Returning To Veteran Only Community

[anthony]

After reading through everything here... and taking into account all aspects and then my own desires for what this forum is to become, I have decided that this forum will return to a veterans only forum.

Now I know supporters may get all upset about this, and that is fine, however; supporters have never been left in the dark prior to when I felt pressured to allow them onto this forum in the first place, as PTSD Forum itself has always been the main forum where supporters are encouraged to seek assistance.

So one cannot say they are not supported, or understood, or such a forum exists for your support, because it has so for nearly six years now, being PTSD Forum.

All accounts not held by veterans will be banned from this forum over the coming weeks. Any new accounts registered by supporters will be banned immediately.

The supporter section will be immediately closed and hidden, and once the feature to import that data into PTSD Forum becomes available, that is where the content will be moved to.

 

[anthony]

As a result of the current revert on spouses, I have changed the style and logo to encompass the very specifics of what this community is... so ignorance can be no excuse and a person would have to be blind to miss the header information which thus will appear on every single page.

 

[anthony]

My advice to all supporter accounts, is to logout, so your username does not showup as online here, thus your account will not need to be banned, thus impeding you from viewing this website.

 

[MyRangers'Girl]

Just read this, will no longer return.

 

[gibrokedown]

anthony i just want to say i think it's a good idea. I find civvies to be a huge trigger for my anger and many other vets feel the same way. if we are to help one another the civvies who are spouses should find a learning site where they can find out about ptsd without upsetting us vets with ptsd. I am not attempting to offend the spouses or gfs in anyway, I am speaking from a ptsd frame of mind.

 

[Jimmy1]

Hey Elise, just so you know, the forum used to have spouses/supporters/carers on here. In the one part they gave us insight into how it looks from the other side of the fence, but in the long run, and in the second part, some took offence as we veterans can not be nice people sometimes.

 

[gibrokedown]

I've heard enough of that other side of the fence that i can stand....oh there's that not so nice person again coming out to play LOL

 

[humptynugget]

I know im only a new member but i understand your action ,i went onto the facebook ptsd sites hoping for some support and guidance and found a load of people trying to flog cures for ptsd , deranged hippies offering thier therapy and ptsd groupies [they do exist] and generally a bunch of civvies with no idea of what Combat ptsd is , as there is a big difference between ptsd and combat ptsd , im not saying that one is any worse than the other but there is a big difference that not everybody understands.
I set up my own veterans only facebook page but events in my life made me have to give it up as i had to concentrate on my own personal welfare, i really appreciate what you are doing here it really helps to talk to people who know what ive been through and can relate to me and offer support and advice and maybe i can help others too with whats worked for me and what hasnt.
We are not alone, there are thousands of us and no one else seems to give a shit, certainly not the governments that sent us to those places , cannon fodder springs to mind !..or a "land fit for heroes", nothing changes does it , the only real help ive had is from charities , my GP has admitted he doesnt have a clue with me as he isnt a shrink , so its up to us to help ourselves and you for giving us a voice and an outlet.

 

[gibrokedown]

I know im only a new member but i understand your action ,i went onto the facebook ptsd sites hoping for some support and guidance and found a load of people trying to flog cures for ptsd , deranged hippies offering thier therapy and ptsd groupies [they do exist] and generally a bunch of civvies with no idea of what Combat ptsd is , as there is a big difference between ptsd and combat ptsd , im not saying that one is any worse than the other but there is a big difference that not everybody understands.
I set up my own veterans only facebook page but events in my life made me have to give it up as i had to concentrate on my own personal welfare, i really appreciate what you are doing here it really helps to talk to people who know what ive been through and can relate to me and offer support and advice and maybe i can help others too with whats worked for me and what hasnt.
We are not alone, there are thousands of us and no one else seems to give a shit, certainly not the governments that sent us to those places , cannon fodder springs to mind !..or a "land fit for heroes", nothing changes does it , the only real help ive had is from charities , my GP has admitted he doesnt have a clue with me as he isnt a shrink , so its up to us to help ourselves and you for giving us a voice and an outlet.

yes honey there is. one is called PTSD as you well know. the other is complex PTSD, which is what you know as combat PTSD. and sorry to say but combat is worse. it is much closer to psychosis than the first. most people who have regular PTSD therapy is a miracle cure for them and they go out preaching to everyone and try saying we are like them, when we are NOT> we were trained to kill. there is a huge difference here. we were trained to have a kill point. a point where we standby until it's time to Snap per se. they never had those things. we were brainwashed. they weren't. yes they had trauma and i will never say any type of trauma is good but you cannot compare it to a brain that has been trained as ours has and sees the things our eyes and bodies experience then try to come back and get therapy this therapy that spit at us like children. now listen to the other combat vets on what works. tune out what the civvies say. ok. stick with the vets that have the same issues, the same living problems. etc.. we understand. I myself have not found a way out of PTSD. combat includes hallucinations, psychotic breaks, visuals that most normal ptsders don't have. and we have severeeeeeee anger issues which "victims" don't usually have or are able to control them in a different way, they were raised differently. they were taught anger is bad. we were taught anger saves our lives. do you understand? if i ever find something that works for me...trust me you will ALL KNOW!

 

[humptynugget]

yes honey there is. one is called PTSD as you well know. the other is complex PTSD, which is what you know as combat PTSD. and sorry to say but combat is worse. it is much closer to psychosis than the first. most people who have regular PTSD therapy is a miracle cure for them and they go out preaching to everyone and try saying we are like them, when we are NOT> we were trained to kill. there is a huge difference here. we were trained to have a kill point. a point where we standby until it's time to Snap per se. they never had those things. we were brainwashed. they weren't. yes they had trauma and i will never say any type of trauma is good but you cannot compare it to a brain that has been trained as ours has and sees the things our eyes and bodies experience then try to come back and get therapy this therapy that spit at us like children. now listen to the other combat vets on what works. tune out what the civvies say. ok. stick with the vets that have the same issues, the same living problems. etc.. we understand. I myself have not found a way out of PTSD. combat includes hallucinations, psychotic breaks, visuals that most normal ptsders don't have. and we have severeeeeeee anger issues which "victims" don't usually have or are able to control them in a different way, they were raised differently. they were taught anger is bad. we were taught anger saves our lives. do you understand? if i ever find something that works for me...trust me you will ALL KNOW!

Fair point , never really thought about it like that , yes i was indoctrinated into becoming a soldier which involves taking life, and marching on the spot with a fixed bayonett shouting ..kill...kill..kill in training ,and being a position where you are expected to take a life if neccesssary and to see and do the things ive seen and done in the sheer intensity and volume that i have would deem combat ptsd on a slightly different level than ptsd.
I am really scared about the level of rage and anger that i have, i know what im capable of and i will , if im not careful end up in prison or hospital or the morgue.

 

[Lee C]

Where u living in UK now mate could hook up for a chin wag and put the world to right, no pressure though mate?

 

[Jimmy1]

yes honey there is. one is called PTSD as you well know. the other is complex PTSD, which is what you know as combat PTSD.

Hey Elise, just to clear it up, Complex PTSD is not Combat PTSD. The events connected to Complex PTSD are similar to those of what we call Combat PTSD. Combat PTSD actually does not exist in the medical world, its just PTSD.

We are different though. PTSD usually relates to one off events such as natural disasters. rape. car accidents etc, where Complex PTSD is diagnosed for those who have been exposed to long term trauma. Yes, us as veterans are exposed to periods of trauma over a sustained time, however, it is more referring to someone held captive with sustained abuse. Here are some examples:

• Concentration Camps
• POW camps
• Long Term Domestic Violence
• Long Term severe physical abuse
• Child sexual abuse, and
• Organized child exploitation rings.

The psych's are working on branching Combat PTSD into its own entity as we fall under a total different set of circumstances. For starters we are conditioned by training (brainwashed) to some extent prior to us being deployed.
When we are deployed we often remain on that heightened state of alert for the full deployment; however, generally our traumas are not sustained every minute of every day for months or years on end like some of the people in the above list.
We are exposed to multiple traumas over a long period of time though. For example, going on patrol daily and having incoming and rounds whizzing around your head. Most of the time though you return to a compound or safe base. Whether you sleep or not is another story, but unless you are on a long range patrol into the badlands, you generally only patrol for up to a week or so, then return.
I am not trying to put you down, I just want to make it clear to everyone so the wrong information is not given.
This is also why Anthony broke us away from the other two forums. There is a forum for general PTSD, a forum for sexual abuse and our forum for those who have been in combat.
Hope I have explained it well enough.