News Upside To Trauma?

[ericaboo]

Something that stuck out for me was the frequency of the trauma. If something happens one time, it hurts, but there is a chance to heal, learn, grow.

When the trauma is ongoing and there is no significant relief over a period of time - It seems like the opposite. You are teaching the brain to accept that the world is a dangerous, death and suffering filled place. It's deep, and takes a lot more work to heal - if that's even possible.

Sending people right back into the same traumatic situation again and again without adequate recovery time seems like a recipe for disaster. I wasn't in combat, but endured daily violence at home, and periodic graphic urban street violence and death right here in the good old USA.

I'm happy that some can emerge stronger, but when you throw everyone into the same bucket, it almost makes it sound like - what's wrong with you - why can't you just make lemonade out of it like that guy over there?

Bleh.

 

[Wordgirl]

I agree with ericaboo - each person's reaction to repeated trauma can very widely, and to be stuck in the same bucket is really an injustice. The fact that we are here on this forum is a testament to our willingness to find some kind of meaning in our lives and to make sense of the suffering, or at least it is for me. Personally, I am a very long way off finding that meaning - most of the time I just feel numb, or impatient with people who have no freaking idea what its like to be ambushed at any moment by the ghosts. And, like Lionheart, I see no upside to trauma.

 

[EloiseLandau]

It says in the article a person who helped develop their resilience program went through a tough time herself...but she didn't get PTSD. She seems to be confusing PTSD with trauma alone.

Oh and she's a competitive horseback rider, which is information that I find useful and will cherish all my days.

 

[The Albatross]

One thing the article hit on... which I identified with on page 3 or 4 was the guy that was hard at work rooting out possible outcomes. Pausing to consider three possible outcomes, even if all of them are bad. I was actually on the phone this morning sharing something about my own experiences with this and what the mind can do to give you that "time" to make a choice... even if all outcomes aren't going to be good. My brain works that way. I could relate to that. When I take a hit and am "knocked down"... I cast around for a half a second and my brain goes 120 miles an hour playing all the angles - before I get back up. It is a built in slow motion button so I can process and try to pick the action where I'm going to minimize pain or ward of death... get out with the best outcome. Trying to pick the best one, the one where I'll walk away and survive it or be able to stop it completely. I related to that bit of the article, and speculated this morning that it was my delelopmental stage and nature of my traumas that made me that way.

I just understand that part I guess, and wish they had a "resilence boot camp" I could go to.

 

[Eleanor]

Oh and she's a competitive horseback rider, which is information that I find useful and will cherish all my days.

He he. I was at a "diversity workshop" a couple of years ago and the facilitator walked around talking about how we divided ourselves up and "ghetto-ized ourselves" He pointed out that the table I was at had only women... and I thought - "shows what he knows, I am not sitting with ANY philosophers or horse people." Thereby demonstrating that my primary "categories" for organizing others are into "philosophers" "horse people" and "others." :D Which I am given to understand is a bit odd. So the mention of riding didn't stand out for me at all!:roflmao:

Alby, it's funny you should mention the "time slowing down" thing - my H and I were talking about this exact thing day before yesterday - he and I both have it. Some people think this is just an effect of laying down denser memories as a result of increased adrenaline... but I don't think this really accounts for the capacity for decision making and motor control that he and I experience...I think I'll go look some stuff up...

 

[TLight]

I'm a horse person, but not like all the others I know with their endless opinions, advice, and egos. The horses I can relate to and deal with, because they are like me, fear wired into their psyches most of the time.

Horses are healing me...........people...NOT.

 

[thedude]

Post military PTSD I was able to excel in college where I had been a very poor student academically for 1-14 years of education. If you have complex PTSD and have a military trauma it may change your brain but is that really a positive. I can play the blues with feeling and depth but it doesn't make me feel positive. I met and counseled plenty of guys with awful childhoods and the military was actually better for them because they were protected and fed.

I had an issue with a teacher grade 1 closing my airway with soap, vomit and her hand. When I was able to channel my military training I no longer feared the professors and used my energy to try to exceed anything they could think of as a problem solving exercise. The hyper vigilant awareness helps but sometimes it is too much

T.B.I on the other hand is kicking my ass for mental clarity. I wish kevlars had more shock absorption. It is criminal how little has been spent of troop protection. They only got off there butts once guys were getting pissed off.

I went to basic at Sill. I trained at Stewart. I play a lot of video games. They are recommended by Microsoft for my therapy (ha, ha,) and getting the next generation to sign up at the local mall. I kid you not. I wanted to flip when I saw a recruiter hands in his pockets talk nonsense to kids as they play some army x box game. War sucks and I'm tired of the black ops. mw3 commercials. Thanks for triggering us .

The money has been spent on the equipment made by congress guys blue chip stocks not the troops and this article hits me as PR bull to stem the tide of their crappy recruitment numbers. Troops tweak when they can't feed their families and are on food stamps because of predatory corporatism of the military. The next time they ask for a weapons system instead of treatment programs they will talk jobs. Treating injured does not make cash .

No new billion dollar weapons systems until the pentagon treats their wounded from these deployments.

Sorry I ranted. I have been out for too long and not even sure what they are telling guys. Very frustrated with treatment of young guys. Haven't met very many young kids that were doing "OK" with their treatment Agree innovative approaches will be best mixed with proven methods by the compassionate groups of time. Think outside the box. Good coping environment.

 

[TLight]

Rant away! Please!

 

[krikkit]

I agree with TLight. Please, rant away. My grandfather served in Vietnam. I've heard about what the military has done in the past to silence soldiers who needed help badly when they returned from war. Even the ones who were proud of their service and would never speak ill of the US or its military, they still got ground down into the dirt like garbage. He only received treatment for his physical injuries well, well after they had become irreversible. He started getting treatment for PTSD at age 70, because when he left the military he was told that it wasn't real.

I have no doubt that all of his experiences have made him stronger. And I have absolutely no doubt that he would have been strong without having to have suffered the way he did. The man didn't have kneecaps for ten years. He would have endured and survived anything, even without his "Positive Experience" with PTSD.

It sounds exactly like propaganda meant to actually dismiss the accusation that almost nothing is done for our soldiers. I don't agree with war but I'm not ignorant enough to think that if we had no military I wouldn't be obligated to participate whether I wanted to or not. They do a massive service and it's only fair to have realistic expectations, protections, and resources available to them. Articles like that make my skin crawl because underneath the claims of being strengthened and overcoming adversity, I feel there is an agenda that has nothing at all to do with respecting or caring for people with PTSD, and especially not soldiers.

In my opinion, it is absolutely all about going "See? It's not so bad. Now toss some money at this new prototype and ignore the rates of homelessness and suicide in our veteran populations."

 

[thedude]

I've worked in the places where the homeless vets are so disturbed they can't tell their stories.

They are too f-ed up. I listen to vets wanting to kill civilians for unsocial behavior in the clinics. I get angry at the syringes, piss and shit. I hear about the relationships being destroyed and see the alchoholism. I see the eyes of my bros who will live on the street till they die. Trust no one. Drafted f**ked over by everyone who should they trust.

Words lie images don't. Go to any city and look under the overpasses, that is where the legacy of war lives. Lies propaganda and feel good BS. Is there is a damn vet center that cost remotely as much as some of their cruise missiles or other high dollar expendable equipment.

I try to prep the kids as they leave. I tell them most of its hollywood BS and to work out as much as they can and find a good buddy. I hope they'll be oK. I don't check on them too stressful. Always worried about the names on the news. My old bosses are commentators. Its public relations directed by the CIA.

The next generation will have to watch the news get angry some day too. Hopefully they'll catch on faster.

News=Product

Eyes= Truth

 

[fairywings]

Glorification and romanticism about suffering bothers me to no conceivable f*cking end. Suffering is not pretty or meaningful or poignant.

Beautifully said! :) I just want to get through the day most days without pain or "my cup overflowing" . Living half a life is not pretty.

 

[fairywings]

Oh and she's a competitive horseback rider, which is information that I find useful and will cherish all my days.

Oh yes, me too! :) LOL