PTSD

If you're a veteran suffering with PTSD, please know that you are not alone. Please take your symptoms seriously.

From the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command website:

Fellow Soldiers - Talk to your friends about what you are feeling. Oftentimes it's a reality check ... a first line of defense.

Chain of Command - Team leaders, squad leaders, platoon sergeants/leaders, first sergeants, company/battalion/brigade commanders, command sergeants major.

Unit Ministry Teams - They're especially good at counseling.

Family Life Chaplains - Many have a Master's Degree in Counseling and will try to save a marriage; some will also work individually with the members of a couple.

Military One Source (Formerly Army One Source) - Call 1-800-342-9647, or visit the Web site. They offer six free sessions and it's anonymous.

Primary Care Managers - Many family practice physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners are quite comfortable treating depression and sleep problems.

Community Mental Health Service - They usually have at least one psychiatrist and a variable number of psychologists and social workers on staff as well as behavioral health technicians.

TRICARE Counseling - Spouses can go for free. Service members can often share a family member's appointment for marriage counseling.

Veterans Administration - Or Veterans Centers.

Army Substance Abuse Program (formerly ADAPCP) - Especially helpful if the Soldier or family member has a problem with alcohol or drugs.

VA/DOD Joint Programs - Aimed at service members near retirement and currently operating at Forts Hood and Bliss.

Local Church Programs - Lutheran Social Services, Catholic Social Services, etc.

Army Community Services - Often coordinate/conduct stress management, anger management, parenting and other classes.

Online Community Bulletin Boards - A great resource to tap if you have questions; usually manned by veterans and military family members who've been through the same experiences.

The Internet - There is a truckload of solid information available on-line. Just do a search using the keyword PTSD.

Combat PTSD: What are the Symptoms?

If you're a returning combat veteran having some difficulty readjusting to civilian life, you may be wondering what's going on. Why am I angry all the time? Why am I feeling detached?

If this sounds like you, you may want to review the following list of some of the general symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Click on 'Article Link' below tags for more...

The following is a composite of PTSD symptom descriptions culled from the Journal of Clinical Psychology Expert Clinical Guidelines Series; the always informative National Center for PTSD website; and the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia.


What You Need to Know

• Traumas happen to many competent, healthy, strong, good people. No one can completely protect him- or herself from traumatic experiences.
• Many people have long-lasting problems following exposure to trauma. Up to 8% of individuals will have PTSD at some time in their lives.
• People who react to traumas are not going crazy. They are experiencing symptoms and problems that are connected with having been in a traumatic situation.
• Having symptoms after a traumatic event is not a sign of personal weakness. Many psychologically well-adjusted and physically healthy people develop PTSD. Probably everyone would develop PTSD if they were exposed to a severe enough trauma.
• When a person understands trauma symptoms better, he or she can become less fearful of them and better able to manage them.
• By recognizing the effects of trauma and knowing more about symptoms, a person is better able to decide about getting treatment.

PTSD Symptoms/Signs

So, let's take a look at the symptoms or signs of combat-related PTSD. They generally fall into 3 main categories:

Intrusive - Re-experiencing of the traumatic event(s)

• Distressing recollections
• Flashbacks (feeling as if you're back in combat while awake)
• Nightmares (frequent recurrent combat images while asleep)
• Feeling anxious or fearful (as if you're back in the combat zone again)

Because trauma survivors have these upsetting feelings when they feel stress or are reminded of their trauma, they often act as if they are in danger again. They might get overly concerned about staying safe in situations that are not truly dangerous. For example, a person living in a safe neighborhood might still feel that he has to have an alarm system, double locks on the door, a locked fence, and a guard dog. Because traumatized people often feel like they are in danger even when they are not, they may be overly aggressive and lash out to protect themselves when there is no need. For example, a person who was attacked might be quick to yell at or hit someone who seems to be threatening.

Re-experiencing symptoms are a sign that the body and mind are actively struggling to cope with the traumatic experience. These symptoms are automatic, learned responses to trauma reminders. The trauma has become associated with many things so that when the person experiences these things, he or she is reminded of the trauma and feels that he or she is in danger again. It is also possible that re-experiencing symptoms are actually a part of the mind's attempt to make sense of what has happened.

Avoidant - Drawing inward or becoming emotionally numb

• Extensive and active avoidance of activities, places, thoughts, feelings, memories, people, or conversations related to or that remind you of your combat experiences
• Loss of interest
• Feeling detached from others (finding it hard to have loving feelings or experiencing any strong emotions)
• Feeling disconnected from the world around you and things that happen to you
• Restricting your emotions
• Trouble remembering important parts of what happened during the trauma
• Shutting down (feeling emotionally and/or physically numb)
• Things around you seem strange or unreal
• Feeling strange and/or experiencing weird physical sensations
• Not feeling pain or other sensations

Because thinking about the trauma and feeling as if you are in danger is upsetting, people who have been through traumas often try to avoid reminders of the trauma. Sometimes survivors are aware that they are avoiding reminders, but other times survivors do not realize that their behavior is motivated by the need to avoid reminders of the trauma.

Trying to avoid thinking about the trauma and avoiding treatment for trauma-related problems may keep a person from feeling upset in the short term, but avoiding treatment means that in the long term, trauma symptoms will persist.

Hyperarousal - Increased physical or emotional arousal

• Difficulty sleeping
• Irritability or outbursts of anger
• Difficulty concentrating or thinking clearly
  
• An exaggerated startle response (triggers bring you back to a certain combat zone event)
• Hypervigilence, being overly angry or aggressive (feeling as if you need to defend yourself from danger)
• Panic attacks

Triggers can include any of the following:

• Specific scenes - crowded streets, sunsets, sunrises, familiar clothing
• Movement - someone rushing towards the individual
• TV - even if the story is unreal, the subject or the environment may cause thoughts which act as a trigger
• Sound - helicopters, songs, unexpected loud noises
• Smell - jungle or bush, rain, smoke, blood, cordite or explosives
• Reading - or discussion about subjects of trauma
• Touch - gun metal, webbing, blood
• Situational - being crowded, walking across open spaces, feeling vulnerable or not in control

Just Remember

Although you may be overwhelmed by your symptoms, you do have many resources available to you. Please make use of them. If you need immediate help, please get it. If you'd like to talk to someone about what you're going through, there are a lot of people and organizations you can turn to you may not be aware of. If you'd like to learn more, there are a wide variety of PTSD resources waiting to be explored by you.

And if you're seeking professional help, you've a lot of options to help you find relief and resolution to your PTSD. 

Labels: avoidance, clinical, definition, diagnosis, disillusion, flashbacks, hypervigilence, psychology, reintegration, sleeplessness, triggers

ARTICLE FROM:  Combat PTSD: Winning The War Within

PLEASE VISIT THE WEBSITE:  http://ptsdcombat.blogspot.com/2006/03/combat-ptsd-what-are-symptoms.html

 

Samuel M. Rhodes -- Retired Army Command Sergeant Major

"Changing The Military Culture of Silence"

Battle with PTSD and Suicide

SAMUEL M. RHODES  INTRODUCTION   After 29 years of military service, CSM Rhodes retired in January 2009.  He spent three tours in Iraq and has begun a new chapter in his service to his country, and comrades. In dealing with his own struggle with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).   CSM Rhodes has become an inspiration for members of the military nationwide, sharing his own experience with veterans and active duty members and encouraging them to address and seek help for psychological health issues.   CSM Rhodes' advocacy about the importance of seeking help among members of the military is not only saving lives, but helping to overcome the stigma associated with mental health issues.  CSM Rhodes was awarded the, Combat Infantry Badge, Bronze Star 1st Oak Leaf, Legion of Merit, 7 Meritorious service Medals and numerous other awards.   He has attend every NCOES from PLDC to Sergeant Major Academy.   He holds a masters Degree in Business Administration and currently works as a Project Manager for Lockheed Martin who is gracefully committed to his Vision of helping his fellow Warriors by allowing him to take these opportunities to share his story.   CSM Rhodes also is a devoted husband and father, he is Married to his wife Cathy Rhodes, formerly of Lebanon, Ohio.  They have six children and seven grand Children.   CSM Rhodes free time is spent working with his Step-Daughter Kaitlynn in preparing for Georgia High School Rodeo competition across the state where she competes in Barrels and Poles she is 16 years old.

 Mr. Sam Rhodes' warm personality captivates audiences as he speaks on coping with Suicide and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  He inspires others by teaching how to build Psychological Resilience.  He speaks on regular occasions to military units across the Country Fort Jackson, Fort Leavenworth, Fort Benning, Fort Gordon , Fort Polk as well as National Guard Organizations in Massachutes, Rhode Island and Kentucky, etc ...    His efforts doesn't stop with Active Duty and National Guard he also is scheduled to speaks to reserve Organizations such as Fort Hamilton New York, He also has travel to Boston Veterans Administration Hospital and spoke to numerous groups of Home-less Veterans.   He has spoken at many more events- including the Department of Defense Suicide Prevention Conference at the Hyatt Regency in San Antonio, TX in Jan 2009 and to many other Organizations.  He has voluntarily worked with numerous organizations focused on "Changing the Army's Culture of Silence" when dealing with mental health Issues.   His unique background includes over 29 years service in the Army, were he held numerous enlisted leadership positions culminating in his Assignment as a Brigade Command Sergeant Major.   He has served in Operation Iraqi Freedom I, II, and III with a total of 30 months Combat experience from April of 2003 to November of 2005.   His unique approaches, style and personal courage have been featured on NBC 38 "Unity with Pam", in the Fort Benning Bayonet, Fort Gordon Signal, and Fort Jackson Leader newspapers and the Benning TV.   He has received praise from the Chief of Staff of the Army, General George W. Casey; Sergeant Major of the Army, Kenneth O. Preston; the Defense Center of Excellence for Mental Health General Laurie Sutton; and LTG Whitcomb.    (Written by:  Rosemarie Annese, Vice President & Blue to Gold Liaison, Blue Star Mothers, MA Chapter 1)

Tough old soldier battles new enemy: Suicide epidemic

By Halimah Abdullah
McClatchy Newspapers

http://www.dailytitan.com/2010/01/tough-old-soldier-battles-new-enemy-suicide-epidemic/

WASHINGTON — Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Samuel Rhodes keeps pictures of the dead in his pockets.

They’re the faces of young soldiers whose eyes stare out resolutely from photocopied pages worn and creased by the ritual of unfolding them, smoothing them flat and refolding them.

They’re the faces of men who, haunted by problems at home or memories of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — the dead children, the fallen comrades and the lingering smell of burnt flesh — pressed guns to their heads and pulled the triggers or tied ropes with military precision and hanged themselves.

The pictures remind Rhodes of how close he came to joining them and how, sometimes when the sadness presses in, dark and suffocating, he still mentally pens suicide notes.

“How many times have I written that letter in my head? I still think about suicide, but when I start thinking about it I have to think, ‘What’s the impact on everyone I care about?’ ”

It’s been roughly five years since Rhodes came home from his third tour in Iraq. And despite a highly decorated 29-year career in the Army, a new book, more than a hundred speaking engagements and praise from the likes of Gen. George Casey, the Army chief of staff, for his efforts in suicide prevention, Rhodes still wrestles with his own demons. When he speaks to crowds and gently holds up the photos of fellow servicemen who’ve committed suicide, it’s as if he’s holding up a mirror.

“It’s not about me,” he tells soldiers. “Every one of us can tell our own story. Start telling it. Change the culture of silence.”

Rhodes, 49, is among a small cadre of senior non-commissioned officers and officers who are opening up about their journeys back from the brink of suicide — efforts that top military commanders applaud as they battle a suicide epidemic. The open support from the military’s uppermost ranks for openly discussing a topic long considered taboo is a revolution triggered largely by both greater awareness and pressure to curb record-high suicide rates.

This month, the Defense Department reported that there were 160 reported active-duty Army suicides in 2009, up from 140 in 2008. Of these, 114 have been confirmed, while the cause of death in the remaining 46 remains to be determined. The increase in military suicides includes men between the ages of 18 and 30, mid-career officers and, increasingly, women.

Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other military leaders have said the increase is likely related to repeated deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan and to the stigma long associated with seeking treatment for mental health problems. Many soldiers are embarrassed to seek help and worried that doing so will hamper their prospects for advancement.

In response, the Pentagon has poured millions of dollars into new suicide-prevention programs and thousands of hours on helping soldiers suffering from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Through programs such as the Real Warriors Campaign, with its catchphrase of “Resilience. Recovery. Reintegration,” the military encourages soldiers to help others by sharing their stories of sorrow.

Veterans such as Rhodes put a different face on grief.

“The one thing that I’ve found when talking to soldiers and leaders, a lot of the response has been, ‘this is the first time we’ve had a senior leader who has dealt with this talk about it,’ ” Rhodes said. “At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how much money we put into this system to change policies and whatever else. At the end of the day, it’s leadership.”

For Rhodes — who grew up in Ringgold, Ga., and lives in the shadow of Fort Benning, near Columbus, Ga., where he once commanded troops — the Iraq war was a greedy ghost that stole him away for 30 months and gnawed at his marriage and his sanity.

He lost both during his third tour. Rhodes’ sky cracked open in April 2005.

“The first hundred days, we didn’t have a boy get a scratch. Then we lost two guys when their suits caught on fire. It started then. Then a couple days later we lost a few more.”

Then the unit lost two captains — younger men with children and career aspirations.

“We arrived at the scene, and that was the first time I saw a human body in so many dismemberments. A young private walked over to me with a hand and said, ‘What do I do with this?’ I took his ring off and said, ‘Put this over in that bag.’ ”

In all, he watched 37 soldiers die during his time in Iraq. Rhodes pushed on through heavy fighting, fatigue and a grief so deep that it threatened to swallow him whole.

Then one day, everything went dark.

“I woke up on the helicopter, and a young soldier put a card in my pocket and said, ‘You’ve been serviced by Angel Flight.’ ”

Rhodes was flown to a military hospital in Baghdad and was diagnosed with PTSD. He made what he calls “a deal with the devil” and was offered an opportunity to slow down and receive counseling.

He was also prescribed medication for depression, which he rarely took. Soon he started sleepwalking.

“I’d tie myself to my bunk at night. One time I was found on top of my bunk and was brought back down.”

Back home, his wife, Carol, found that she could relax only after 10 at night, figuring that the Army would never bring her news of her husband’s death any later than that. His son, Sam, dropped out of college and joined the Army in the hopes of fighting alongside his father in Iraq.

That November, Rhodes was sent to Fort Benning to help lead a brigade. By day, he was a stalwart commander, barking out orders and in full control. At night he’d go back to his now empty apartment — he and Carol had divorced — drink and think about whether in death he might find some sort of respite from the nightmares and the overwhelming guilt he felt because he’d survived and others hadn’t.

“I went to a friend’s house, a retired veteran, I got a gun from him with bullets, and the next day I was trying to figure out when and where to do it.”

Col. Charles Durr, the brigade commander, sensed that Rhodes was having problems and pulled him aside.

“He spent the day with me, and he recognized I was having issues; he didn’t know I was considering suicide,” Rhodes said. “It was just a very positive day. He told me I was doing a good job. When somebody says something positive to you and reinforces you’re doing good things, it makes it seem better.”

Slowly, painfully, Rhodes found his way back.

He met Cathy, a friendly Army IT specialist who made him feel new. They married in a small, spur-of-the-moment ceremony in Fort Benning’s chapel, then dashed off for a whirlwind honeymoon in Las Vegas.

It was willfully impulsive, and it was the closest thing to normal he’d felt in a long time.

He also rediscovered a love of horses and found catharsis in stoking their smooth coats and silently unburdening all his troubles on his quiet, gentle companions.

Rhodes also came to realize that his father, William Rhodes, a highly decorated World War II veteran who’d saved the life of future Georgia governor Marvin Griffin in combat, also suffered from PTSD and drank to deal with his demons.

Fearing a generational curse, Rhodes told his son, who’s currently serving in Iraq, about his own and his grandfather’s problems, and he prays that the military’s changing attitude about mental health might help spare Sam his father’s and grandfather’s fate.

He decided that he might be able to help others, too. So one day, following a presentation on suicide prevention in the Army, Rhodes went up to the facilitator and said, “I think I can help.”

He has. Rhodes receives hundreds of e-mails every week from soldiers who pour out their hearts with secrets they don’t feel they can tell their spouses or their commanding officers. He encourages them to get help, and every once in a while they do.

“The other week, we were at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and we were walking into the building, an old theater, this E-7 (Sergeant 1st Class) was sitting there with his sunglasses. (Rhodes) said hi to him ’cause the guy looked disturbed,” Cathy Rhodes said. “People came up after the presentation. This one soldier came up to him and had taken off his sunglasses, and he said, ‘Sergeant Major, I want to thank you.’ That really touched my heart.”

POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER IMPACTS ALL LEVELS OF LEADERSHIP Written by COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR SAMUEL M. RHODES, SR. Monday, 22 June 2009 09:03

June 22, 2009 - Since I served in the Middle East for approximately 30 months, the thoughts and reminders of my time there come and go so often that I really cannot acknowledge them. It is also tough acknowledging them to peers or superiors without concerns that they may see weakness. I had the toughest time dealing with these constant thoughts and reminders as I transitioned from a unit that frequently deployed to taking over duties as a brigade command sergeant major of a Basic Combat Training unit at Fort Benning, Georgia. I continued to embody those traits and characteristics that I thought had kept me and my Soldiers alive for 32 months in the Middle East and incorporated them into my everyday work habits. The 192nd Infantry Brigade could not be doing better. Unfortunately for most of the first nine months, little did anyone realize their brigade CSM was not doing well at all. I was able to perform my military duties on a daily basis without any negative thoughts whatsoever until I attended a Soldier’s memorial service in February 2006. As I walked into the chapel, my body began to tremble, and my mind began flashing back to memories of the 16 Soldiers I had lost during my last deployment with 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (ACR). The chaplain began to speak and then the roll call was given. My eyes began to water and then tears rolled down my face like a waterfall. How did I get here? What was the root cause of all the issues? What did I see that triggered these constant memories? I had no control; being a Warrior and a member of a team reduced to this was tough to swallow. After the roll call finished and we all stood up I said, “OK, the worst is over.” Then, like a knife in my heart the bugler began playing TAPS. My knees buckled and I couldn’t feel my legs so I grabbed onto the front bench. The brigade commander, Colonel Charles W. Durr, Jr., looked at me and immediately knew this was having a negative effect on me. We talked briefly later that day about it being worse for me than any memorial I attended in Iraq. After the memorial service, I began to lose control of my eating habits, and nightmares came every night. I began to work longer hours in order to not have any free time. The only problem is that you can only work so much! What triggered these constant memories? Are my fellow Soldiers having the same problems? On May 5, 2006, while attending a course at Fort Jackson, it all came full circle when I found myself crying continuously for about an hour, thinking about those Soldiers who died in Iraq. I had awakened early in the morning from one of the worst dreams I ever had. It wasn’t really a dream — I was there. I have seen the aftereffects of losing two great company commanders and seeing their bodies placed in bags. It was then that I began receiving counseling. I had been diagnosed in March of 2006 with PTSD, but like most leaders I put it off — too busy. Too busy almost cost me forever! From talking with Yvonne Wilbanks, Fort Benning’s Alcohol & Drug Control Officer, I learned that PTSD needs to be treated early to try to avoid other serious problems of depression and substance abuse. Her office, the Army Substance Abuse Program, had sponsored training on PTSD in conjunction with National Depression Screening Day at my unit. While I did not develop substance abuse issues, I gained weight and was up to 260 pounds. Even at this weight I was still able to run and do PT without a lot of acknowledgment of my weight. I thank God for the ACUs that covered that up. The weight issue has since been fixed through continued dedication and with the help of the medical staff at Troop Medical Clinic (TMC) 5. Later that summer, I was not feeling very well so the primary physician assistant sent me to the hospital to have some lab work done. Early the next morning I received a phone call from the TMC; the caller was different than normal and sounded a little anxious. She said, “CSM, you need to come to the TMC right now.”I replied, “I am in a meeting.” She said, “CSM, don’t make me come get you.”  I went into physician assistant’s office, and he began to tell me about the lab work and how I was showing signs of heart disease. He said if I didn’t do something about it soon, he couldn’t predict the timeline.  We talked about the findings and about my family history; my father and his brother both passed away at the ages of 64 and 65 from heart disease so the family history was not helping. Having received this information along with a booming blood pressure, I took a hard look in the mirror and continued receiving counseling from a combat stress doctor from Walter Reed via the telephone. I was also counseled by him in Iraq during my last deployment. I started dieting and working out harder and harder. The TMC folks continued to stay on top of me every day about my blood pressure checks and monthly lab work. I found out during this period that the root causes of all my issues were the anxiety and the emotional instability I was dealing with from my extended stay in the Middle East. Though we as leaders choose to fight most of our individual battles by ourselves; it’s great to know we have excellent medical personnel who care about Soldiers of all ranks. We definitely don’t appreciate them enough! I remembered Ms. Wilbanks had also told me leaders can be helpful to their Soldiers by being aware of symptoms of PTSD and make it a priority to get training and assistance for each Soldier. I believe my experiences have made me more sensitive to helping my Soldiers. After six months, I lost more than 40 pounds and can run like the wind again; I feel terrific! Emotionally, I still have issues whenever someone mentions a Soldier’s death, but all in all I have recovered to a degree. Who would have thought a Soldier could have a PTSD incident while running down the road in a garrison environment? I was running down Moye Road at about 0545 hours when all of a sudden three loud bursts of gunfire rang out. My heart felt like it stopped on the first burst. Then there was a second burst and then the third. My eyes began to water — I knew instantly what those three volleys were for. It was a firing squad from 1st Battalion, 50th Infantry rehearsing for a funeral support mission. I tried to continue running, but I found myself remembering that time and time again this has happened over the last four years. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in my opinion is not curable and will remain a part of my life forever. I am dealing with it by trying to replace any bad memories with the great memories of those fallen comrades and what this life is because of their efforts. We as leaders do not get trained on how to react to losing our Soldiers or even losing our fellow leaders during combat. We continue to learn and grow through the struggles of our current conflict. It’s an instinct to be a Warrior. It’s also an instinct to be saddened by the memories that come and go due to the loss of these great Americans. I am not able to develop the instinct to allow the memories of these events to disappear from my mind. Ms. Wilbanks explained that when these memories interfere with normal functioning or if the thoughts turn to suicide, to get help immediately. As I sat in the 47th Infantry Regiment’s reunion last year, I talked to some of the heroes who fought in previous wars. I talked to them specifically about what I was feeling and going through on a daily basis. The best words I heard were, “Never forget, but let it go.” I would add, “Never forget, get help, and let it go.” ____________________________________________________ Command Sergeant Major Samuel M. Rhodes, Sr. is currently serving as the brigade command sergeant major for the 192nd Infantry Brigade on Fort Benning, Georgia.    (update 2010 - now retired) Infantry Magazine

Free Resources For OIF/OEF Veterans and Families

Deep Streams
Offers San Francisco Bay-area OEF/OIF veterans and their families a complimentary multi-disciplinary program that integrates psychological, meditative and expressive arts approaches to healing from war.

Give an Hour
Provides complimentary nationwide counseling services endorsed by but separate from the military establishment to troops, veterans, and military spouses, children, parents, siblings, and unmarried partners.

Helios Warriors
Offers complimentary alternative holistic health care services that address the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of Ashville, North Carolina, veterans and their families. They provide integrative health care that supports any other existing medical care being received.

The Merritt Center
Offers a complimentary four-weekend (Friday-Sunday) women's and men's retreat program for military trauma in the Star Valley woods near Payson, Arizona. Each weekend offers a different menu of items to aid in trauma release including walks in the woods, sweat lodge ceremony, therapeutic massage, release exercises of body and mind and much more.

ONE Freedom Inc.
Providing ground-breaking education and training models that are community-driven, transferable and sustainable. Complimentary reintegration resources for returning veterans. Located in Boulder, Colorado.

Return to Honor
Complimentary transition training workshops from Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, aimed at helping returning veterans and their families return to peaceful life following service.

The Returning Veterans Project NW
Offers free and confidential counseling to Portland-area veterans and their families of past and current Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns. Phone (503) 402-1717 or email info@returningveterans.com for more information.

The Sanctuary
Offers 'Guardians of Our Way of Life' [soldiers, intelligence professionals, law enforcement officers, or first responders (Fire/EMS)] and their families complimentary access to a nationwide network of retreat centers.

Soldier's Heart
Veterans’ return and healing project addressing the emotional and spiritual needs of veterans, their families and communities. Soldier’s Heart promotes and guides community-based efforts to heal the effects of war based on strategies presented in “War and the Soul” by Dr. Edward Tick.

The Soldiers Project
Free, confidential psychological counseling for southern California OEF/OIF vets and their families. Visit their website, phone 818-761-7438 or email info@thesoldiersproject.org for more information.

Strategic Outreach to Families of All Reservists (SOFAR)
Complimentary psychotherapy and psycho-educational services for New England-area families of Reservists and National Guard members stationed in or returning from Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait.

Swords to Plowshares
Their San Francisco drop-in center provides mental health services, including counseling for drug and alcohol problems and post-traumatic stress disorders, case management and referrals. Outreach and prevention programs target veterans who suffer from unemployment, poverty, medical problems, substance abuse, and social isolation.

There & Back Again: Navigating Life After War
A nonprofit organization privately funded by concerned Americans whose contributions support the well-being and reintegration of OEF/OIF service-members in the Cambridge, Mass., area. Their free reintegration program includes modules on freeing the mind from unhealthy thoughts as well as conditioning the body through yoga sessions.

Valley Forge Return to Honor Workshops
Complimentary three-day intensive cognitive and experiential reintegration workshops, after theatre (after trauma) decompression training, and family integration programs for returning Afghanistan and Iraq veterans and their families. Located in Pennsylvania.

Veteran Love
Assisting wounded and disabled service men and women with their post-war transition, this nonprofit has established a monthly “emergency assistance” fund granting financial help to selected veterans or military family members. See their website for details. Their online chat board is a great resource.
American Love and Appreciation Fund
930 Washington Ave.
Miami Beach, FL 33139
Phone: 305-673-2856
Fax: 866-777-9431

Veterans Study Program
OEF/OIF veterans: access to a free reintegration counseling program and study fittingly called the Veterans Study Program at the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in the Bronx, New York.

FOR THE LOVE OF JACK

by, Kathie Costos

http://www.namguardianangel.com/ppt/FORTHELOVEOFJACKBYKATHIECOSTOS.pdf

PTSD -- Department of Veterans Affairs  http://www.ptsd.va.gov/

National Center for PTSD  www.ncptsd.va. gov

National Institute of Mental Health   www.nimh.nih. gov

PTSD Support Services   www.ptsdsupport.net 

NAMI Veterans Resource Center  www.nami.org

PTSD Manual  www.ptsdmanual.com 

Mayo Clinic   www.MayoClinic.com 

PTSD Website:  http://wildgun1.com/PTSD 

VA'S DEADLY PTSD "DRUG COCKTAIL" IS BACK IN THE NEWS

Seroquel, a potentially deadly drug has been linked to the deaths of soldiers returning from war. Yet the FDA continues to approve it.

NOTE from Larry Scott, VA Watchdog dot Org ... Use our search engine for more information about ...

... the "drug cocktail" ...
http://www.yourvabenefits.org/sessearch.php?q=drug+cocktail&op=ph

... Seroquel ...
http://www.yourvabenefits.org/sessearch.php?q=seroquel&op=and

-------------------------

Are Veterans Being Given Deadly Cocktails to Treat PTSD?

A potentially deadly drug manufactured by pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has been linked to the deaths of soldiers returning from war. Yet the FDA continues to approve it.

AlterNet / By Martha Rosenberg

http://www.alternet.org/world/145892/are_veterans_be
ing_given_deadly_cocktails_to_treat_ptsd

PTSD Love Letter

I love you through my anger,
In between my fits of rage.
I want us to be happy,
But I just can't turn the page.

I see in you the answer
To every time I've prayed.
Then I get mad; you leave the room;
I wish that you had stayed.

My love just wants to hold your hand,
But my anger doesn't care.
I feel the weight you carry.
It really isn't fair.

I gave our country everything
The day I went to war.
I thought the cost would be my life,
But it turned out to be much more.

I look into my child's eyes,
And I see a child burned
By Napalm lying on the ground,
Without a lesson learned.

So now they send the young folks
To act like war is fun,
Without a thought of how they'll feel
When their killing job is done.

When folks go fill their gas tanks
I think they all should know,
A veteran's future happiness
Is drowning in the flow. 

P.T.S.D. Love Poem
© Sarge Lintecum 2003

Please visit Sarge and Leslie Lintecum's website:

PTSD Help 2000:  http://ptsdhelp2000.com/index.html

Wounded Warrior Fight Blog

http://woundedwarriorfight.blogspot.com/

PTSD Combat Blogspot

http://ptsdcombat.blogspot.com/2007/01/need-transition-help-free-resources.html

COMBAT PTSD

They said I would be changed in my body.
I would move through the physical world in a different manner.
I would hold myself in a different posture.
I would have pain where there was no blood.
I would react to sights, sounds, movement and touch
in a crazy way, as though I were back in war.

They said I would be wounded in my thoughts.
I would forget how to trust, and I would think that others were trying to hurt me.
I would see dangers in the kindness and concern of my relatives and others.
Most of all, I would not be able to think in a reasonable manner,
and it would seem that everyone else was crazy.

They told me that it would appear to me that I
was alone even in the midst of the people,
and that there was no one else like me.

They warned me that it would be as though my emotions were
locked up, and I would be cold in my heart and
not remember the ways of caring for others.
While I might give meat and blankets to the elders,
or food to the children, I would not be able to feel
the goodness of these actions.
That I would do these things out of habit and not from caring.

They predicted that I might do harm to others without plan or intention.
They knew that my spirit would be wounded.

They said I would be lonely and that I would find no comfort
in family, friends, elders or spirits.
I would be cut off from both beauty and pain.
My dreams would be dark and frightening.
My days would be filled with searching and not finding.
I would not be able to find connections between myself and the rest of creation.
I would look forward to an early death.

And, I would need cleansing in all these things.

My friend, Steve Burns, has so graciously allowed me to present some of his excellent work here on my website.  Everything in the section below is his work.  We hope that many veterans and their families will be helped by what is found here.   Steve has put many long hours into putting these resources together.   To view this complete page of information and also many others on Steve's website, please visit 'Veterans Information' at www.veteransinfo.org

You Can Contact Steve Here: snakecharmer550@yahoo.com 

Here are more of the places where Steve helps others:

THANK YOU STEVE!!!

A Disparate Impact on Female Veterans Advanced Technology Showing How PTSD Alters Brain Function Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Shinseki Letter On Blue Water Navy and PTSD If You Had Malaria In Vietnam, Then You Need To Read This About Medications For Combat PTSD Claims for Service Connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder M21 Emotional Freedom Techniques Healing Combat Trauma HHS, Department of Defense Sign Agreement To Increase Mental Health Services Available to Returning Military Service Members Holistic Self-Care for Post Traumatic Stress and Dissociative Identity by Dr. Cindee Grace Joint Services Records Research Center Many Links On Trauma and PTSD MEDICATIONS Chart Natural Health and Meditation Resource Pages Nam Guardian Angel Power Point PTSD PTSD Combat PTSD & Domestic Violence PTSD and Early-Age Heart Disease PTSD Manual PTSD Resources for Survivors and Caregivers RECEIVING DISABILITY FOR PTSD by Gary Chenet Stressor Verification (powerpoint) INFORMATION ON PERSONALITY DISORDER DISCHARGE FOR THE LOVE OF JACK; A Book On PTSD Presented by Kathie Costos Class Action Filed Challenging Governments Mistreatment of Returning Veterans Suffering From Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Helping a family member who has PTSD Her War 2 PTSD victims no longer need to prove trauma Self Test for PTSD The Army's Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (PTSD/MTBI) Chain Teaching Program Tools for Coping with Life's Stressors Women, Trauma and PTSD Links to information on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Acute Traumatic Stress Management Coming Out Of The Dark-PTSD&Veterans Movie Veterans and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The effects on veterans as well as their families..... Kathie Costos Wounded Minds PTSD and Veterans Video Their battle may be over but your's has begun. Learn the signs of PTSD and know when you need to help them.... Kathie Costos.... When War Comes Home PTSD Video PTSD Soldiers Wounded And Waiting Video THE OTHER PTSD - SEXUAL ABUSE OF WOMEN IN THE MILITARY Video The below 10 links is how PTSD is measured. Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) Scale Impact of Events Scale Los Angeles Symptom Checklist (LASC) Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD Penn Inventory for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder PTSD Symptom Scale - Interview (PSS-I) Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS) Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID PTSD Module) Structured Interview for PTSD (SI-PTSD) .. The PTSD Book PTSD Info PTSD 101 PTSD and Relationships PTSD and TBI Research Concussion Raises PTSD Risk for Iraq Vets Deployment Checklist-Tips for Military Spouses Getting Help HOMECOMING AFTER DEPLOYMENT Homecoming Preparedness Guide Joint Services Records Research Center (JSRRC) Marine Parents Mental Health PDF Mental Health Program Guidelines Mental Health Self-Assessment Program Military Spouses for Change Most PTSD Treatments Not Proven Effective Nam Guardian Angel PTSD and Veterans PTSD Lawyers for Veterans Study Links Asthma With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Suicide Suicide Helplines Suicide Helplines VA Suicide The Forever Desision Surviving the "Killer Instinct" Symptoms Of PTSD Tips For Families Of Returning Troops Tips for Returning Military Members Treatment of PTSD TRUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (TBI) Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) VA Seeks To Enhance Mental Health Services VA Suicide Info Veterans Law Project What Every Veterans Family and Friends Need to Know about Post-Traumatic Stress and PTSD WHAT IS POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER Post-traumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD, is among only a few mental disorders that are triggered by a disturbing outside event, quite unlike other psychiatric disorders such as depression Many Americans experience individual traumatic events ranging from car and airplane accidents to sexual assault and domestic violence. Other experiences, including those associated with natural disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornadoes, affect multiple people simultaneously. Dramatic and tragic events, like the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, and wars occur, and with media exposure such as we have today, even people not directly involved might be affected. Simply put, PTSD is a state in which you "can't stop remembering." In 1 out of 10 Americans, the traumatic event causes a cascade of psychological and biological changes known as post-traumatic stress disorder. Wars throughout the ages often triggered what some people called "shell shock," in which returning soldiers were unable to adapt to life after war. Although each successive war brings about renewed attention on this syndrome, it wasn't until the Vietnam War that PTSD was first identified and given this name. Now, mental health providers such as psychiatrists, psychologists, and other health care professionals can attempt to understand people’s response to these traumatic events and help them recover from the impact of the trauma. Although the disorder must be diagnosed by a mental health professional, symptoms of PTSD are clearly defined. To be diagnosed with PTSD, you must have been in a situation in which you were afraid for your safety or your life, or you must have experienced something that made you feel fear, helplessness, or horror. The worse the trauma, the more likely a person will develop PTSD, and the worse the symptoms. The most severely affected are unable to work, have trouble with relationships, and have great difficulty parenting their children. Research has shown that PTSD changes the biology of the brain. MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and PET (positron emission tomography) scans show changes in the way memories are stored in the brain. PTSD is an environmental shock that changes your brain, and scientists do not know if it is reversible. In the United States, 60% of men and 50% of women experience a traumatic event during their lifetimes. Of those, 8% of men and 20% of women may develop PTSD. A higher proportion of people who are raped develop PTSD than those who suffer any other traumatic event. Because women are much more likely to be raped than men (9% versus less than 1%), this helps explain the higher prevalence of PTSD in women than men. Some 88% of men and 79% of women with PTSD also have another psychiatric disorder. Nearly half suffer from major depression, 16% from anxiety disorders, and 28% from social phobia. They also are more likely to have risky health behaviors such as alcohol abuse, which affects 52% of men with PTSD and 28% of women, while drug abuse is seen in 35% of men and 27% of women with PTSD. More than half of all Vietnam veterans, about 1.7 million, have experienced symptoms of PTSD. Although 60% of war veterans with PTSD have had serious medical problems, only 6% of them have a problem due to injury in combat. African Americans, when they are exposed to trauma, are more likely to develop PTSD than whites. People who are exposed to the most intense trauma are the most likely to develop PTSD. The higher the degree of exposure to trauma, the more likely you are to develop PTSD. So, if something happens to you more than once or if something occurs to you over a very long period of time, the likelihood of developing PTSD is increased. Sometimes, people who have heart attacks or cancer develop PTSD. Refugees (eg, people who have been through war conditions in their native country or fled from conflict) may develop PTSD and often go years without treatment. New mothers may develop PTSD after an unusually difficult delivery during childbirth. Also, patients who regain partial consciousness during surgery under general anesthesia may be at risk for developing PTSD. Before you go for a Compensation & Pension Exam (C&P Exam) at a VAMC you should review what the exam consist of.. go to web site... save it on your computer favorites so you can find it when needed

American Combat Veterans of War American Psychiatric Association Anxiety Disorders Association of VA Psychologist Leaders Best Practice Manual for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Compensation and Pension Examinations C&P Exams, Index to Disability Examination Worksheets Complex PTSD Connecticut Blue Star Mothers page Cybersarges Page On PTSD Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Facts About PTSD Gateway to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Information Healing Those Who Serve How Does PTSD Affect Families How To File A Claim for PTSD Less Than Half of Soldiers With Mental Health Problems Seek Treatment Mental Health Self-Assessment For Service Members and Their Families. (This is for Veterans and Active Duty) Military News On PTSD My Take on PTSD Nam Vet on PTSD NAMI National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Patience Mason's Pages On PTSD Policies for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder PTSD Help by Gary Chenett PTSD Combat:Winning The War Within PTSD for Spouses Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Symptoms, Types and Treatment PTSD and Chronic Severe Pain in Psychiatric Outpatients PTSD_Diagnosis_and_Assessment_#11674.pdf PTSD Screening Tools PTSD Support Report From Science Magazine Special Topics The Black Snake Traumatic Stress Syndrome VA Best Practice Manual for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) VA Forms for Compensation Vietnow on PTSD Wildgun's Page On PTSD Click to join ptsdandtbi This Yahoo Group is for all family members of veterans and the now serving to find information on PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) and ANY OTHER PROBLEMS our Military face. Questions on VA benefits or ANY OTHER MILITARY MATTERS. Before you go for a Compensation & Pension Exam (C&P Exam) at a VAMC you should review what the exam consist of.. go to web site... save it on your computer favorites so you can find it when needed .

Please visit me on my other websites ~ and ~ on the websites of those I am affiliated with:

Connecticut Blue Star Mothers  www.ConnecticutBlueStarMothers.org

Blue Star Mothers of America, Inc.  www.BlueStarMothers.org

Patriout Guard Riders  www.PatriotGuard.org

Missing In America Project  www.MIAP.us

Women of Ministry / Women of Faith  www.WomenofMinistryWomenofFaith.com

Faith and Life Ministries www.FaithandLifeMinistriesInternational.com

Eagle Rock Church  www.EagleRockChurch.us

JESUS My Lord and Savior Church www.JesusMyLordandSaviorChurch.com  

Men Walking With God  www.MenWalkingWithGod.com/ 

This website is being worked on each day.  Please check back often, as more pages will be added and more information placed on the pages that are here.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.  If you wish to have information added, make corrections, have comments, or find a link that no longer works, please let me know.

THANK YOU!  

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