Intro

[KAD4233]

Hey to everyone. I have read several of the threads on this site. My thoughts are with you all and your struggle.

I came here looking for some answers to issues that are affecting my professional and personal life. Still presently in the Air National Guard and will have managed to put together 20 years of ANG and Active Duty service in mid December. It hasnt been easy avoiding detection of the medical and physiological issues that I have been dealing with for a number of years, all of which have come to a head in the past 6 months.

Around 5 years ago during my last deployment to Balad AB Iraq I started having problems sleeping. At the time I didnt seek any professional help for fear of cutting my career short, losing my military retirement and federal technician job. Mainly waking after 3 to 4 hours with a tightness in my chest and sweating. The few times I did manage to sleep until my alarm went off I would dream that it was an ALARM RED and I could hear the gaint voice repeating IN COMING IN COMING. Sometimes going as far as rolling out of bed with a pillow covering my chest like it were a flak vest. Think that is why I started waking before my alarm could go off on alert and unable to go back to sleep. I was prescribed Ambien about a year ago and I still wake several times a night but Im able to go back to sleep most of the time. Last week I went in for a sleep study and was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea to boot.

After reading post here and on other sites and taking an PTSD online assessment Im convinced that this is at the root of my problems.

Thanks for listening

 

[Jimmy1]

Welcome KAD.

Not trying to rain on your parade or anything, but there is a chance that it may not be PTSD.
There are a myriad of problems out there and they can all look like PTSD. Just do us a favor and try and convince yourself it's not PTSD until you are diagnosed with it. I could also be wrong too.

I still pretend sometimes that I don't have PTSD, but that does not last for long.

While your here though, feel free to share if you want, or just pull up a pew and have a read of our vast number of threads and articles.

Cheers

Jimmy

 

[Tim Cake]

Welcome!

 

[Need an Oasis]

Hi there!

 

[Zipperhead]

Morning

 

[Barberian]

I still pretend sometimes that I don't have PTSD, but that does not last for long.

I nearly pissed myself on this one. I do the same thing.

Welcome Kad. PTSD needs to be diagnosed by a mental health professional. If your still in service, make sure you get a FULL copy of your service and medical records, they tend to "disappear" after you separate or retire. Start your claim now by seeing said mental and medical health care provider and get the proper diagnosis for whatever ails you and GET IT DOCUMENTED. Once your out of the system, it's harder to prove anything is service connected.

 

[Tim Cake]

Barberian is right!

 

[KAD4233]

Thanks for the comments. Even if PTSD doesnt turn out to be my problem, I hadnt told anyone about this and it did feel good to finally get that off my chest. Im looking for a good Doc in the area that accepts my insuraunce.

 

[KAD4233]

Well been seeing a Doc at the VET Center for going on 2 months now. He diagnosed me with PTSD and got started on some meds that seem to be helping me to see things a little clearer. Can't seem to stop some of the behaviors I have developed but it does help to understand and at least realize that Im doing them.

 

[Wagon]

I'd say congrats, but it's like congratulating a someone on a train wreck.

Tons of info here and some media. Good job on taking the first steps. Now you're in the fight.

Hang Tough
Wagon

 

[Lee C]

Welcome

 

[tho9900]

in addition to your health and medical records, if you recieved psych care for this, they tend to keep those outside your medical record I found out the hard way... and of course they were never found. try to get those before you get out...

good luck and welcome aboard!