoot
Bossier City, LA
61, joined Jul. 2012
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There's a special group of patients though, and I don't mean doctors or nurses as they are well known to be difficult to care for ...they are the men and women who have served in our armed forces, our country's warriors. I was frequently called to assist because I had served in the military ...at least I knew the drill, ha. It didn't seem to matter what the patients were dying from --they had the most difficult time of letting go. It was as if their suffering helped to relieve guilt deeply buried of other lives they had helped to end; in the case of the military, their having survived to return home when other service brethren did not. A picture that endures for me is like that scene in the movie, Saving Private Ryan, where the medic is fatally shot. All the guys instinctively surround him, each one fumbling to help, painfully trying to reassure, then while sharing in the overwhelming loss, they conveyed his not being alone [and not anymore for...].
 “...like we ain't scared and our boots ain't muddy”
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| 3/9/2014 5:31:49 PM |
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mister_e28
El Paso, TX
30, joined Jan. 2014
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If you really want to know how to keep Iit in check. Desensitize yourself to your trigger. Now thehard part is finding ALL your triggers.once yyou've done that, it makes ptsd a little easier. But you will always have that feeling of uncertainty
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| 3/11/2014 12:10:23 PM |
PTSD and how to keep it in check | Page 2 |
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whiskeyrichard1
Burlington, KY
70, joined Sep. 2013
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Jack Daniels and some reefer...always worked for me!
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| 3/16/2014 12:41:58 PM |
PTSD and how to keep it in check | Page 2 |
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eastfoot
Bossier City, LA
61, joined Jul. 2012
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| 3/20/2014 4:46:25 PM |
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d_voted
Winnipeg, MB
64, joined Sep. 2008
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Yeah that's true that's why I made this post to try to bring more light to this situation hopefully be able to help each other with issues.
This forum is unlikely to provide you with any 'serious' responses.
"Suck it up" is an arsehole comment from someone who knows NOTHING about PTSD.
I was diagnosed with PTSD in 2006. I was not in the military so I have no idea what supports are available. I do know that sleeping under the bed or in a closet for a couple of years and isolating even with SSRIs and Sleep medication has not diminished the nightmares.
I live in a good sized city and have no idea where any support groups could be found outside of the military veterans organizations.
As far as I would surmise the military guys have two pressing issues. The first is that the symptoms prevent them from being at their best for either their comrades in the theatre and also prevent them from being the husbands/wives and parents they aspire to be.
The absentmindedness, the blank spells, the fear that someone will find out even though it is obvious to those near us keeps us trapped. We can't put clothing in a washer because we will forget to put it in the dryer by the time it is washed. This is also true of cooking. Leaving the stove on puts everyone in the building at risk.
My experience was that eating, bathing, normal hygiene of brushing teeth or combing or getting a hair cut was irrelevant. My children were teenagers so they were fairly independent and I couldn't work due to the inability to tell what condition I would be in from day to day (or even from morning until afternoon).
Medical attention has kept me alive as well as the realization that my daughters needed my presence and income to complete their studies. They also had to be counseled by a professional so that they would realize that my memory loss was not because I didn't care about them - it was a symptom of the PTSD. Therefore I was not dissing them by no showing up to pick them up at school. They had to accommodate for this memory malfunction by calling me to remind me on the day I was supposed to pick them up. Then I could get there.
I was also fortunate enough to get a disability pension which was NOT a lump sum. I would have been an easy prey for some smooth talking salesperson and found myself with a mortgage then unable to continue paying for it after the money ran out. A monthly income is preferable as this hasn't ended for me.
Nightmares are a fact of life for me as is the apprehension I feel getting into or out of an elevator. Unusual sounds have a greater impact on me than they did before - even my own cell phone ringing makes me jump sometimes. And there is no predicting when or what triggers these feelings of foreboding.
In this Datehookup site you will get a lot more crazies than in the world around you. Many here are such a mess they live in their folly, isolated by their computers and feel the need to comment on anything and everything no matter how serious or frivolous. They are like flies attracted to feces and sweet fruits or vegetables alike.
In my case I needed to look for another purpose. It had to be something that I could do on my own time without pressure or time constraints. I will need help to accomplish some of these things. Writing, drawing and painting are the mainstays of my useless existence now because I can toss anything that the next day looks like it was done by an imbecile. I do, however have some pieces of writing and art work that has proven to be OK.
I am having a written piece published in the newsletter of the Canadian Mental Health and Manitoba Schizophrenia Society. It is an essay on PTSD.
To get out of the house without anyone talking to me I have been going to a couple of live music clubs and drawing the musicians. I used to give away the drawings but then someone asked me to save a few for an art show (10 pieces). This art show led me to another art show which will be presented at the Seven Oaks Hospital. 40 pieces of pencil and charcoal drawings, matted and put on display will be done for either late April or mid May. It allowed me to go to the 'social' bar WITHOUT drinking and also, because I was busy drawing no one talked to me. Therefore I did not have to explain anything.
Explaining is hard because the first question is, "What is your name?" and the second question is, "What do you do?" The second question brings one shame and embarrassment. As a man you are 'supposed' to be the protector/provider. When that is no longer possible then I felt 'less than'. The realization that God is the protector/provider helped but not in a social context.
I could be in a social context, go back an sleep under the bed, and the loneliness wasn't so crushing. Eventually I met some people who accepted me as I am. Kindness and generosity of spirit was what I had left and that was about all - so I used that.
I don't know if this is of any use to you. My mind is starting to fade and I suspect I need a nap. If I keep writing it will likely drift off into some tangent with no return.
Don't put a bullet in your head. See a medical doctor. Be honest with yourself and others.
D  <<<< we're all in this together buddy.
PS: AVOID ALCOHOL AND DRUGS <<< it impedes your capacity or reason and make sound decisions.
[Edited 3/20/2014 4:47:35 PM ]
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| 3/20/2014 4:56:55 PM |
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d_voted
Winnipeg, MB
64, joined Sep. 2008
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Jack Daniels and some reefer...always worked for me!
Your comments prove how well that is working for you. Drunk - Stoned and Stupid.
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| 3/20/2014 5:23:26 PM |
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whiskeyrichard1
Burlington, KY
70, joined Sep. 2013
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Hey dirkdiggler mustache man...you probably GOT "YOUR" PTSD IN JAIL AFTER BEING TURNED OUT..GO THE FKK AWAY...this is a veterans group..besides,I think you probably suffer from PMS..not the same shitbag.
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| 3/26/2014 10:15:14 AM |
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eastfoot
Bossier City, LA
61, joined Jul. 2012
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| 3/26/2014 10:27:33 AM |
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whiskeyrichard1
Burlington, KY
70, joined Sep. 2013
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"dirk diggler mustache man"..quote- "I was not in the military"...nuff said! Now go watch hockey or ice fish or do whatever.
So you will know ahole, Canada didn't engage in Vietnam. Instead it gave refuge to Americans who fled our country to avoid the draft. But hundreds, perhaps thousands of your countrymen enlisted in our armed forces and served in Vietnam. One won the Medal of Honor, our highest military decoration....I respect Canadians ,but you are nothing more a "hair in a biscuit" --an annoyance with no place at the table...say goodbye!
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| 3/26/2014 11:11:52 AM |
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1irving
Ruskin, FL
56, joined Mar. 2013
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Jack Daniels and some reefer...always worked for me!
not so much the weed anymore, way too strong for me, I'm a one hit winner.
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| 3/26/2014 2:22:17 PM |
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whiskeyrichard1
Burlington, KY
70, joined Sep. 2013
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If Im having trouble getting to sleep I'll burn a bowl, maybe have a shot. Put on the Allman Brothers or Eagles...works for me....ain't for everybody but it keeps me off going to the docs and making up symptoms to get some help. Stress is rough, it'll kill. My stress level today I think is just normal, its not related to any one thing and its not oppresive....living has its pressures but it sure beats the alternative. Overall, I got it good and I know it!
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| 3/28/2014 9:14:04 PM |
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eurogal1973
Macungie, PA
43, joined Dec. 2013
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Has anyone used a pet as a way to help overcome PTSD??? I once saw a video for Pets for Patriots. A Vet decided to adopt a pet to help him overcome PTSD and how much the dog helped him. Anyone who has experience with that. I am curious about this. Been thinking of opening a Sanctuary to help pets, & those who are hurting. Something similar to a wolf sanctuary in CA who works in conjunction with soldiers returning from warzones. That has been my dream.
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| 3/29/2014 9:39:24 AM |
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jrbogie1949
Ventura, CA
68, joined Mar. 2009
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i've always had a dog. maybe that's why i never had ptsd. 
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| 4/11/2014 5:42:55 PM |
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bensont2
Covington, KY
29, joined Mar. 2014
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This actually a question i would like answered. My unit got back from Afghanistan in april 2011. I was fine. But this past summer, i had a panic/anxiety flip out mode attack during a fireworks display outside my house. I was in a ball crying for bout an hr. Since then, nothing happened until recently when i had an anxiety/panic attack thing happen while i was somewhere new and was triggered. ive set up and appt with the VA but does anyone have ideas on what i can do? is this symptoms starting to show or just anxiety? 
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| 4/11/2014 5:45:25 PM |
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cs1986
Butler, KY
31, joined Aug. 2012
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Whiskey does the trick for me
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| 4/11/2014 6:55:44 PM |
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1irving
Ruskin, FL
56, joined Mar. 2013
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Been to my VFW? Try the "Vet Center", google it
[Edited 4/11/2014 6:56:44 PM ]
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| 4/12/2014 8:10:10 AM |
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jrbogie1949
Ventura, CA
68, joined Mar. 2009
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This actually a question i would like answered. My unit got back from Afghanistan in april 2011. I was fine. But this past summer, i had a panic/anxiety flip out mode attack during a fireworks display outside my house. I was in a ball crying for bout an hr. Since then, nothing happened until recently when i had an anxiety/panic attack thing happen while i was somewhere new and was triggered. ive set up and appt with the VA but does anyone have ideas on what i can do? is this symptoms starting to show or just anxiety?
wish i could help. good luck.
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| 4/12/2014 6:27:41 PM |
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whiskeyrichard1
Burlington, KY
70, joined Sep. 2013
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All I can say is time passes and things get better. I don't know if I ever had
"PTSD" but I had my moments when stuff bothered me. I probably did it all wrong-I drank, smoked weed and chased women until I finally settled down, got a job and started focusing on the road ahead. Then I drank some more (was working in a distillery) grew some weed (never sold it, just smoked it or gave it away) and chased some more women....then I became a game warden and carried a gun everyday! But these kind of memories are vivid but yet they come and go. I just think a strong individual can overcome trauma and I think you are STRONG lady! Hang in there...
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| 4/12/2014 9:55:34 PM |
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deannabailes
Pueblo, CO
34, joined Oct. 2013
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I'm not a military anything but I command you for reaching out.
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| 4/13/2014 4:23:14 AM |
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bier95
Clara City, MN
66, joined May. 2011
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I did a lot of crazy things when I got out. Drank way to much, wrecked a few cars doing that. We all have it in us to over power PTSD. We just have to find the thing that triggers it and try to get past that. It's not always easy, but it can be done. Best of luck to you.
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| 4/14/2014 7:13:46 PM |
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layla22
Boulder, CO
97, joined Jun. 2008
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initiating a quick courtship and quick marriage-----especially to a woman with a lifelong history of looking for people's buttons to push, and then pushing them again and again----
would not appear to be advisable within a few months after returning from deployment.
throw in obvious personal needs to be bullishly powerful and in control, military police training and assignment, personal immaturity and conflicts with own and others' families, a stated history of rowdiness, alcohol use and dubious choices in women, other major life changes piling on such as a geographic move, new community, beginning college, not working, beginning a new, strongly religious life with somebody who could be termed a evangelistic, fundamentalist "bible freak", leaving behind one's precious tv watching and action video games due to the new wife's Christian beliefs, insisting upon approving/controlling her contact with her family and what advice she can take from them, and you have a reciple for disaster*.
(*not to mention two obvious flares, noted in less than an hour, of the behaviors associated with the self-stated PTSD diagnosis.)
"slow down" can sometimes be very good advice to a PTSD'er rushing headlong from the frying pan into the fire.
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| 4/15/2014 8:58:42 AM |
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whiskeyrichard1
Burlington, KY
70, joined Sep. 2013
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I think figuring out the problem yourself and working on it as best you can is helpful, because eventually its just that -"your problem". I don't know if I had the "clinical" symptoms of PTSD but I knew when I came home that something was really different with me and that some of my behavior was reckless, especially the months before I was ETS'ed and got my discharge and winding down the calendar on my enlistment. I never hurt anyone else but I was pretty rough on myself. I was briefly married (still don't know what happened to her and don't care). I tried college and was not impressed and restless. All the while I had depression and a real sense of loneliness, like I was missing something and I was-I missed my unit. I couldn't watch the news on TV, pictures from Vietnam bothered me and the only time I talked about it was with other vets. I spent a lot of time drinking and certain things would cause a momentary flashback, certain smells, summer rain, hearing chopper blades...I didn't like noise or crowds.So working in the distillery was a good place for me because most the time I was alone or with one other guy.
Eventually I came out of it.It takes time.
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| 4/15/2014 11:00:35 AM |
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gdaddy47
Columbia, TN
69, joined Sep. 2009
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Bensont2 Why do you think a fireworks show would set off an anxiety attack in you? We you in several firefights or under attack often? Don't know your experiences over there so it's hard to really advise.
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| 4/15/2014 11:03:14 AM |
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gdaddy47
Columbia, TN
69, joined Sep. 2009
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Bensont2, were you under attack over there or in any firefights? Don't know your situation or experiences to be able to advise you.
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| 6/6/2014 1:30:19 AM |
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peachy1954
Sacramento, CA
63, joined Oct. 2010
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Has anyone used a pet as a way to help overcome PTSD??? I once saw a video for Pets for Patriots. A Vet decided to adopt a pet to help him overcome PTSD and how much the dog helped him. Anyone who has experience with that. I am curious about this. Been thinking of opening a Sanctuary to help pets, & those who are hurting. Something similar to a wolf sanctuary in CA who works in conjunction with soldiers returning from warzones. That has been my dream.[/quote
Having a pet can if the persons' PTSD is not severe or rebounding be a plus. If it helps them be more social and get out doors for fresh air, sunlight, and exercise it can be a positive. However the strain of having a pet , additional expenses on limited budgets, barriers pet ownership create to finding/keeping housing / seeking treatment or traveling, greif and sense of failure if a pet becomes a problem or dies can exacerbate symptoms and actually make true PTSD, Depression, COPD and a variety of other symptoms much worse. A nervous yappy or ageing pet can put a serious train on a chronic condition.
A person who has chronic bouts, drinks, over medicates, is hyper reactive, or feels unreasonably threatened can neglect or abuse a pet. Many animals are NOT conducive to being therapy animals.
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| 6/6/2014 5:22:56 AM |
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ladybugg76
Columbus, GA
40, joined Apr. 2014
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This actually a question i would like answered. My unit got back from Afghanistan in april 2011. I was fine. But this past summer, i had a panic/anxiety flip out mode attack during a fireworks display outside my house. I was in a ball crying for bout an hr. Since then, nothing happened until recently when i had an anxiety/panic attack thing happen while i was somewhere new and was triggered. ive set up and appt with the VA but does anyone have ideas on what i can do? is this symptoms starting to show or just anxiety?
I had a panic attack at my sons middle school graduation. Figure out what situations to avoid, what your triggers are. Go to a shooting range with a friend to see if it's the noise or smell. Crowds bother me. It's gotten better, but I still have to stay on the edge. There are usually warning signs before an attack is imminent. Learn to recognize them. And get help. Va counseling is free and helps.
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| 6/6/2014 11:20:01 AM |
PTSD and how to keep it in check | Page 2 |
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peachy1954
Sacramento, CA
63, joined Oct. 2010
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I had a panic attack at my sons middle school graduation. Figure out what situations to avoid, what your triggers are. Go to a shooting range with a friend to see if it's the noise or smell. Crowds bother me. It's gotten better, but I still have to stay on the edge. There are usually warning signs before an attack is imminent. Learn to recognize them. And get help. Va counseling is free and helps.
Yes counseling can help VA or other wise. Combat is far from the only cause of PTSD.
The National Alliance For the Mentally Ill has an excellent collection of written resources to include media smart DVD and bi-lingual information, conferences, and peer support groups. You can through your public library system find excellent books by working with inner library loan and bookmobile services.
Almost every major hospital system has a Patient Professional library open to your use. They also sponsor free highly skilled peer facilitators for their groups. Often referrals and handouts.
Every major, many minor, metropolitan areas have free Federally funded Independent Living Centers.
A great deal of free printed material on PTSD and other health issues is provided through your state and federal publication offices.
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| 6/7/2014 4:25:12 AM |
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d_voted
Winnipeg, MB
64, joined Sep. 2008
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All I can say is time passes and things get better. I don't know if I ever had
"PTSD" but I had my moments when stuff bothered me. I probably did it all wrong-I drank, smoked weed and chased women until I finally settled down, got a job and started focusing on the road ahead. Then I drank some more (was working in a distillery) grew some weed (never sold it, just smoked it or gave it away) and chased some more women....then I became a game warden and carried a gun everyday! But these kind of memories are vivid but yet they come and go. I just think a strong individual can overcome trauma and I think you are STRONG lady! Hang in there...
You would be advised to take Eurogal1074's advice and get a dog.
Then you can drink whiskey, smoke your brains out and F the dog. No sane woman will tolerate a whisky swillin' dope smokin' swine unless she is a whiskey swillin' dope smokin' sow (which might be just right for you).
Furthermore no sane person considers Viet Nam to have been a just or justifiable war. The thousands of lost lives (American and Viet Cong) profited the military industrial complex that your president Eisenhower warned about. He was right and your ideological mania is what keeps your country in a spiral downward.
You would be well advised to listen to the Mennonites and the Amish for a few decades so your country can rebuild itself on sound theological and sustainable principles.
You and the rest of your 'tough guys' that don't recognize PTSD (in or outside of the military) are like those who think they should drive home because they are too drunk to walk. It makes sense to them and only to them.
D
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| 6/7/2014 4:28:03 AM |
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d_voted
Winnipeg, MB
64, joined Sep. 2008
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PTSD – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (DSM IV) text book
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Dr Rob Hicks
The symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder usually develop within three months of a traumatic event
In this article:
Could you have PTSD?
Research
Psychological therapies
Further help
For many people, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) conjures up images of Vietnam war veterans. Although their experiences did bring the problem into the spotlight, PTSD was actually first described more than 100 years ago among people involved in accidents on Victorian trains.
PTSD is now recognized as a debilitating consequence of been involved in, or simply witnessing, many different alarming events, from natural disasters such as floods, to sudden unexpected bereavement, or even been diagnosed with cancer.
Perhaps the greatest risk of PTSD is from violent attacks. For example, 50 per cent of people who are raped develop the condition - read one victim's diary at: www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2000/300_ptsd.html
Could you have PTSD?
The symptoms of PTSD usually develop within three months of a traumatic event, although sometimes they don't appear until a year later, and must persist for at least a month for PTSD to be diagnosed. There are three main types of symptoms:
Intrusion, the event is constantly revisited in the persons mind: flashbacks (sudden unwanted vivid memories, such as reliving the event) painful emotions.
Avoidance:
numbness and loss of deep feelings
depression, guilt and anxiety
retreat from relationships
avoidance of activities that may trigger memories of the event
avoidance of dealing with the grief and anger
avoidance of symptoms by using "self-medication" with alcohol or drugs, problems with drug and alcohol abuse.
Increased arousal, the feeling of constant threat can lead to:
very short temper
irritable emotions
anger
difficulty concentrating
disrupted sleep and nightmares
poor mental and work performance.
Research
Research is helping to point out specific areas of the brain that are involved in PTSD, particularly in generating the state of anxiety and fear, which is typical of the condition. For example, there is some evidence that an area deep within the brain called the Amygdala, which is thought to control the body's fear response, may be abnormally activated in PTSD.
Other research has found abnormalities in the production of hormones involved in stress, in levels of naturally produced opiate chemicals, and in levels of neurotransmitters - the chemicals that control brain cell activity.
There's masses of info on research into PTSD at: www.ncptsd.org - or at the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies: www.istss.org.
Psychological therapies
Top tips
Understanding is essential to beating PTSD: Recognize the symptoms and learn as much as you can about it: try the Sidran Traumatic Stress Foundation - an American charity devoted to PTSD: www.sidran.org
Develop your own strategies for coping or helping loved ones cope.
Don't be afraid to ask for help.
Try to be optimistic. It can take time, but most people recover.
A few people recover from PTSD within months, but, for some, it can last many years. Treatment is based on a combination of psychological therapies and medication such as drugs for depression and anxiety.
Cognitive-behavioural helps people to understand their condition and their thought processes, and learn how to change their behaviour or reaction to their symptoms, with techniques such as anger control or breathing techniques to manage anxiety.
Exposure therapy can also be helpful, although it may seem stressful at first because it involves confronting the fears and reliving the event with the therapist to help the person learn how to cope.
You can find a detailed overview of treatment at: www.ncptsd.org For more information, visit the Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society website, Combat Stress - at www.combatstress.com. The Society is the only charity dedicated to offering care, comfort and reassurance, backed by skilled clinical support, for men and women of all ranks and all services suffering from varying degrees of mental illness as a result of traumatic battle experiences.
Further help
Traumatic Stress Service
Institute of Psychiatry
King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF
Tel: 020 7703 5411
Copied from the BBC website
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| 6/7/2014 9:15:26 AM |
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whiskeyrichard1
Burlington, KY
70, joined Sep. 2013
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Hey mustache.Go f*ck yourself
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| 6/7/2014 10:06:19 AM |
PTSD and how to keep it in check | Page 2 |
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whiskeyrichard1
Burlington, KY
70, joined Sep. 2013
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Hey rump rider...aint you confusing PTSD with PMS? You could have one but not the other.The most combat you ever saw was in the shower with a hockey stick ...ouch!
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| 6/7/2014 10:52:55 AM |
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eastfoot
Bossier City, LA
61, joined Jul. 2012
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| 6/7/2014 11:07:33 AM |
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eastfoot
Bossier City, LA
61, joined Jul. 2012
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| 6/7/2014 6:58:56 PM |
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peachy1954
Sacramento, CA
63, joined Oct. 2010
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One of the facts of dealing with PTSD is there are people who will bully you and assume facts that are not proven.
Often the more you try to explain the more aggressive and abusive they will become. Some actually have PTSD but prefer to deny it and wait until it is so fully out of control that they hurt themselves; or someone else, besides just with their lies and abusive comments. Sometimes it is just jealousy that PTSD is a diagnosable condition and their personality problems quite evidently is not being treated. Sadly culture changes slowly and being abusive towards people with mental health issues is still one of the "allowed" forms of discrimination but realizing that NOT everyone finds that acceptable and you will have allies in and out of the military is really important.
Even though bullying a disabled person is a crime both civilian; and in the military system the best way to deal with them is to ignore them until they actually do something actionable rather than just being obnoxious/ignorant. And yes some active duty personnel do have PTSD, but manage it so well that they can stay in the ranks. PTSD does have a wide range of symptoms. Which bullying can actually make worse so one of the first things you will learn in support groups is to deal with these unfortunate interactions.
Beyond that are people who will give you advice that flies in absolute opposition to any known information in regards to effective treatment or solid health practices. Specifically the abuse of sex, drugs, alcohol, even combining them, and denying something is not right when you know darn good and well is.
As commonsence-ical as it is to know this is balogne it is tempting to when you are scared by your symptoms, angry and grieving that you are drawing the tough cards life some times deals out, it sounds tempting to do what you know is stupid. NOT that it isn't human to be stupid sometimes but with a chronic health issue the costs are higher. Mainly because the more things you do that make you have more anxiety the worse you feel.
And while using treatment medication can often, not always, reduce symptoms and make you a normally functioning person fairly quick until you learn other treatments you play Russian roulette abusing them or mixing them with pot or alcohol and will slow down or trash your recovery. *Sidebar; I am not a tea-totaller but if you really don't enjoy your PTSD symptoms how is it going to be a bad idea to take some factors out of the equation until you recover? Or during a time you might have a harder time coping with PTSD?
It really isn't rocket science to figure out what is going to set your PTSD off. The first episode might come as a shock and overwhelm but usually you can, when you get a diagnosis; turn down the volume or head them off at the pass. And if you have a bad day you still will survive and thrive on another so think of it as a disorder of your life and see what you can learn from it. Many find after awhile it is really a lot.
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| 6/8/2014 12:07:51 PM |
PTSD and how to keep it in check | Page 2 |
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eastfoot
Bossier City, LA
61, joined Jul. 2012
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| 8/12/2014 3:57:39 PM |
PTSD and how to keep it in check | Page 2 |
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xjp5x
Hurst, TX
39, joined Feb. 2008
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Outfreakin standing dvoted... the more who read your def. the better
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| 8/13/2014 7:39:54 AM |
PTSD and how to keep it in check | Page 2 |
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1irving
Ruskin, FL
56, joined Mar. 2013
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Stay busy
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| 9/14/2014 11:14:20 AM |
PTSD and how to keep it in check | Page 2 |
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verginmenot
Saint Cloud, MN
42, joined Aug. 2014
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At my va hospital here there is a ptsd track and getting into it is pretty hard but when you do from what I hear it works well ..some people go back but again it's a really nice program....
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| 9/17/2014 9:21:37 PM |
PTSD and how to keep it in check | Page 2 |
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wookie919
Akron, OH
36, joined Mar. 2007
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I have been in the VA system being treated for PTSD since 2008 and the best help I have found is actively taking medications counseling but most helpful is the OIF/OEF group that my local VA had unfortunately due to budget they cut it but I still try to meet with the guys once a month. The other thing that has helped me is locking myself in the garage and restoring an old truck I do have skill but still learn as I go and it's just me and the machine no emotion no feelings and it's a time for me to just be with my thought and try to fix something even if I can't fix myself
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| 9/23/2014 8:53:58 PM |
PTSD and how to keep it in check | Page 2 |
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rhetty24
Virginia Beach, VA
42, joined Aug. 2014
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Talking to buddies is the best thing I have ever done! It's therapy and we also know each other well enough to trust each other as well as keep each other in check.
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| 9/25/2014 11:43:12 AM |
PTSD and how to keep it in check | Page 2 |
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whiskeyrichard1
Burlington, KY
70, joined Sep. 2013
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| 9/27/2014 5:06:35 AM |
PTSD and how to keep it in check | Page 2 |
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msangelrn69
Southern Pines, NC
53, joined Jul. 2014
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Walking in the woods..no crowds..buddy system for crisis calls...learning your triggers.. sh*tloads of ativan to sublingual. ..staying away from the psych ward and people at the VA who I swear try to get you to lose you temper on purpose so they can call security and give you a shot and lock you up for however many days they want..One on one with a decent shrink but they always get rid of the good ones at the VA. ..having damned good friends who can relate with ya
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