Hi. I'm a vet, suffering from combat PTSD over the last 40 years. When first treated, I was treated by what is now called PET (Prolonged Exposure Therapy). It worked with only a few minor 'tilts' over the years. Those tilts were controlled by the foreign hospital's coping mechanisms. Until it didn't (Ukraine war, and personal reasons).
Wham! That hit me hard, the flashbacks and nightmares came back, hyper-vigilance, and all the other "Gifts" PTSD can give you.
Eventually we got the UK's NHS involved. You have no idea how hard that was.
Still no money meant 2nd best or nothing.
Their treatment path for vets was all "tick list" therapy and remotely delivered, which didn't sit well with me. Why? Are you a number or a person? I'm a person so that caused immediate friction. Being told to do this and that and everything will be perfect.
Only it wasn't all the time and I told them what problems I had experienced.
It's not advisable to give negative feedback to a GenZ and gets the comment, "You're not trying". Treatment was 40 minute sessions with bizarre things involving breathing, counting from 5 to 1 and then 1 to 5. Others wanted me to Rewrite nightmares to give them a happy ending, and lessons about windows. WTH has windows to do with PTSD!
I tried to explain my history AGAIN to the NHS contractor. . . . to a blank wall.
How can you treat someone without knowing what caused an illness?????
Finally, wearing a bracelet, counting, breathing, and more of the same, until I demanded to speak to a real doctor. For me it was simple I told a psychologist. Daytime following a good night sleep was manageable but nights were the problem and always had been. "We'll discuss this in our 'group huddle' was the reply." My heart sank.
Back to Ms. Gen.Z who had absolutely no idea about the armed forces and what combat can do to a person. Or, it seems, working with PTSD sufferers with well tuned BS meters and short fuses. One particular session enraged me so much that I terminated the meeting before I said something I would have regretted.
Next thing I know is a warning letter. I was accused of being biased against females, racial bias, and my asking of personal experience of the trainee "therapist" as regards combat had made her feel 'uncomfortable'.
I read it, the wife did and we both thought "Grow up little britches!" It seems that breaking contact had been taken as a personal affront. All I could think after that was a street definition of Gen Z. A mix of positive activism, entitled beyond reason, and mindless bullshit. Bottom line? We thought the end was close and sure enough, a letter arrived a few days later. Discharged! Sod off sort of thing.
So what happened about the prolonged exposure therapy (PET)?
Apparently NICE (UK's national institute for clinical excellence) didn't think PET was effective or cost effective. (Remember those two words, cost effective).
End of the line, they won't provide it. Despite me pointing out that the US VA use PET as the gold standard when treating PSTD in veterans.
I know why as do other vets. For PET to work well, it needs to be tailored to suit the patient, it can take weeks, face to face, and the therapist has to be trained to use it.
Against that the NHS contractors was using a student to deliver content, to some VERY damaged people. As for the cost? UK NHS and their subcontractors making money is way more preferable to providing the best treatments.
Where now for me? We can't afford private PET, so outwardly I'm SNAFU.
Nah, I don't accept that in anything I do, so it's DIY time, and heal thyself.
Another trait of a vet. We don't give up easy but our hissy fits can be spectacular.
Wham! That hit me hard, the flashbacks and nightmares came back, hyper-vigilance, and all the other "Gifts" PTSD can give you.
Eventually we got the UK's NHS involved. You have no idea how hard that was.
Still no money meant 2nd best or nothing.
Their treatment path for vets was all "tick list" therapy and remotely delivered, which didn't sit well with me. Why? Are you a number or a person? I'm a person so that caused immediate friction. Being told to do this and that and everything will be perfect.
Only it wasn't all the time and I told them what problems I had experienced.
It's not advisable to give negative feedback to a GenZ and gets the comment, "You're not trying". Treatment was 40 minute sessions with bizarre things involving breathing, counting from 5 to 1 and then 1 to 5. Others wanted me to Rewrite nightmares to give them a happy ending, and lessons about windows. WTH has windows to do with PTSD!
I tried to explain my history AGAIN to the NHS contractor. . . . to a blank wall.
How can you treat someone without knowing what caused an illness?????
Finally, wearing a bracelet, counting, breathing, and more of the same, until I demanded to speak to a real doctor. For me it was simple I told a psychologist. Daytime following a good night sleep was manageable but nights were the problem and always had been. "We'll discuss this in our 'group huddle' was the reply." My heart sank.
Back to Ms. Gen.Z who had absolutely no idea about the armed forces and what combat can do to a person. Or, it seems, working with PTSD sufferers with well tuned BS meters and short fuses. One particular session enraged me so much that I terminated the meeting before I said something I would have regretted.
Next thing I know is a warning letter. I was accused of being biased against females, racial bias, and my asking of personal experience of the trainee "therapist" as regards combat had made her feel 'uncomfortable'.
I read it, the wife did and we both thought "Grow up little britches!" It seems that breaking contact had been taken as a personal affront. All I could think after that was a street definition of Gen Z. A mix of positive activism, entitled beyond reason, and mindless bullshit. Bottom line? We thought the end was close and sure enough, a letter arrived a few days later. Discharged! Sod off sort of thing.
So what happened about the prolonged exposure therapy (PET)?
Apparently NICE (UK's national institute for clinical excellence) didn't think PET was effective or cost effective. (Remember those two words, cost effective).
End of the line, they won't provide it. Despite me pointing out that the US VA use PET as the gold standard when treating PSTD in veterans.
I know why as do other vets. For PET to work well, it needs to be tailored to suit the patient, it can take weeks, face to face, and the therapist has to be trained to use it.
Against that the NHS contractors was using a student to deliver content, to some VERY damaged people. As for the cost? UK NHS and their subcontractors making money is way more preferable to providing the best treatments.
Where now for me? We can't afford private PET, so outwardly I'm SNAFU.
Nah, I don't accept that in anything I do, so it's DIY time, and heal thyself.
Another trait of a vet. We don't give up easy but our hissy fits can be spectacular.
