It's 3 am here and I am simply not tired. So I thought I would ramble on.
Alrighty, we all know that we are stuck with PTSD for life, or are we??? It can be managed....
There are a lot of veterans out there that don't even know there is a name for what they are experiencing or how they are feeling. For some their life has just turned to shit, their partner has left them and taken the kids, some of them are discharging and moving out into the sticks to get away from society, but the problems are still there, some of them act out and get locked up, but the problems are still there, some of them self medicate and hit the bottle or the other illicit drugs and end up losing everything they own, but the problems are still there, yet there are (I don't know if you can call them lucky) the lucky ones who find out early on what they are experiencing and what is happening and have a choice.
Now, with PTSD I have to ask a question. Do we follow what is written in a book, or do we look for ways to survive by ourselves, well I would like to think it's the latter.
Nobody is entitled to say that their trauma is any worse than anyone else's. Usually it's the other way round. I remember sitting in a group therapy session and listening to some of the other veterans talking about what they had gone through and thinking to myself, they are way worse off than me.
Generally most veterans have multiple traumas though; and unless they see a good therapist and even if they do, it might take years to drag each trauma that is bothering them and deal with it so it's just like a bad memory and in the majority of the cases they never will manage to deal with them all.
This, in my opinion is what sets veterans apart from the standard person with PTSD. Those people who have gone through a motor wreck, or a natural disaster, or even a rape. Yes, they have been through a life threatening experiece and have witnessed death (usually), but most of the time it is a one off event. And if they do seek help and therapy, they can lead a semi normal life.
Us as veterans have layer upon layer of experiences though, where we have either looked death in the eye ourselves, or seen the aftermath up close and personal.
But I believe there is hope for the future though...............................
Right now society knows there is a problem out there, so do the higher ranks, and so to the politicians, and they want to do something about it because in the long run it is costing them money and manpower.
Young soldiers of today should be screened by experienced personnel after every patrol. It could be done. Lets face it, some of us guys on here could ask a series of questions and could tell by the answers and the expressions on the faces whether they honestly have a problem couldn't we.
That way we might have a hope of changing it from a horrific experience or life changing experience into just a bad memory.
But the veterans have to want to do it and want to get better. They have to want to have a future.
You see, I have seen many a person who have had one or two trauma's in their lives, and some of these have been veterans. They think because the DSM IV says, because it has been longer than three months they have chronic or acute PTSD and they cannot be cured or lead a normal life. Well, that's bullshit. You see a lot of it on the other forum. They go on and on and on about the one or two incidents. Whereas if they were to go to a therapist and talk through that one or those couple of incidents I believe they could lead a next to normal life. It might take them a little while, but I believe it's possible.
I have also seen people on here that refuse to take medication or refuse to go to therapy. They believe it just does not work, or they think they have tried everything, yet their lives are falling down around their ears. You would have to ask the question whether they just love drama in their lives.
I have also seen and heard from people that believe that because they have PTSD they have to be nasty and angry. Well yes, someone with untreated PTSD is not a nice person to be around, but once they know they have PTSD, you would think they would do everything in their power change that wouldn't you. Sadly it's not the case.
I know I can be a nasty person and have been a horrible person to live with, and I know I will a have my moments in the future, it's the nature of the beast. But I am going to do everything in my power, i am never going to stop looking for the right medications, the right therapies and I am never going to stop trying to lead a normal life, well as much as a normal life that I can.
Alrighty, we all know that we are stuck with PTSD for life, or are we??? It can be managed....
There are a lot of veterans out there that don't even know there is a name for what they are experiencing or how they are feeling. For some their life has just turned to shit, their partner has left them and taken the kids, some of them are discharging and moving out into the sticks to get away from society, but the problems are still there, some of them act out and get locked up, but the problems are still there, some of them self medicate and hit the bottle or the other illicit drugs and end up losing everything they own, but the problems are still there, yet there are (I don't know if you can call them lucky) the lucky ones who find out early on what they are experiencing and what is happening and have a choice.
Now, with PTSD I have to ask a question. Do we follow what is written in a book, or do we look for ways to survive by ourselves, well I would like to think it's the latter.
Nobody is entitled to say that their trauma is any worse than anyone else's. Usually it's the other way round. I remember sitting in a group therapy session and listening to some of the other veterans talking about what they had gone through and thinking to myself, they are way worse off than me.
Generally most veterans have multiple traumas though; and unless they see a good therapist and even if they do, it might take years to drag each trauma that is bothering them and deal with it so it's just like a bad memory and in the majority of the cases they never will manage to deal with them all.
This, in my opinion is what sets veterans apart from the standard person with PTSD. Those people who have gone through a motor wreck, or a natural disaster, or even a rape. Yes, they have been through a life threatening experiece and have witnessed death (usually), but most of the time it is a one off event. And if they do seek help and therapy, they can lead a semi normal life.
Us as veterans have layer upon layer of experiences though, where we have either looked death in the eye ourselves, or seen the aftermath up close and personal.
But I believe there is hope for the future though...............................
Right now society knows there is a problem out there, so do the higher ranks, and so to the politicians, and they want to do something about it because in the long run it is costing them money and manpower.
Young soldiers of today should be screened by experienced personnel after every patrol. It could be done. Lets face it, some of us guys on here could ask a series of questions and could tell by the answers and the expressions on the faces whether they honestly have a problem couldn't we.
That way we might have a hope of changing it from a horrific experience or life changing experience into just a bad memory.
But the veterans have to want to do it and want to get better. They have to want to have a future.
You see, I have seen many a person who have had one or two trauma's in their lives, and some of these have been veterans. They think because the DSM IV says, because it has been longer than three months they have chronic or acute PTSD and they cannot be cured or lead a normal life. Well, that's bullshit. You see a lot of it on the other forum. They go on and on and on about the one or two incidents. Whereas if they were to go to a therapist and talk through that one or those couple of incidents I believe they could lead a next to normal life. It might take them a little while, but I believe it's possible.
I have also seen people on here that refuse to take medication or refuse to go to therapy. They believe it just does not work, or they think they have tried everything, yet their lives are falling down around their ears. You would have to ask the question whether they just love drama in their lives.
I have also seen and heard from people that believe that because they have PTSD they have to be nasty and angry. Well yes, someone with untreated PTSD is not a nice person to be around, but once they know they have PTSD, you would think they would do everything in their power change that wouldn't you. Sadly it's not the case.
I know I can be a nasty person and have been a horrible person to live with, and I know I will a have my moments in the future, it's the nature of the beast. But I am going to do everything in my power, i am never going to stop looking for the right medications, the right therapies and I am never going to stop trying to lead a normal life, well as much as a normal life that I can.
