Your welcome. Don't worry mate, we have all been there in one form or another, and walked the same path. Everyone with PTSD just clicks... we all know what each other has gone through I guess. I guess this is the same for those with cancer, and who beat it and go into remission. Talking to another with cancer, I guess they would have an immediate bond, as they fully understand what the other has gone through. I look at PTSD the same.
That is great that your going to go into some sessions. It is absolutely amazing what they can get out of you, when talking in a group of PTSD sufferers. I don't know many with PTSD that can actually talk to a counsellor that well... meaning, we talk, but we know they don't understand. Talking to another with PTSD, you automatically know that person understands, as they have most likely done the same, or similar things.
Something I had mentioned on this board somewhere, is that they did a trial with some counsellors to help them better understand PTSD by sending them into a war zone to experience what us soldiers have experienced, and hopefully gain a better understanding of the symptoms. Well, they won't ever do that again, as every single counsellor is not inoperable, by way of suicide, mental instability or other factors. Not one can do the job. The people running the trial wondered, if that is what happened to the counsellors going into action, then what the hell do veterans experience? They are still no wiser, but most PTSD related physicians who know about this trial, seem to have a whole new respect for PTSD, and what the sufferers go through to still be living with it, considering most of their trial counsellors killed themselves afterwards.
I said to our counsellor at the course when told this, that one of the reasons they so many of them would have killed themselves, is that they never had any lead up, ie. basic training, then advanced training, exercises and tactics to help them deal with it. The entire military experience is a brain wash right from start. It has to be to my understanding, otherwise we wouldn't do what we had to when required.
Honestly, I have a new found respect for anyone with PTSD who is learning to cope with it, or willing even, and not take the easy option out. I've thought about it, nearly done it even, and just about everyone else with PTSD, it has crossed their mind, but the strong continue I believe, and what I know now from the PTSD course, is that we can live with it, and control it, when in the right environment, ie. we don't intentionally put ourselves in situations where we will lose control.
Funny thing is, is that I said the same thing about the symptoms when they gave me a book to take home and read. I brought it back a week later to the next session, and the counsellor asked me what I thought. My answer was, "you wrote a book on me". That was enough to send me for further assessment.
Its really good to know that we are helping people though, and I know that every one of us here, who post and talk about our experiences, are helping others, helping ourselves, and hopefully going to get more people to open up and get some off the problems of their chest, or even seek professional help.