PTSD, At Home and Work

The Veteran's Administration is playing a challenging game of "Catch-Up," to try and meet the needs of these newly returning Veterans, and those whom have been suffering for years in silence and shame.

Recognizing the symptomology of PTSD, is not too difficult in most cases; but all too often ordinary feelings and emotions; outbursts of shame, crying/weeping, outbursts of anger and "Lashing out" verbally or physically maybe signs that something else besides you or a loved one may be experiencing the results of PTSD. Merely just saying or expressing that anyone should "get over it," when a Veteran is acting out or having issues with a memory; and appears to be mentally stuck on a bad experience, is not appropriate and all too often irritates and intensifies the negative feelings of the episodes of PTSD.,

Learning what PTSD symptoms are, can be very helpful in bringing some "middle-ground" to your relationships, both as a sufferer of PTSD; and as a Family Member or someone who loves and cares for that Veteran.

I am a "Complex" PTSD Sufferer. This merely means that I have been exposed and have had to deal with a multitude of several severe and life threatening/changing traumatic events, during my life. Each of my Traumatic Events included attempts of and on my life, times where dangers and exposures dealt with death, in various different places with different basic themes; but all have a common thread which "Links" back to the original Traumatic Event; which occurred while I was serving in the United States Air Force.

Others whom suffer from PTSD, regardless of whether or not they are suffering from multiple or a single event, all have been trained and have "self-taught" themselves how to hide their symptomology and have been able to stifle their outward showing of stress, dreams, nightmares, lapse of time, lack of concentration, irritability and other such symptoms; For the most part.

However, when a significant "Trigger" or "Stressor" is presented, the symptoms can all too easily get away from their normal means of handling and hiding their symptoms. The sufferer will at times, "Lash out" at Inappropriate times, or at very disarming degrees to those around them and do not have the knowledge of they are suffering from anything. Many people in my life has just brushed off my episodes as either my being temporarily "Stressed" and or Not having a "Good Day," and then proceed to discount the signs that something more sinister is afoot and needs attention and treatment.

There are those whom refuse to acknowledge that PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Exists. Others not are there those people whom think that it does not exist, there are those whom believe there is an issue that is called PTSD, but it is not a real disability.

What are your feelings on PTSD?

PTSD and it's effects are not "Age Specific" and can it's effects are felt in all age groups, including children; as well as Adults of all ages.

Quick Facts about PTSD:

1. PTSD can be debilitating;

2. PTSD Effects can be present with any one in any age group;

3. PTSD is a Stress related disorder that can be disruptive and harmful, should a stressor be triggered, at any given time

4. PTSD can be treated effectively with treatment by a professional

5. PTSD effects not only the sufferer, but it's effects can be transmitted to care takers, as well;

6. PTSD causes and promotes other health issues such as heart failure, heart attacks, renal failure, and in some cases cause death.

It may seem that the title, has nothing to do with the issue I am addressing. However, it is probably the most accurate analogy of what PTSD, does to it's sufferers. Let's look at this analogy for a few moments.

The human body and mind are very resilient. The younger the person, who suffers the effects of PTSD, the better chances of them moving past their experience and seeing recovery more completely.. Now this is not to say, that younger sufferers don't, or can't continue to suffer throughout their lives; it merely states from what I have learned that children are more resilient to adversity and can "Bounce Back" a bit quicker, than their counterpart Adults.

I believe that this may be due to the fact that the children are not subjected to the social stigmas, the social requirements and policies, peer and professional pressures of their social and public worlds. Now that may be somewhat "Self Serving" and possibly "Ignorant" and maybe even a bit "Arrogant" on my part.. I am open to those insights.

Young Adults and their elder Adult groups are less apt to adapting to the pressures, which are not taken to the Children whom are, for the majority parts. However, to every assertion I am making, I will make some exceptions to those children whom have been subjected to suffering Sexual Trauma, Directly witnessing catastrophic events, especially one or more events of which a family member or loved one, was directly impacted or involved.

Now, to the analogy of the title on this section:

Like water, the human psyche is flexible and resilient; and at times appears weak and very pliable. In my assessment, the reverse is true. If you compress water, it will quickly come to a point where it can not be pushed any more into a confined space; and the forces within will fracture the vessel it is contained in. This means even durable materials, from which the vessel is constructed, will crack and fracture, to release the pressure.

The same is true of the psychological vessel, that every human has within them. As a PTSD sufferer, I know that since I have suffered some pretty extreme traumatic events; where I was an active participant and was the victim of, I had so many facets of my psychological vessel cracked and ruptured, like others whom have suffered even the lesser amount of Traumatic events.

I guess that the best way for me to address my experiences with PTSD, in order to give you light to what some others may be experiencing, might convey that "We Can Not Just Get Over It."

I can not count the times when someone has told me that "Life Goes On," or that "Everyone Has Issues," or that "I need to stop imagining, my situation is medically or mentally connected." And the list goes on and on, on what I have heard guided at myself and others whom I know suffer from PTSD.

It's true that "Life goes on." There is not one doubt in my mind that life moves forward, with or with out me. I see and experience that fact everyday, every minute in my life; via my professional life. I see lives wiped out in auto accidents on a regular basis.. I see death on a standard of my career, that spans over 30 plus years. I see men, women, children ripped apart and crushed; with body fluids and inner organs spewed out over the dashes and seats of the vehicles where their lives were wiped out, and spread across. And yes their families and life moves forward.. So, please don't express that analogy to me, it is inappropriate and very disturbing.

Now in that moment of expressing the above, my heart was racing in anger and anguish. My body started sweating, a headache began creeping in, I felt rage and grief for every one I ever had to carry from one of those accidents, both complete and in pieces. I had to take a break and pace the floor to put down the feelings of emotion; I even wept for the losses of each of those lives; all in about a two minute period.

My exposing the emotions I went through in such a small period of time; gives you some idea of how quickly the mind, the body and the inner triggers and stressors react, when PTSD begins, on it's journey; inside of a sufferer. The mixture varies, in intensity and in range.. Hyper-vigilance and going on "guard" to defend oneself, goes on "auto-pilot," almost immediately and most sufferers will go on the defensive; which if provoked or disturbed in the wrong way; (Ie.. no nurturing, no positive re-enforcements, not positive ways of finding ourselves back to the present.)

PTSD Not only includes emotions, but also time lapses and "flash-backs" of and backwards to the actual events, which brought about the PTSD, also known as the Traumatic event where the PTSD or stress originated and was enhanced through our beliefs and emotional maturity, at the time of the psychological attack upon us.

I am beginning to write on the "Hubpages," about my journey both in the realm of PTSD and those events which have attributed to my stressors and triggers. I will at times write about actual events that brought about significant layers to my PTSD, and events where PTSD had been the source of added stressors, as well intensified beliefs and effects, from prior events and experiences; of my life.

My goal? Well to me, it is simple.. I want to educate and share my experiences, so that those whom are suffering, don't have to suffer anymore thinking they are alone. They don't have to suffer in silence, like I did; since my departure of the military and the actual events prior to my leaving the United States Air Force, during peace time.. Oh yes, please be mindful that the levels of PTSD and the layers of trauma, do not have to happen and cause problems to only "war-time" veterans, but also those whom fought another war, against abuse, against sexual assault, against injuries sustained during military service. I also want to let you know, that you don't even have to be in the military to experience the effects or infliction of PTSD.

If you have someone who is suffering, or has been suffering in silence with their trauma and PTSD issues, please reach out.. Be assured that statistics say that sufferers often have a higher occurrence of attempted Suicide. So, please reach out to get help for these people, including yourself if needed. Reach out and research, to find out what PTSD actually means and encompasses. I believe earlier In this material, I put a link to "Learn about PTSD." (I might be mistaken, but I believe I did.)

One more thing, if you wish to learn more about my life with PTSD and some more about my trauma's, you are more than welcome to visit my blog on blogger.com. the URL is: http://attentiontoptsdandmst.blogspot.com/

(Be forewarned that the material on this blog is of adult content and does contain some pretty disturbing and explicit content at times. Also note that you are welcome to go into the archives to read more completely into my life with PTSD., it spans over 1 year of documentation.)