About Me
Today is Nov. 23rd 2007 and I have just started this site yesterday.. so if you come across here feel free to add!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ During World War I, PTSD was called shell shock, and during WW II, it was referred to as combat fatigue. After the Vietnam War, it was often mistakenly called the Post Vietnam Syndrome. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Supporting Our Soldiers-PTSDOur country is facing a crisis of gigantic proportions. Tens of thousands of male and female, young US soldiers have been maimed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Even if they come home with their physical bodies and health intact, there is another war that they must fight within themselves. Large numbers of these returning veterans are showing signs of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The average age of the combat personnel is only 19. Their lack of life experience and stage of spiritual development leave them feeling like there is no way to cope with the atrocities they have witnessed. Once called “shell shock†or “combat fatigue,†PTSD displays symptoms that include flashbacks, nightmares, panic attacks, feelings of detachment and estrangement from others, irritability, rage, trouble concentrating, emotional outbursts and sleeplessness. PTSD in veterans often coexists with other disorders such as clinical depression and substance abuse. Another serious psychiatric fallout from the war that we are seeing in mostly young, lower enlisted returning soldiers is suicide. While there are numerous reports of suicides, exact statistics are difficult to gather, as many of these veterans have declined to participate in programs that could monitor them. Services to veterans are severely under funded and are challenged to handle the overwhelming numbers of injured solders. Parents of the veterans that suicide often report that their son or daughter could not get images of dead bodies and injured children out of their minds.What can you do...develop resource networks that do outreach to veterans and provide linkages to comprehensive care. Finally, the great need for spiritual support, renewal and healing to the tens of thousands of veterans must be answered by all of us with the skills and opportunity to reach out to these soldiers and assist them in returning to productive lives.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I am an Army Wife of an Active Duty Soldier that has served in Iraq from 2004-2005 and was diagnosed with PTSD the beginning of 2007. I created this side for information on PTSD as well as TBI and as a support to one another, rather your Active Duty, a Veteran, a Spouse, a Family Member or a Friend. I wanna make everyone aware about PTSD and its effects and hope to reach out to young wifes as well thats husbands are currently serving or have served in the War on Terror. Even if your spouse has not been diagnosed or your friend at least you will be aware of the signs of PTSD in case it will accure as 1 out of 3 Soldier do return from a combat zone with signs of PTSD. If not diagnosed it may end fatal!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ***These following 3 Videos have family members and researchers bring up very horrafieing numbers on Suicide Epidemic Among Veterans***Copy and paste the webside below into your browser to acess these reports!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/13/cbsnews_investigat es/main3496471.shtml#ccmm~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *******Possible~Symtoms~of~PTSD************ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ANGER~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Persons with PTSD hold in a lot of anger. It is a free-floating anger with no real target and very subtle causes. It simmers below the surface and can jump out at inappropriate times, aimed at the wrong person for the wrong reasons (displaced anger).**********ANXIETY/HYPERAROUSAL************* Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that occurs as a result of exposure to an extreme traumatic stressor involving the threat of death or serious injury. The threat may be experienced directly or may involve witnessing others at risk for death or injury. Hyper-arousal symptoms may involve sleep difficulties, bouts of irritability, problems with attention and concentration, hyper-vigilance, and an increased startle response. In PTSD, the nervous system seems to be overwhelmed and over-aroused by trauma and so relaxation becomes very difficult. This hyper-arousal is often accompanied by scanning for signs of threat and becoming very vigilant to potential dangers in the outer world. Another aspect of the hyper-arousal is that the person becomes very sensitive to loud sounds or bright colors, essentially experiencing “stimulus overload†when there is too much going on at one time. Trouble sleeping Trouble concentrating Heightened vigilance Easily startling Being wary Sudden tears or anger or panic Increased alertness and anxiety ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~CHRONIC PAIN~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chronic pain is when a person suffers from pain in a particular area of the body (for example, in the back or the neck) for at least three to six months. It may be as bad as, or even worse than, short-term pain, but it can feel like more of a problem because it lasts a longer time. Chronic pain lasts beyond the normal amount of time that an injury takes to heal. In our case its severe headaches.****************COMPULSION***************** People with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have persistent, upsetting thoughts (obsessions) and use rituals (compulsions) to control the anxiety these thoughts produce. Most of the time, the rituals end up controlling them.For example, if people are obsessed with germs or dirt, they may develop a compulsion to wash their hands over and over again. If they develop an obsession with intruders, they may lock and relock their doors many times before going to bed. Being afraid of social embarrassment may prompt people with OCD to comb their hair compulsively in front of a mirror-sometimes they get "caught" in the mirror and can't move away from it. Performing such rituals is not pleasurable. At best, it produces temporary relief from the anxiety created by obsessive thoughts.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~CONFUSION~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The most malignant events for the individual with PTSD are the sense of confusion. Confusion Definition: Confusion is the inability to think with your usual speed or clarity. When confused, you have difficulty focusing your attention and may feel disoriented. Confusion interferes with your ability to make decisions.******************CRISIS******************* Crisis is an internal and external response that may occur following a stressful event which is perceived as a threat to the individual. A crisis response may be painful as powerful emotions are experienced You may at times feel out of control with what may seem a small every-day crisis when compared to the crisis of head pound and feelings of panic ensue. Where you once picking up the kids on time! What is this all about? You suddenly feel vulnerable and out of control. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~DELUSIONS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Delusions are false beliefs one experiences with some basis in reality. Delusional thinking may lead to feelings of anxiety and paranoia because of loss of touch with reality. The veteran may feel confused and unsafe if the delusions are frightening in nature. Delusions may seem completely real. ..perhaps the veteran believes he is back in combat. The family’s response to someone experiencing delusions is often one of fear, depending on the severity of the delusion and supports in place with which to cope. Education is important for the veteran and family so everyone understands what is occurring when the veteran experiences a delusion. ******************DENIAL******************* Denial is refusal to acknowledge the truth about something. Denial is a defense mechanism used to protect against anxiety or emotional pain. You may be using denial unconsciously to avoid dealing with painful memories. Denial is a coping skill to protect you from stress, but it can backfire and make you feel worse ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~DEPENDENCE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dependence is relying on someone else too much for near constant support or aid. This can lead to unhealthy need for physical contact, attention, help, approval, or repeated praise from others. Dependency issues can cause difficulty and confusion in one’s life due to resistance to treatment, which is common. Veterans who are overly dependent may resist caring for themselves, feel helpless, cling to others, express somatic complaints, demand extreme care and become angry patients in the inpatient setting. Veterans who are dependent ltend to require a great deal of attention, affection and approval from others. They have difficulty comforting themselves.***************DEPRESSION****************** Depression is a common symptom of PTSD. It colors the way you feel, your attitude and believe about the world. Depression can look like sadness or the veteran may cover her depression with a smile making it difficult to detect. You will be sad when someone close to you dies. Depression lasts longer. Depression looks different in everyone, similar in most. Signs of depression may include moving more slowly than normal, or agitation, anxiety, fears, feelings of guilt, hopelessness, frequent crying, withdrawal, difficulty making decisions, low self-esteem, a negative view of the world, substance abuse, and thoughts of suicide or suicide attempt. It is very important to get help immediately if you or someone you know ever mentions thoughts of suicide. Suicide is a leading cause of death and must be taken very seriously. Have a safety plan ready with a number to call a friend or get to a local emergency room if you ever feel unsafe. .~~~~~~~~~~~DISORDERED~EATING~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The trouble is, pain that deep cannot be satiated. The hunger will return. There is a feeling of lack of control, pain, self-loathing, more hunger, more pain; lack of control, the feeling of fullness doesn’t last for long. ***************FLASHBACKS****************** Common to all PTSD sufferers are flashbacks. The longer the trauma lasted or the more powerful the trauma, the more intense the flashbacks.A vivid memory that may include images, sounds, smells, or feelings. With post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), these memories are related to the trauma that occurred, and the person having the flashback may feel like he or she is re-living the trauma. With PTSD, flashbacks often are recurring and disturbing. During a flashback, the person may lose touch with reality. Flashbacks sometimes have triggers (such as the anniversary date of the event or particular sounds or smells) but may also occur without a specific trigger, even when the person is relaxed.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~GRIEF~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Grief is a normal, healthy response when you have experienced a loss in your life. Everyone has a personal response to loss and no response is wrong. Some recover quickly and some feel symptoms of grief for a very long time. The healing process seems easier to bear with support. Rituals are a healing part of all cultures and vary among nationalities within our country. The funeral ceremony is a useful societal tool for grief and loss. In training exercises and combat there may not be adequate time to stop for the grief process to run its course. Symptoms of shock, anger, pain, sadness, guilt, and denial become buried within the veteran. You may be able to discuss with your counselor losses that have been within your memory for a long time and feel unresolved. Remembering them and talking about them may begin your healing process.*****************GUILT********************* Guilt is the strong feeling of remorse that results from feeling you have done something wrong. The veteran may have carried guilt for many years from service-related experiences. „Survivor’s guilt“ is common among accident victims and veterans who have come home having survived when peers have suffered or died. Feelings that accompany guilt may be shame, disgrace, embarrassment, regret, insecurity, anxiety, low self-esteem, or anger. Guilt colors the way a veteran sees herself and the world. You relate to your family differently now and your job may be affected. You may find it difficult to be „yourself“ in social situations, where before you enjoyed a social life.Guilt may be the result of feeling you should have done something differently when in reality you could not. You may choose now to punish yourself by isolating from those who would support and love you. You may refulse help because to feel better would dishonor the lost.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ISOLATION~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ At the heart of PTSD is isolation – a feeling of disconnection from peacetime family and friends. “In situations of terror, people spontaneously seek their first source of comfort and protection. Wounded soldiers cry for their mothers family, friends, or for God. When this cry is not answered, the sense of basic trust is shattered. Traumatized people feel utterly abandoned, utterly alone, cast out of the divine systems of care and protection that sustain life. Thereafter a sense of alienation, of disconnection, pervades every relationship.**************LONELINESS******************* Loneliness is a feeling of lack of intimacy on many levels. Lack of intimacy may lead to emotional isolation, which may lead to social isolation. This symptom of PTSD is one of the most common, with depression and physical illnesses sometimes resulting. The impact of loneliness cannot be underestimated. The veteran or family member may be completely surrounded by loving family but feel very alone. Feelings associated with loneliness that can make it more difficult to bear are dread, desperation, restlessness, emptiness, anxiety, low self- esteem, indifference, sadness, or suicidal thoughts. Loneliness may be the result of losses in the veteran’s life. It may surface around the time of anniversary dates of traumas the veteran has experienced. The anniversary date is the trigger to loneliness. Specific triggers exacerbate symptoms of loneliness.Physical symptoms may occur when you are lonely such as headache, backache, nausea, or other intestinal symptoms. Veterans may experience barriers to communication when long-term loneliness has been experienced, such as speech and hearing deficits.~~~~~~~~~~LOW~SELF~ESTEEM~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Negative self-concept is having ideas about yourself that you are just not quite good enough. Your identity is not as positive as it might be for some reason. You question your abilities, capabilities, worth, intelligence or appearance. The future is not looking positive to you because your view of you isn’t, perhaps, as others see you. You refuse to „give yourself a break“ Low self-esteem can be the result of negative self-concept. This could have started in your family of origin or may have begun during adolescence. Wherever the start, it is important to your future to seek support now for you and your loved ones.Negative self concept colors your life because your everyday tasks may lack joy, you fear or expect rejection, body images suffers and irrational fears may increase if treatment is not sought.Low self-esteem may lead to feelings of inferiority, failure, incompetence and inadequacy. Veterans m ay become tired of these feelings and frustrated to the point of thinking of ending their life. When this lack of self-worth is experienced it is critical the sufferer receive intervention immediately. *************OBSESSIONS******************** Obsessions are persistent and recurring thoughts, ideas, impulses, images or urges that permeate consciousness. Obsessions become involuntary and seem to have a life of their own. Obsessions vary in intensity; therefore veterans who suffer from obsessions can be disturbed by them to varying degrees. Treatment takes time and patience. There is a reason you are thinking this way and your counselor can offer help, encouragement, and support.Common obsession s include fear of germs, disgust of bodily waste, concern of odor, worry of order of objects, symmetry, fear of sinful thoughts, images, words, numbers, or fear of harming someone. Usually the sufferer understands the thoughts are unreasonable and is frustrated by them. Obsessions can occur at the same time with depression and other symptoms such as anxiety, phobias, and panic disorders. It is easy to understand why when you read about these symptoms of PTSD. ~~~~~~~PARANOIA/HYPERVIGILANCE~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Suspiciousness is a haunting feeling of mistrust. Paranoia, a term also used diagnostically, is the ongoing feeling that someone is after you and may involve other intrustve thoughts. Paranoia can interfere with every aspec t of your life as you fear intimacy, and isoltate. The veteran may move away from family, friends, and all supports in an effort to feel safe because of suspicious and paranoid feelings. In fact, being alone can increase feelings of paranoia. The anxiety, depression, and other symptoms of PTSD require support and understanding. Without intervention, fear form memories and trauma of the past will only haunt the veteran.Veterans may experience physical symptoms such as headaches, nausea, increased heart rate, and many other physical symptoms. These veterans may imagine someonme is trying to make them ill.*****PASSIVE~AGGRESSIVE~BEHAVIOR*********** Passive-aggressive behavior is an indirect way of communication (verbal or non-verbal) in which the veteran expresses anger and hostility. It is seem as an ineffective way of communicating with others. Passive-aggressive behavior sends a lot of mixed messages and may create strain in a relationship. It may make others afraid of you and distance themselves from you.Passive-aggressiveness can cause other emotional problems such as depression, anxiety, or anger-management issues if the veteran does not develop healthier ways of communicating his feelings to others. It can also cause conflicts with others, which could lead to emotional as well as physical violence. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~PHOBIA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A phobia is an irrational thought, often frightening, about a specific object, activity or situation causing the veteran to avoid at all costs the object, activity or situation. Phobias vary in intensity. Some are common and annoying but tolerable. Others are dysfunctional and interfere with veterans and families’ life to varying degrees. A phobia can become so intense the sufferer cannot leave his home for fear of coming into contact with the object. Common phobias include fear of snakes, mice, or spiders. Phobias associated with veterans include fear of guns, crowded places, sudden movements or screams. A phobia interferes with your social and personal life, and your fear intensifies. The veteran may feel he is going crazy or losing control and isolate. This may lead to feelings of paranoia.**********SLEEP~DISORDERS****************** When you are diagnosed with a sleep disorder you either sleep too much, which is called hypersomnia, or you cannot sleep much at all. That is called insomnia. Disordered sleep can begin and gather steam secondary to any of the other PTSD symptoms. A diagnosis of PTSD almost certainly means you will have sleep disturbance of some sort. It will help you to find out why you are not sleeping soundly. Most adults benefit from about eight hours of sleep every night and lack energy when they begin going to bed too late or stay in bed too long. In veterans, sleep disturbance may be triggered by having seen a violent movie or news footage of a battle. Sleep disorders have physical and emotional symptoms which may include racing thoughts, nightmares, rapid heart beat, night sweats, headache, nausea, or other symptoms of anxiety as you struggle to sleep or not to sleep.If you begin to lack energy, yawn frequently throughout the day, feel the need to nap or cannot keep awake, you may suffer from a sleep disorder. Seek treatment. Please, do not wait. It is important to seek treatment for the root cause.~~~~~~~~~~~~SUBSTANCE~ABUSE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Substance abuse is the excessive use of alcohol, poly substances, and prescription drugs. The substance of abuse may be food, marijuana, caffeine, or nicotine. Sometimes abuse leads to addiction. Addiction requires treatment t of recover to occur and be sustained. There are many choices for treatment, the key, again, is diagnosis, education, support and treatment.Veterans and families may use a substance because it brings feelings of pleasure. Some substances lead to escape and some seem to cover one’s feelings. The brain is affected differently depending on the substance of abuse. Some believe one can become addicted to sex. This may be a means of escape, power, and an effort to hide pain or find companionship when the veteran suffers from PTSD.*****SUICIDAL~THOUGHTS~OR~IDEATION********* When a veteran is experiencing depression, deep sadness or perhaps psychosis, there may be a point when he begins to think about ending his life. The thoughts begin to formulate, take shape and may become repetitive. Thoughts of suicide with or without a specific plan are called suicidal ideation. Thoughts range from vague hopelessness of wanting to go away or sleep forever, to wanting to die. Suicidal ideations must be taken seriously and treated immediately. If suicideal ideation (SI) is secondary to PTSD, the diagnosis is, again,k critical so that intervention and support can be provided. Medication can be very helpful for treating the mood, which most often precipitates the suicidal thoughts. SI may recur during anniversary times, after the time of loss, when experiencing chronic pain or durin gother times of severe stress.Suicidal behavior is when athe veteran acts upon suicidal ideation. The level of suicide attempt may be very dangerous, letha, or a cry for help and, unfortunately, sometimes goes unnoticed. Following any dangerous self harm behavior the veteran must be encouraged to seek psychotherapy. A safety plan is essential There is a great deal of fear for the family and veteran. It will take time for everyone to heal and regain trust.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~..Can you recover from PTSD? - It depends on the trauma and when you start to get the proper help. Unfortunately for many people there's self-denial which can mean that symptoms can continue for many years. Once you start to get the proper help, there's no magic solution. Everyone's different.
