Sufferer Gulf War Vet Diagnosed With Ptsd

[sgt95b2]

After years of self medicating and working everyday all day to keep my mind occupied it all came crashing down on me. I stopped drinking to try and feel better and it had the opposite affect of what I intended. I don't think I need to go in to details here because you've been there I'm sure. After a private doc diagnosed me with PTSD I started going to the VA. They have been helpful at helping me understand PTSD and my symptoms. Unfortunately after the initial excitement of finally understanding what was happening to me I've totally stalled out and even though I understand what's happening I still can't overcome the severe symptoms. I mostly hide alone to reduce the risk of any interaction that could cause me to overreact to confrontation of any kind. I've lost all my friends and a job of 25 years due to my seclusion from fear and severe anxiety attacks. Things could be better......

 

[Deleted member 28403]

Welcome to forums! :)

There are many others here who went through similar situations, and I know at least 2 who were in Gulf War, so I'm sure you will find help here.

Welcome and hugs to you! :hug:

 

[sgt95b2]

Thank you!

 

[Friday]

<chuckling> I actually got myself kicked out of a 60-90 day inpatient drug&alcohol treatment center after a little over a week towards the end of my first tailspin. ((You're not an addict! You need PTSD treatment! Not drug & alcohol treatment! ... Or so they insisted. I showed them ;) Stayed sober for a few years purely out of spite. Cough. And totally avoided dealing with my PTSD. Cough. Yeah. Avoidance much?.)) Yup. Self medicating (& other ways of finding oblivion or distraction) let me be functional. Take away the (granted, fiendishly unhealthy) coping mechanisms & I became completely nonfunctional.

I know a lot of us have the 'sense of foreshortened future'... If it doesn't happen now, it feels like it never will.

It will. And it does. But it takes time and hard work.

I thought I was done with hurry up & wait. No such luck. With PTSD, there's a whole helluva lot of that. Hang in there. It gets harder before it gets better. My first tailspin was about 15 years ago. Did sort it in time. Took a few years. Then I had to go and break myself all over again a couple years ago. BOHICA. Even knowing all this can be sorted? Still no fun. It could be worse, though! Grateful as hell for this place. Lotta knowledge round these parts.

Make sure to check out the Stress Cup, if you haven't already.
The Ptsd Cup Explanation

& Welcome

 

[intothelight]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Deleted member 20280]

Buddy, welcome to the family. Ther are several of us here who have served and survived like yourself.

One thing you will see quickly is this. We got each others six mate.

Sending a UK squaddie fox-hole :hug: if you accept it mate.

Laurie

 

[Deleted member 28812]

Welcome to the boards! Do you also know mycombatptsd?

 

[scout86]

Welcome to the forum!

Would it help if I said "it's a process"? It doesn't go at a steady pace and there seems to be no way to fast forward through it. I'm hoping you haven't really lost ALL of your old friends. (One of the main things I've learned and am still learning is "things are not always what they seem")

Meanwhile, I hope you'll be able and willing to participate here, and find this place as helpful as I have.

 

[Deleted member 28812]

I'm hoping you haven't really lost ALL of your old friends.

Are you by the way sure you really lost them or is it that you just don't talk to them?
I don't have PTSD but have lost contact to old school friends whden I got married, met new people and so. Yet I would be more than happy to hear from them.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Not a combat sufferer, but yep, lost ALL my old friends, and nope, its not in my head. Sorry to sound bitter, but I figure there's a reason those bridges are burned.....can't go back to try and re-create history. What's done is done, I have no choice but to move forward. Don't want those types of people in my life anyway, and yes, I DO believe in karma. One day they'll go through some tough sh!t in life and they'll see what its like to be abandoned. Not saying I'm perfect b/c I'm not. FYI this phenomenon is not just a PTSD thing. Cancer survivors.....even breast cancer survivors, you know, from the rah-rah segment where everyone says they support survivors.....oftentimes go through issues like this as people don't want to really deal with those who are down on their luck. Its much easier to throw money at a cause from afar vs actually provide one-on-one support for those who need it. Sort of why those damn pink ribbons disgust me. I know its all a farce. Blah.

 

[TonyG]

Hello and welcome,
I am not a veteran but my trauma was horrific, my anxiety was extreme and with the help of meds and theraphy it seems to of settled, It does spike every couple of weeks to a month when I have a flashback but I am doing much better, It does get harder before it gets better but there is a lot of support here.