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PTSD treatment works — the VA has helped me and it can help others

Herald and News - 6/10/2017

June is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder awareness month.

I was diagnosed with “Chron

ic PTSD” June of 2016. I served as a first-responder for near 35 years. To date I have spent 10 months in counseling.

I have learned many things about PTSD and have made it a personal goal to share my journey, educate and to minimize the stereotyping of PTSD victims.

I responded to over a couple hundred incidents involving death. Some were extremely horrific and graphic. Deaths were of all ages, genders, people we knew and those we didn’t know. The ones we knew were obviously more difficult to manage emotionally because we knew them and / or their families. Deaths involving children were always more emotionally troubling.

What is PTSD?

PTSD is a mental health issue and anxiety disorder that is brought on by exposure(s) of an extremely stressful event or series of events. Events may include: war, physical or sexual assault or abuse, an accident (such as an airplane crash or a serious motor vehicle accident), or a mass causality disaster. You can develop PTSD if the event happened to you, or if you witnessed it. It is normal to feel stress when you experience a traumatic event.

PTSD may persist long after the event and is characterized by the intensity of the feelings, how long they last, how you react to these feelings, and the presence of symptoms. More than 5 million adults in the United States are affected by PTSD each year.

It’s normal to have upsetting memories, feel on edge, or have trouble sleeping after these types of event. At first, it may be hard to do normal daily activities: go to work, go to school, or spend time with people you care about, holding feeling inside and not sharing those feelings. But most people start to feel better after a few weeks or months.

If it’s been longer than a few months and you’re still having symptoms, you may have PTSD. For some people, PTSD symptoms may start later in life, or they may come and go over time.

Symptoms

After my retirement from the fire district I was looking for things to do. I considered many ideas; while I was exploring the idea of helping the VA with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) soldiers, I discovered a link for first-responders.

As I was reading the information relating to first-responders and especially the symptoms, it was surprisingly describing me. Especially what I am and have been experiencing over the last several years.

Some of the symptoms I am experiencing: nightmares, flashbacks, not sleeping, feeling detached and isolating myself from family, friends and others, depression, angry outburst, irritability, headaches not sharing my emotions, smells, tastes and not wanting to be in public.

I have had difficulty staying focused and there are triggers that led me to recalling specific incidents or situations.

Most importantly, I did not realize or know what was happening to me, how my personality had changed and how I was effecting others.

Who

Our military veterans, first-responders, victims of sexual-related crimes, assault victims, victims of trauma, witness traumatic events, all genders, all ages and many more.

Treatment

Treatment works! Reach out, ask for help or if you know someone in crisis be supportive. The team of providers I have working with me through the VA has helped with my journey.

Untreated, may lead to alcohol, drugs or suicide.

PTSD is real and not a sign of weakness. Be supportive! Be educated!

For more information: www.ptsd.va.gov / cell phone app “PTSD Coach”.