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May
25
PTSD Series Discussion #3
Filed Under Combat PTSD, PTSD, PTSD treatment, Tears of a Warrior, Treating PTSD, War | Comments Off
Question 4: If I, as a serviceperson, have PTSD, how can I help myself?
First, be honest with yourself. As stated in the last question, do not ignore the signs that you are suffering from serving in combat. Do not pretend that things are fine; that the problem lies with everyone around you such as your spouse, children, neighbors, family, or co-workers. Watch for signs such as increased anger, irritability, depression, and/or isolation from normal family events. Resisting the feelings associated with PTSD only exacerbates the problem. The best thing you can do if you think something is not normal is to visit your Veteran’s Center as soon as possible. These centers have become much more proficient in serving the military population’s needs than they were during past conflicts. Physicians and therapists now recognize and understand in better detail the effects of PTSD and how to treat it. Don’t wait. Help is available. The sooner you get assistance, the sooner your life will begin to move forward in a manner that allows you to live more fully. You deserve to be at peace, to be happy and so does your family. You and your loved ones have given enough in serving your country. Now it is time that your country does something for you. Help is waiting; don’t wait another minute to get it. Life is too precious to be wasted fighting demons from the past. Today is the only thing you have that will make a difference for tomorrow. So use today wisely to gain understanding, healing, and perhaps some peace of mind and spirit.
Other suggestions include spending time outdoors. Nature offers us a tremendous healing environment, especially for emotional wounds. We find hiking, fishing, skiing, and simply just being in the wilderness soothes much of our anxieties and internal tensions. Pets are also a therapeutic comfort. A great deal of research has been conducted that has shown the positive impact animals have on a person’s well being. Because our pets love us unconditionally, are non-judgmental, and provide a sense of safety and security, they are one of the very best options for keeping us sane and healthier both physically and emotionally. A few additional suggestions that we have found quite beneficial are meditation, aroma therapy (no kidding J), body massage, and heavy doses of laughter. Humor is a terrific medication since it is almost impossible to be angry and laughing at the same time. It releases endorphins that alleviate body pain, and provides a huge dose of oxygen to the brain and muscles.
Question 5: What can I, as a family member, do to help someone with PTSD or a TBI?
There can be a major difference between a person suffering from PTSD and someone who has incurred a TBI (traumatic brain injury). A TBI is a physical injury to the brain, where PTSD is more a reordering of the neuro networks in the brain. Many times a person with a TBI may also have some form of PTSD, mainly because he/she was in a situation that caused physical and emotional damage to the individual and/or others in the company. As with all illness and trauma, the more informed you become the better you are at making appropriate decisions in handling the circumstances. Illness and problems must first begin with immediate recognition that something is not quite right. The sooner you recognize the signs of PTSD, the sooner you can begin the healing process. Once again, it is dangerous to ignore the obvious and pretend things will get better with time. Too often, this does not happen by itself. Time can make behaviors and tensions more precarious, destroying personal relationships and family cohesion. No one benefits by waiting. Spouses get tired of walking through the “mindfields” of the traumatized serviceperson. Children suffer because they can’t and don’t’ understand why mommy or daddy are not always the same kind; loving parents they were before war.
When a family member returns from combat with PTSD, everyone close to him must join together to offer support, hope, and comfort. In doing so, however, you must set suitable boundaries that will keep the family safe and well-balanced. If children are involved, they must be at the forefront of your concern. Their physical and emotional well-being is of utmost important. Living with a parent who has untreated PTSD can have long-term, negative consequences on a developing child. Getting immediate treatment for your spouse and yourself will be the best line of defense in moving towards the life you want to live and the family unit you want to be.
May
18
PTSD Series Discussion #2
Filed Under Combat PTSD, PTSD, PTSD treatment, Tears of a Warrior, War | 1 Comment
Question: 2: Is PTSD different from Combat Stress?
The answer to this question may depend on which study you might read or which doctor is doing the diagnosis. Combat Stress has often been referred to as PTSD. “During the Civil War they called it Irritable Heart. During World War I and II it was referred to as Soldier’s Heart or Shell Shock and other terms described it as Neurosis, Combat Fatigue, or Combat Exhaustion (pp. 66-67, Tears of a Warrior, 2010). Every war has coined a term that seemed to describe a warrior who returned from combat with behaviors and reactions that were not a part of his/her life before the battles. Whatever one might prefer to call the behavior is not important. What is important is if the behavior interferes with the person’s ability to live a normal, happy life or the behavior negatively impacts family, friends, or work, you should get help immediately. Today, PTSD is the accepted medical term for similar symptoms from all wars.
Question 3: If my serviceperson has PTSD, will it better?
Our belief is that those suffering from PTSD can and will get better. Some fortunate few whose trauma is not as intense may be able to heal on their own. Most, however, who have seen too much, done too much, lost too much, may only move towards healing with the outside support of a trained physician or therapist. For many, like my husband, there has been no such thing as a full cure. Nevertheless, appropriate medication, counseling, and self-meditation have been a tremendous help in getting to that “better” place. With “better” understanding of what the person is facing and how those closest to him/her can offer appropriate support, the family can become a safer, stronger and more caring unit. Pretending that nothing is happening or that in some miraculous way tomorrow you will awake and all the bad stuff will be gone, is simply not realistic. It doesn’t just go away, no matter how hard you try. In fact, trying harder often makes the situation worse. The best approach to addressing these ongoing painful ghosts is information, productive action, and the courage to admit something is not quite right. Obtaining the help and treatment needed to move towards better physical and emotional health is the best step to recovery.
May
13
PTSD Series Discussion #1
Filed Under Combat PTSD, PTSD, PTSD treatment, TBI & PTSD, Tears of a Warrior, Treating PTSD, War | Comments Off
Several weeks ago we were ask to respond to a set of questions regarding Post-Traumatic Stress and combat vets. These responses will be used in a short pamphlet/flip book that will be distributed through another organization. We thought many of our readers might find the questions and our feedback useful. Today’s blog is the first of our five part series. (Part 1 of 5)
•1. How do I know if my serviceperson might be suffering from PTSD? (Symptoms, possibly)
This is a great question with a not so simple answer. Not every person who returns from serving in a war zone ends up with Post-Traumatic Stress. A great deal depends on the amount of time the person spent serving under combat conditions, as well as how many traumatic events occurred during his/her deployment. Most doctors and researchers agree that the more time spent away form home, and the more distressing events experienced during each deployment, the greater the likelihood the person may experience some form of PTSD. If the individual was already predisposed to stressful home or environmental factors before joining the military, PTSD may become even more prevalent. There is no simple formula for why one person develops PTSD while others seem OK. But one thing is certain; it has nothing to do with a lack of strength, courage, or character. Sometimes it is simply the hazard of war due to exposure to unspeakable traumatic events, often in life and death situations.
So what signs might you look for when suspecting someone has PTSD? Since the brain is restructured by every act it experiences, it is sensitive to many good and not so good events. Love, hate, prejudice, kindness, and violence are just a few life experiences. Yet, when the life-threatening events occur over and over again for a long duration of time, or even during one incredibly horrifying event, the mind/brain is seared with the image and emotional feelings become imprinted.
Signs/Characteristics of PTSD:
- ð Hyperarousal and abnormal startle responses
- ð Irritability and/or jumpiness; constantly on guard
- ð Hypervigilance
- ð Nightmares, insomnia, and night sweats
- ð Recurrent traumatic memories or flashbacks
- ð Overwhelming waves of emotions
- ð Survivor guilt
- ð Feeling detached and/or emotionally withdrawn from others
- ð Fragmented sense of self and identity
- ð Panic attacks
- ð Shame
- ð Despair
- ð Lethargic or lack of motivation/interest in life, work, and family
- ð Avoidance of common places, activities
- ð Memory and concentration problems
- ð Sadness and hopelessness about the future
The key here is that a person generally does not have ALL of these symptoms at once. Some come more often than others. One person may have numerous panic attacks, while another may want to isolate himself and not take part in normal daily and family activities. It is the severity and frequency of the symptoms that would suggest a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress.
May
4
Out of the Darkness
Filed Under Combat PTSD, Life, PTSD, PTSD treatment, Tears of a Warrior, Treating PTSD | Comments Off
by Janet J. Seahorn
“Out of the Darkness, into the Light”. These short seven words explain unmistakably the effects of healing the wounds of PTSD. While reading my daily inspirational “quotes”, I came across this one. We see and hear it often in religious sermons. For the many whose lives have been relentlessly challenged by life’s experiences and survived only by the grace of a higher power or some special intervention, we have an intimate understanding of going from darkness to light.
Sometimes we may reflect on how exactly we got to a “lighter” place: lighter by the brilliance of radiance in our days, lighter in our spirits that carry a heavy burden, unseen, unfelt, and often times misunderstood, and lighter in our physical bodies that endured the trauma from our past.
The answer to how we got to the light may not be as important as the blessing, we are here. In reality, we don’t remain in this space of lightness every moment. Yet, when we experience these twinkles of happiness, we feel a profound sense of peace. A peace that lets us know we are not alone in our battles. A peace that validates we are loved and cared for during our conflicts. A peace that leaves us with the hope that when we are thrown back into the abyss, we CAN and WILL be able to climb back up to the light. Just trusting this inner knowing is what gets us through the dark days and nights. It is what enables us to wake each morning with new expectations for the day. Without such trust it would be impossible to continue the journey, for the path is too unpredictable.
Healing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is built on the trust that through inner strength and outer resources we can not only survive and mend, we can thrive. Trauma can cause immense changes in our brains and bodies. It is not merely a matter of ‘sucking it up’ that will move us toward better physical and emotional health; it is taking action to get that help needed for healing. For most physical illnesses this is obvious. If one has a life-threatening disease, he/she would get outside, professional help. She would endure the devastating effects of chemo and radiation to survive. He would go through open heart surgery to repair the damaged organ expecting months of rehabilitation and physical therapy. However, with emotional trauma, some in society still seem to attach a stigma. The only weapon for dissolving the stigma is knowledge. And the only way knowledge blossoms is through openness, education, and courage.
You see it will take each of us to continue to share our insights with others. Truthfully, it is far easier to remain silent, hiding our wounds from the eyes of world. Yet, knowledge does not grow in such darkness. It requires light, nourishment, and valor. So it is up to each of us to contribute to the understanding of PTSD and how one can move “out of the darkness, into the light.”
Blessings and continue mending.
Nov
6
When Humpty-Dumpty is Mom
Filed Under PTSD treatment, Today's War, Treating PTSD, VA Center, Women in Combat | Comments Off
by Janet J. Seahorn
War is hell, and there is no polite way to put it.
But when modern war is fought by women as well as men, it can take an even more challenging toil on a family and community.
As Americans, we are quickly learning that our country and its military facilities are struggling to provide appropriate treatment for its female troops. There are many services for men; yet, we are not prepared to offer some of the same options for women.
This week I had two events occur from two different parts of the country. The first was a disturbing phone call from a friend, who has several family members serving in the military. All have fought in Iraq. Her son has been to both Iraq and Afghanistan on numerous tours of duty.
Her concern, however, was for her female family member. After serving in Iraq the military woman has been home for almost three years, taking care of two small children while working full time in a demanding job. The young mother had been exposed to a great deal while deployed, and has done her best to return to normal life stateside.
Most of the time things are fine, but a few weeks ago, the memories, anxieties, and panic attacks returned with a vengeance. As we have discussed numerous times in our blogs, the ghosts of combat often come back to take up residence in the homes of the military personnel.
Without hesitation, this bright lady and her family sought help through the VA. She has wisely enrolled in our local VA Clinic upon return from combat. This time, however, she would need more intense treatment.
Not a problem, except, that the only facility that could accommodate women only is in another state, making the decision to leave her family and work a great deal more difficult.
The second incident came via an article in the New York Times which was sent to me exactly two days after the first event. Reading over the article’s information was all too familiar. I had heard it just two days before. The article by Damien Cave stated, “Never before has this country seen so many women paralyzed by the psychological scars of combat.
As of June 2008, 19,084 female veterans of Iraq or Afghanistan had received diagnoses of mental disorders from the Department of Veteran Affairs, including 8,454 women with a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress — and this number does not include troops still active, or those who have never used the V.A. system” (Internet, Nov. 1, 2009).
The article continued to comment on what we have heard from many female vets, that because they are women, “people underestimate what these women have been through” (Resick, Internet, Nov. 1, 2009).
Since war has been traditionally fought by men, we have seen the Humpty-Dumpty effect. But what happens when Humpty is Mom? What happens when Mom is the wounded warrior? What happens to the children? What happens to the organizational system of the home: the washing, cooking, cleaning, and daily tasks?
Who steps up to help nurture the nurturer when she needs comfort, care, and support? These are vital questions that need to be explored and addressed.
When Humpty-Dumpty is Mom, she can be put back together; however, the tools and glue may be pink instead of blue.
Sep
16
The Strength of One
Filed Under Civilian life, PTSD treatment | 6 Comments
-by Janet Seahorn
It had been several months since I last saw him. The end of last semester during finals to be exact. He had been a student in one of my university classes. He was a big, strapping, young man who almost always had a smile on his face and some funny comments to amuse his table mates.
Before that semester began, I knew that several of my new students were National Guard or had served in the military; he was among them. On one occasion, he told me that he had been on active duty and had just returned from a tour in a war zone. Iraq one day, and the next day he was signed up and attending classes at the university. No transition time whatsoever. Yet, he seemed to take it all in stride. He even joined a fraternity.
A few times I had spoken with him about some of his experiences and asked if he knew anything about Post Traumatic Stress. Without much dialogue he nodded and mentioned that he had some symptoms but he was coping quite well. And by all outward appearance and on most days he was fine. Only a few times did I recognize the demons had visited him, but thankfully, they didn’t seem to stay very long.
The semester wore on without much concern until the last month when he was absent a few times – until then he attended every class and only missed on rare occasions. One absence occurred the first day of class. He had e-mailed me ahead of time to let me know he would be missing that session because he was attending the funeral of one of his best friends. Only later did I learn the funeral was a young marine who had been in our local papers and had recently died in Iraq.
The marine had been a close high school friend. They had been star players on their football team, shared Saturday night outings built on a foundation of boyhood friendship.
After our “catch-up” talk, he mentioned that the summer had been tough. He had an accident which broke some bones in his ankle. He could not participate in all of the fun activities that had anticipated during the school year. Given the pain and the down time of recuperation, the memories resurfaced; the trauma of his tour of duty in Iraq, what he saw and had to cope with, the decisions he had to make on a daily basis – returned to haunt him.
Typical of his strong personality, he downplayed most of the symptoms. Yet, this is an intelligent young man. He did not dismiss the symptoms and stated that he was getting help for his PTSD. Just knowing this put my mind at ease. I could only imagine what courage it took to take this step. Hopefully, other vets who know him will follow his example. He will get better – faster, in a healthier manner.
Just a side note: I no longer choose to call this a “disorder”. It seems to me the more I learn and understand this phenomenon, the more I believe that PTS(D) is the minds/body’s incredibly creative way to deal with an unusually horrendous life event.
Had the mind not employed the immediate reaction of numbing and stuffing the event, the person may have died. To avoid the ultimate death sentence, the mind/brain made a split second decision to unconsciously remove itself from the trauma until a later time; a time when the body was safe to explore the event without being in the line of fire.
Pretty amazing and effective when you think about it. If the brain wasn’t such a protective, innovative problem solver many of us would not be around today. Yea, for our amazing brain. Maybe it is not “disordered” at all, just creatively restructured for a bit.
In a few weeks I will attend a conference on Traumatic Brain Injury (TBIs). Of course I will be writing about this experience and sharing some of the information with our blog readers. Stay tuned.
Sep
8
A New Beginning
Filed Under PTSD treatment, Treating PTSD | 1 Comment
-by Janet Seahorn
In a previous blog we wrote about the Wilderness and Healing. Before that we talked about how PTSD + Joy = Peace, Maybe — can move us toward wellbeing.
This week’s focus is a continuation of both ideas, an extension of how we can heal, can move forward and grow healthier. What every suffering person is searching for is a GENISUS – a new beginning, new start, a sort of rebirth.
So this is the big question, “what will be our new beginning after a trauma experience?” Trauma does not have to be the end of living, but a start of living life in a new way. It begins with the seeds we are now and grows into the people we want to become.
Imagine that person, vision it with all the bright pictures, melodies, and glory we can see, hear, and feel in our hearts. New beginnings ask us to examine what we learned from our combat/trauma experience, to go beyond the pain and terrible memories, and to rise above them.
To accomplish this mission will require that we put ourselves fully into the human arena. Isolation is not an option. We cannot lock ourselves away physically or emotionally; that means drugs, alcohol, over-working… are simply not possible choices.
The world is too rich, too interesting, too special to isolate ourselves. Yes, there are horrible things that occur. There is violence, greed, and cruel acts. And for every act of brutality, I believe there are many more acts of kindness, beauty, and love. We must not forget to notice these during our times of darkness. We must attempt to appreciate the goodness in the world. It is present. Just look.
An old saying states, “What we focus on persists”. What do we want to persist? We can focus on those things. Write them up. Put them on our refrigerators, nightstands, even our mirrors. The new us begins today. We choose. By no means will it be easy. The new us will not be perfect, but it will be real.
Like the Velveteen Rabbit, he became worn, torn, and aged only through the experience of being touched, loved, and used. And by going through all of his living, he became real. He developed into being alive, for being alive required a multitude of life events both magnificent and sad.
I am sure that if one were to inspect the experiences of the rabbit, he may have been diagnosed with PTSD. And, I am equally sure, that at the end of his days, he would not have traded these experiences for something easier and less physically or emotionally demanding.
He chose life, and so will we!
Sep
1
Never Apart
Filed Under Dogs, Pets, PTSD treatment, Purple Heart | 1 Comment
by Janet & Tony Seahorn
It was a small, black & white, furry 5-pound bundle of emotional and physical relief. His name was Petie, the keeper of an adult warrior, Purple Heart, Vietnam Veteran.
The vet trained him as his first alert. An important task. Petie knew when his master needed to take his medications. He would wakeup Dennis at various times in the middle of the night so that specific pills were administered at the most critical time in order to keep the Post Traumatic Stress under control.
Dennis trained Petie especially for this purpose. They are best friends and constant companions, never apart. This small, furry medic is essential, not just for the vet’s physical well-being, but even more important, his emotional/mental stability.
Petie alerts Dennis when there is danger in the surroundings. He watches intently everything that goes on with his owner and around his owner. If Petie isn’t comfortable his master knows to pay closer attention to his current environment. If Petie doesn’t like you, more than likely Dennis isn’t going to become too friendly either.
They coexist, two different species, one functioning entity.
There are numerous organizations that train service dogs. Dogs that serve the deaf, blind, and epileptic individual. Dogs that act as the arms and legs of those who no longer have capacity to move on their own. Now, some of these groups are training dogs to do something even more challenging, knowing when their owner may go into a PTSD anxiety attack.
The dog must sense when such attacks may occur before they actually manifest themselves. They know even before the person that something is coming on – giving their owner an opportunity to breathe, use relaxation techniques, and take medication if necessary. They provide a sense of security and well-being in a world filled with unpredictability and potential stressors.
One such training organization is NEADS – Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans.
They are conducting an in-depth study of nine-ten Iraq vets who has severe PTSD. The study’s focus is to evaluate the most effective canine training methods that serve the sensitive needs of a veteran suffering from combat stress.
This is a very expensive and challenging research project because it must take into account the behaviors of two very different organisms: human and canine.
It will be a critical piece of information given the increasing number of individuals returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters and those that have served in past wars such as Vietnam and the Gulf War.
Apr
15
What Others Say About PTSD
Filed Under PTSD treatment | 3 Comments
In the last few months I have written about characteristics and effects of PTSD. Some of the information came from years of living with someone with PTSD. Some of it came from over a decade of research. And, some of the information was the result of interviews carried out over the last eight years with families, vets, and civilian populations. A recent blog focused on “What I know for Sure” about this illusive, emotional oppressor and I ended with a comment from a newspaper article where an Iraq veteran stated that admitting he had served in Iraq or Afghanistan was like the plague because employers were apprehensive about hiring vets with PTSD. Reading this put me into a very philosophical guilt trip. We are trying to educate communities, veterans, families and friends about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. However, by no means is the information meant to make the vet look incompetent or out of control. PTSD is like any other challenge. Most of the conflict occurs within the person, and behind closed doors. For the most part, few people outside the immediate family have little if any idea of the torment and struggle going on within the individual.
While driving to Wyoming last week, I read an article in Scientific American by David Dobbs (April 2009) titled, “The Post-Traumatic Stress Trap”. The main idea of this piece centered on “a growing number of experts insist that the concept of post-traumatic stress disorder is itself disordered and that soldiers are suffering as a result” (p. 64). As I read the piece I both agreed and disagreed with what Mr. Dobbs wrote. There is no doubt that many people showing symptoms of any type of illness or disorder may be misdiagnosed, and when this occurs treatments are not only ineffective, but may even be harmful to the patient. PTSD is no exception. Just diagnosing, it can be tricky because its symptoms can mask other ailments such as depression, memory problems, and traumatic brain injuries. A helpful statement by Mr. Dobbs reminded the reader that for many vets returning from combat, normal readjustment may take months and even a few years to get back to regular existence. “Seeing most post-combat distress not as a disorder but as part of normal, if not painful, healing” (p. 68), may take some of the stigma away from the trauma of combat.
All of that is fine. Yet, as a researcher, I also know that for those who are misdiagnosed, many may never be identified due to lack of nearby medical facilities or lack of awareness. The last point Mr. Dobbs made, and I believe it is legitimate, refers to revising the rubric for more accurately diagnosing of PTSD. At any rate, the real challenge continues to be accurate identification of PTSD, effective treatment options, and correct information to increase awareness. PTSD is far more than a mere “adjustment” problem. The sufferer and the family need immediate and appropriate interventions if restorative health is to be obtained. As a nation, we have our work cut out for us, because a nation that forgets it warriors, fails its moral and humanitarian obligations to restore to physical and emotional health those it sends into battle. We must always take action; we must always remember that “If we send them, we must mend them”.
Mar
10
Freedom dogs help with PTSD
Filed Under PTSD treatment | Comments Off
We’ve all seen how dogs and other pets can have healing powers. A pilot program in California pairs service dogs with returning veterans with brain injuries and emotional problems. Freedom Dogs is a non-profit agency in San Diego that trains service dogs to do anything from retrieving items to providing a comforting distraction from PTSD symptons. To read the full story, click here.