Counseling Approaches For PTSD

[blackdove]

Thanks for clarifying that Anthony. Was good what you wrote :-)

 

[Gunchief]

That would probably explain the htpervigiliance and protectiveness I go thru, checking rooms , people in them, entrance exits, and possible problems.

 

[anthony]

Have you looked at the military programming / deprogramming I have in the [DLMURL="http://www.ptsdforum.org/misc.php?do=page&template=learning"]learning section[/DLMURL]. They explain in more detail what is briefed here for military aspects.

I believe some therapist are not up to really face the responses, emotions and life stories clients are bringing so they are losing their professional composure, one way out then is to play it "overly safe".

Quite insightful Freddy, thanks for the thought.

The therapist I see I do not for a moment think that he can relate to anything I say to him.

That is one major issue... especially military with aspects on operations you just can't discuss elsewhere. I have no doubt VA therapists simply get worn down with all the things they here day in, day out, though they have a knowledge far more approachable for soldiers than a therapist who really has no idea what goes on upon the battlefield.

You don't even need to fire a shot on the battlefield to have the same severity of PTSD to someone who got blownup and survived, if not even worse. The sheer hypervigilance of being in battle is enough to break the psyche.

 

[Gunchief]

Anthony,
Thank you for the learning presentations. My life was in there. Why I diid things I have done and not had a clue why. Thats is why the hypervigiliance runs strong and the defense of those around me. I could tell story after story to you. Now how do I unprogram these responses from my head?
Thanks for the learning lessons.
Dave
I feel that I know myself a whole lot better.
When I have spoke with my therapist about helo or armor operations he is lost.

 

[anthony]

Ah... if you look at the [DLMURL="http://www.ptsdforum.org/attachments/forum12/307d1190893659-understanding-ptsd1.pdf"]pdf for carers[/DLMURL] on understanding PTSD, you may just learn some things you can't fix like that, but instead only time will slowly lessen the military's input upon you. Some it will never change, as the training is designed that way.

Take note of where it gets into combat PTSD, those who have been military trained.

 

[Mina]

You can talk about trauma until your face turns blue, but if you do not understand the facts behind a specific trauma, you can not come close to finding understand or resolution to the negative emotion your brain is causing.

I'm a "Why?" person about most everything, so it's no surprise that for me, understanding the facts of my trauma meant asking why and how. As it was a physical injury, this essentially has meant deconstructing it: the anatomy of a dogbite. Through examining canine skull/jaw/tooth structure, it has really helped me to know why the holes occurred where they did. I am also finishing up an online anatomy and physiology course, as I wanted to know more about the damage: tendons, nerves, tissues, etc. It's not as daunting when I can break it down to facts - the nuts and bolts of what physically happened.

The same is true with me and PTSD. The more I understand about how my brain reacted and continues to react neurologically, the more easily I can accept and work with what it's doing. For example, when I get triggered, it's not such a mystery of overwhelming emotions and reactions now that I have an idea of what's going on neurologically and physically. The facts of what is actually occurring make the way it plays out easier to deal with.

I also agree with having to accept a certain level of responsibility for the trauma, if that applies. Acknowledging what I did to contribute to it happening - regardless of why I did it (in my case, I didn't know better) - has helped in the healing process. I feel less like a victim.

 

[anthony]

Well said Mina... enjoy some new rep.

People have asked me if all this will stop all the symptoms of PTSD... well, the answer is no. What Mina mentions above reduces symptoms, then... the big bonus, is when a symptom does occur, that trigger no longer starts a very vicious and gaining cycle of anxiety within your body as you know and understand what is going on and why, so you can work on simply calming yourself or removing the issue that caused the anxiety in a much shorter time frame and with a hell off a lot more ease. This is PTSD management at its best and the ultimate place every sufferer should aim to be as quickly as possible.

Really excellent to hear the avenues you are taking Mina to help yourself. Well done.

 

[Nicolette]

I had a really interesting discussion the other day with someone who is qualified to do Neuro-Linguistic Programming.

The basis as I understood it is to re-frame events. I am not sure what I think as, the impression I got was, you take what may have been a traumatic event and try and find a rationale or different reason for it. Eg someone tried to help someone take your child away from you....to me that would be very upsetting but with the re framing the example I was given was to try and think for another reason like 'that person was trying to do what they thought was best for you by taking the child away' so then I would see the brighter side of the event.

I have been going over and over this in my mind over the past couple of days and I think my view on it is the methodology may in fact even minimise the 'offender' and what they did which then makes me think will people then end up thinking they were over-reacting with their initial reaction?

 

[Irton Pike]

thats a good point nicollette. I think it is important that if you are trying to get an external view of yourself and you start appreciating that your own behaviour contributes to difficult situations there is a real danger of beating yourself up about it. My answer to that is pretty simple. I got me PTSD and my behaviour is affected by it. If I had been able to control it all the time I wouldn't have so much of a problem but it takes time to learn that. With regards to those people causing me harm, whats their excuse for behaving like a twat? Do they just like to kick people when they are down? Or are they ignorant? Are they nasty? Are they frightened and confused by being confronted by a big aggresive man like me? Are the prejudiced against mental health issues? Are they using my illness against me?

 

[Gunchief]

Nina put it all in a nutshell, fanatastic thread.
Dave

 

[blackdove]

Hi all and Nicolette: My therapist uses NLP and I think I have written previously that I believe it is a good approach for me. I liken it to the cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland so when I am being triggered, which norally involves almost no insight about it at the time, I am finding that the therapist has put little 'stoppers' in my head.

The first one I noticed that was there related to an experience she said she'd had. From memory I think she was telling me about having visualized Maya Angelou or some other peace maker, in a field surrounded by flowers. Anyway, about a week after she said it, I was completely panicked and gong bonkers while walking away from this group that has messed with my head. I was wavering and thought of going back and was completely freaked out. But then, all of a sudden I wasn't alone, I was with Maya Angelou and we were walking away together.

It was a strange but very supportive and reassuring feeling. Although I don't think the therapist has 100% success inserting 'stoppers' into my head, there are definately quite a few in there and I have had the chance to see others since the Maya day and am pretty happy about it.

NLP is good I think.

 

[pandora]

It is kind of like reframing our thoughts with anniversaries..it can be VERY upsetting for some. I now have tried to deal with this by saying it is my alive day or the day I cheated death. Makes the date, time and time of year not so scary. It worked in my favour....