PTSD On Intervention Tonight

[cynelena]

A&E's show, Intervention, has a special show tonight:
Intervention In-Depth: Addiction in Uniform
TONIGHT at 8pm CST.

It's my understanding that is features three Iraqi Vets suffering from PTSD that have alcohol and/or drug addictions. (My BF's sister messaged me today about it)

I plan to at least record it and hopefully my Vet will watch it with me. He is struggling very much right now and has been talking about getting treatment for his drinking problem.

Wishing all of you the best:Hug_emoticon:,

Cynthia

 

[Manic11]

Do you know the name of the person who the episode was about?
I may have seen it.
If not, I would like to look it up.
Thanks!

Manic

 

[cynelena]

Good morning Manic. Sorry I didn't reply sooner. No, I do not know the names of the people it was about. I ended up recording it myself and have not watched it yet. It's my understanding that it was about two men and one woman. I'm going to attempt to watch it tonight.

Take care,

Cynthia

 

[Manic11]

Ah yes! I found it right after I had posted to this thread then shut down my laptop.
Figures. :doh:
Anyway, I'm going to watch it as well. I wish you the best!

Manic

 

[cynelena]

Thanks for the well wishes Manic! My BF's sister warned me that there are several parts that will irritate my Sufferer, but that it was comforting seeing that others were going through the same thing she and I are (as Carers).

One other thing she didn't care for was that the show made "recovery" look too easy, especially in the case of the woman featured. I soooooo hope my BF will watch it with me tonight.

Take care!

 

[kers]

Being Intervention, of course it emphasized the drug/alcohol addiction recovery most, but it was nice to hear people talking about PTSD symptoms, like the guy who said he would have to leave college classes to puke. It's always liberating to hear you're not alone.

 

[Manic11]

Yeah...
I don't mean this is any offense to anyone but I guess I never realized what it was like to have Combat PTSD.
I mean, I have PTSD from abuse so I understand that where as I understood to an extent about combat PTSD.
But then the woman explained about in a 5 day period, coming from war to going to a classroom with 200 students, it was terrifying. All three mentioned they were scared of getting attacked, they didn't see everyone else as regular people. They were used to having their guns pointed even if they were just waving hello to someone.
Man... I'm glad I learned more about it!

Manic

 

[anthony]

What you found yourself Manic is why I am establishing a unique website for military, because the issues are actually far different. Veterans have greater anger, isolation from others, less room to absorb stressors, greater fight response with near zero flight response, helplessness is far greater and much more. Having PTSD from other civilian based traumatic events is different and actually need be approached differently as a result. The information varies to what you can tell a person who was abused, compared to raped, compared to being a veteran. PTSD is PTSD for the most part, but its just the little differences that makeup the end result usually. Veterans are a different kettle of fish though... not special, but more because of the training endured. PTSD within a Navy or Airforce person is different to a soldier...

It actually gets pretty complicated....

 

[godhelpusoneandall]

Anthony, Thank you. When my significant other, who was a Vietnam vet, had a breakdown after the Twin Towers went done, his primary care physician gave him the name of a couple of psychologists. Because his combat PTSD led to difficulties surpressing anger, etc, he had had many run ins with law inforcement in the 30 years since he served in Vietnam. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, he was also a brilliant commercial contractor and had money to sort of make the problems go away. So when he had his breakdown after all those years his physican sent him to psychologist who specialized in working with criminals!!!

Well, he scared one of them, and the other was just..well, she, she...it doesn't matter. What matters is I think he would have gotten better much sooner if he been counseled by someone with more knowledgable about combat PTSD. Do you know, she even refused to talk to me, to tell me what it was???

There were not many sites like this around then. It was not good.

Kat

 

[anthony]

Yep, knew a few of those people myself Kat... I was also one of them when I didn't know what was even wrong with me in the first place. All too well understand this one.

 

[cynelena]

We got through it! We had to take a few breaks, had to pause it a dozen times, and he ranted and raved through certain parts, but we got through it. In the end he was calm and thanked me for enduring it with him:kiss:

I'm so glad we did too. There are obvious things that I witness when I am with him and he is suffering, but I was also enlightened to how stressful the classroom environment can be for him. My BF explained that he too has a hard time and ALWAYS sits in the back of the classroom so to not have anyone sitting behind him that he can't see. He also said that he takes frequent smoke breaks and struggles every day. (He happens to be a full time pre-med student now).

I saw bits of my BF in all three of the people featured. I've never known anyone else personally with PTSD and to see the different faces of combat PTSD made it more real. More tangible I guess.

I sincerely wish a good day for all of you. Lean on your friends, your family, and each other here on the forum. It can only help in your journey. :Hug_emoticon: