General Looking for advice -- Veterans with PTSD

[sportsgirl]

Hello, my spouse was recently released from five days in the local VA mental Health Unit after she told her therapist she was going to leave the appointment and kill herself.

The lack of resources for families of veterans with PTSD is so limited. I was lucky because I have an amazing support system and a cousin who is a social worker who could explain a lot of the technical terms. I have been wondering if there is something that could be created on-line showcasing resources for families going through something similar as to what I experienced?

1. What to do
2. How to react
3. What questions to ask

This is such a great group. I feel blessed for this forum. I feel the need to play it forward and help someone learn from my experiences.

Thanks for letting me share.

 

[Songbirdhero]

Hello, my spouse was recently released from five days in the local VA mental Health Unit after she told her therapist she was going to leave the appointment and kill herself.

The lack of resources for families of veterans with PTSD is so limited. I was lucky because I have an amazing support system and a cousin who is a social worker who could explain a lot of the technical terms. I have been wondering if there is something that could be created on-line showcasing resources for families going through something similar as to what I experienced?

1. What to do
2. How to react
3. What questions to ask

This is such a great group. I feel blessed for this forum. I feel the need to play it forward and help someone learn from my experiences.

Thanks for letting me share.

I personally think this is a great idea. I'm new to all of this as I just experienced someone in my life going through their first trigger since being out of the military for a decade and I also felt lost with where to get info and how to best handle the situation. Unfortunately I didn't have any information when it happened and felt I was handling the situation completely wrong, knowing what I know now.

It would be very helpful if the VA or another site posted more info on things like the stress cup theory, push/pull, isolation, and other terms I'm just starting to learn. I've had to dig around all over the internet to find anything.

I'm so sorry you and your spouse are going through this. I hope she is getting the help she needs and deserves.

 

[sportsgirl]

I personally think this is a great idea. I'm new to all of this as I just experienced someone in my life going through their first trigger since being out of the military for a decade and I also felt lost with where to get info and how to best handle the situation. Unfortunately I didn't have any information when it happened and felt I was handling the situation completely wrong, knowing what I know now.

It would be very helpful if the VA or another site posted more info on things like the stress cup theory, push/pull, isolation, and other terms I'm just starting to learn. I've had to dig around all over the internet to find anything.

I'm so sorry you and your spouse are going through this. I hope she is getting the help she needs and deserves.[/QUOTE

Thanks for the reply and reaching out.

 

[Sweetpea76]

The VA has family support... but a lot of
times you have to go looking for it yourself. Check your local VA hospital website.

NAMI has a Homefront course that you can take online. Find Support | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness

Also, a great first step is watching this supporter video series. Seriously... super helpful and easy to follow. Caregivers of Military with PTSD - YouTube

If you’re a reader and interested in books, these two are great, and they compliment each other.

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[Freida]

There are some family things on the va.gov site..I think it's on the ptsd page? You might also check with your local vet center and see what they have

 

[sportsgirl]

There are some family things on the va.gov site..I think it's on the ptsd page? You might also check with your local vet center and see what they have

Great, thank you.

 

[Songbirdhero]

The VA has family support... but a lot of
times you have to go looking for it yourself. Check your local VA hospital website.

NAMI has a Homefront course that you can take online. Find Support | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness

Also, a great first step is watching this supporter video series. Seriously... super helpful and easy to follow. Caregivers of Military with PTSD - YouTube

If you’re a reader and interested in books, these two are great, and they compliment each other.

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Thanks for this info! I'm going to check it all out.