post traumatic stress disorder

[harry hackedoff]

Hi, guys,
I once commited an un-gentlemanly act on the box, whilst the first Mrs. Hackedof was watching Crosroads. But that is another story.....
This next bit is going to take a while.
As I said, been talking to the guys at Combat stress and finally spoke to their Clinical Manager, Mr Tony Letford. A really helpfull guy and a Scouser to boot. So no comms probs, there then.
First off, I would like to say a very big" thank you " to Tony for the time he took to speak to me and also, for the information he has sent me. I said that l would extract what l thought was relevant and post it on this thread.
However, what l received was a zipped file which, when downloaded, produces 50+ sides of A4. It`s 23.25 now and l downloaded it at 1900, l`ve just finished reading it.
Right, Gents, lets crack straight on.
Firstly, some treatment topics :-
Cognitive Behavior Therapy- teaches new ways of thinking that may help in facing difficulties, includes desensitising traumatic memories.
Post Traumatic Stress Education - helps the person understand their difficulties and regain control.
Anxiety Management - control of /reduction of panic attacks
Creative Therapies - collages, for instance, as sometimes words are not adequate/ appropriate for the individual to express their experiences.
Anger Management
Eye Movement Therapy - particularly useful in treatment of "flash-backs" a new and very effective treatment
Relaxation
Solution Focussed Therapy - looks to the positive future.
Counselling - centred on the person to explore cause and effect.
Sleep Routines - ways to improve your patterns of sleep.
These topics form the basis of an assesment so that an idividual`s treatment plan can be produced.
The rest of the material that Tony Letford sent covers the following:-
1 PTSD Overview.
2 Treatment Protocols (as above)
3 Sleep and PTSD
4 Relationships
5 The Victims Family
6 Anger and Trauma
7 Alchohol abuse and PTSD
8 New Hope- eye movement de-sensitisation therapy
9 PTSD and disaster workers
10 New Findings on Gulf War Studies of PTSD
11 Description of how Ex Services Mental Welfare works
Items 3 4 5 6 & 7 you will find particularly relevant. Guys, what I found with my brief exposure to the peolple at Combat Stress was some very helpfull people who talk like we do and know the score, particularly Tony Letford, who should`ve been a Bootie.

So, what l propose is this, to any member who wants, I will e-mail the file as a zipped file. (I don`t know if that is possible using site e-mail facilities. so shall ask Nomad.) Or, if preferred, send me an address and I will post a hard copy.
You have just read an hours worth of one-finger touch-typing. My initial post on page one of this thread, was a statement from one who knew little about PTSD, but the replies posted here, have been an education. Lorraine,Gentlemen, l salute you.
Take up my offer, it wont cost you and it might be enough to convince you that there is a happy ending. Well happier, at least,


once more, Brethren, l remain,
as ever,
yours, Aye

Harry

[harry hackedoff]

Just posted Nomad as to sending zipped files via site e-mail.
Muts, e-mail you Thurs night, as too knackered now,cheers mate
Harry

[Yorkie Malone]

HH, First of all Good Effort.

The biggest step is actually doing something and I'm almost glad that the email failed.... because that made you go that one step further and actually TALK to someone. So mate you have taken TWO steps.

Unfortunatly because of things happening around you you may find that at times you are taking two paces to the rear, but you get over that blip and forward again.

Lorrain, I feel for you as at least when I went to my doc he told ME there was something wrong, and as I had my "minder" (the wife) with me it was very helpfull to have someone tell all that I had been doing.

Since going to Haslar and Combat Stress, I have had Reflexology, which I found very usefull and extemely relaxing. Tell them your problem then lay down and say you don't want to talk and relax.. go to sleep.

Also I went to see a "voodo woman" in Tavi doing Homeopathy and that took me down a different path, but set me on the right course.

TAKE NOTE If you go to see your doc and tell him about the Reflexology and the Homeopathy, and ask him to tell War Pensions that a long course of both or either of the two will do some good. Then it can be claimed through WP under ARTICAL 28 of the WP rules. YOUR DOC WILL HAVE TO DO THIS WITH WP.

TRY NOT to take any pills issued by the doc as they are buggers to get off and you depend on them. the bottel of Grouse is bad enough!!!

In the meentime I also took up Tia Chi. Basicly it's breathing whilst doing slow steady movements. So you throw a wobbler, whats one of the first comments. "Slow down take a deep breath!"

The three of them combined over the last 7/8 years have helped me to start to come to terms with what has been happening to me.

Oh yes I still have problems, but I am able to control myself a lot more than in the past.

But watch out for some bloke doing Tai Chi on Two Sisters!!!

SyY

[Yorkie Malone]

Further to my last IF and when you go to see the doc.

Blokes.... take the wife/partner as they will tell the doc the truth.

Where as good old boys that we are, we hide the truth and skirt around the issue.

As I said before BLOKES DON'T TALK ....... but ..... WOMEN DO!!!!

And before you ask you S G .... the spots alright .... co's I talked about it.

SSS EEE EEE

SyY

[harry hackedoff]

thanks, Yorkie, I`m trying,

surprised you havn`t said anything in reply to my poem entitled "Not a spot, it`s a blister" on Poet`s Corner have a go!


yours Harry

[ratso]

Yorkie careful we have a court case on going don't need to complicate it with PTSD ...... Post Testicular Spot Disorder.

[SYB]

Yorkie- Very funny? Nice to talk? You had me guessing madly whilst stood in tesco's.

It goes back to wanting to talk. So I did?

I was sat listening Jimmy youngs radio programme (My opinion) and felt myself getting very angry towards that woman going on and on about absolute rubbish. Criticising the police etc

So I phoned the radio programme and just started putting my views acrosss. GOBBING OFF. I was cut short but didnt expect to get mentioned?
Hence I didnt hear what they said??
Anyway I felt better for talking?? and got my name mentioned in the process. HA HA
Regards Simon

[Yorkie Malone]

To all our readers. I was minding my own business trying to sort out the road traffic problems of the M5/M6 junction when out of shear boredom I turned on to the radio, and it was just as Jimmy Young was reading out messages from listeners.

Anyway he said that this is from Mr Bywater of ...... etc etc.

So I rang him (Simon) to complain about him interupting me with my decision as to how to navigate this wonderfull road intersection, and caught him in Tescos.

Good to know that messages do get through.

But all I try to get through to is Sally Traffic to tell her the road is blocked by some person who cannot reverse thier car in the narrow Devon lanes.

Yes I was far from home yesterday

SyY

[Nomad]

sorry guy's been AWOL forom the site - loosing my self at umpteen miles per hour on my bike...

Here are the files on PTSD Click here to download the WinZip file and save it to your PC

[Mutley]

Came across a quote the other day, Sandy Woodward on the Andrew, said although he rarely discussed the events of '82 with colleagues, some years later, for some reason he asked one of his then ships captains what lessons did he think we had learnt from Op C, the reply was "I learnt how to cry".

[harry hackedoff]

Guys hi there,
If you have difficulty downloading from Tony`s link(50 odd pages), then send me a P.M., Tony(Blair), Margaret, Winston or Pitt The Effing Elder, with an address and I`d be glad to post a hard copy to you.

Muts, perhaps they had realised they joined the wrong service

as ever,


Harry Hackedoff

[Mike Mortimore]

Ive read with interest the views about PTSD and as being diagnoised as having said problem it does not surprise me of the number of male/females that have the disorder, thanks again Yorkie lots of info and yes like Yorkie Im on the register with this court case with the MOD. Like Yorkie its not about money. In my case its re-enstatment of charactor as I was Courts Martialed whilst having PTSD long story and the sands run out of the sandbag, but Yorkie Knows me as helped me in the intial stages of getting help, thanks Yorkie but this dosnt mean that I forgive you when you gave me a beasting when I was on my JCC you were a b.....d of a DL. Its been an up hill struggle but we as a body of people are starting to get reconised as the problems that we have are real at least they dont shoot us anymore, like they did in WW1 One thing that has helped me, and its certainly not everyones cup of tea I started going to church, became a born again christian and thats the reason why I am here in France helping to run a church for the expats out here. I have learnt through experience that you have to communicate with this disorder especially with your wife if you have one and she hasnt already done a runner. One thing the church has helped me to do is talk about the experiences that Ive gone through it has helped imensly and now in most cases and I stress not all I can freely talk about them, sadly lads we shall always have this disorder but its how we learn to deal with it day to day. footnote : seeing Yorkie doing Tia-Chi in your back garden in France with a flat cap on scares the wild life away!!! Like I said if it works for you do it . cheers for now

[ratso]

It's been a bit of a bad week for me, over the last few weeks Fearless has helped me to keep the gremlins at bay, then I was reminded of Foxtrot Juliet Day on the 6th and I went to pieces again.
It is a real pain killer having something to keep the mind active like Fearless but the pressure has grown over the last two weeks with the lack of money coming in all promises and no action. So when I got a call from the ship to remind me of the commemorative ceremony i fell appart again and this time the family felt the sting, not very good when they have supported me for so long with the project and have suffered with no money coming in from my lack of work.
So no it must be time to seek a bit of help myself. I am stubborn and don't want to admit my failing just like the day the Marines kicked me out for my failings due to my inability to talk about my problems.

I see that the armed forces wont send troops into trouble spots without trained stress councellors now. I think the PTSD case is having its effects on the way they work already.

[harry hackedoff]

Rats,
remember what I`ve said before? You don`t blame a child because he has mumps.
This is a disease that can affect anyone. Even years later, in some cases 40-odd years later.
Talk to someone

as ever,

yours, Harry.


I heard you were given the offski because of your ravishing good looks chin up, mate

[Mike Mortimore]

Hi Ratso, this is strange for me to try and offer advice for the condition that we all share, but like harry has said communication is of the first order, learning to talk to someone you trust is difficult. I got round it by treating it as a pussers course , day 1 get your life sorted make an RV with the person that you have decided to confide in. Then let the following RV's/visits take there course. Like a pussers course most on it want to be there its the same with PTSD we dont want it but we got it . Jo-Ann my wife has a positive approach towards this thing when I finally got to grips with this she said I have 100% minuses the aim is to turn minuses into pluses. starting with the simple ones and slowly we nibbled at the problems together . Im not saying its easy alot of tears on both sides, especially from me, Jo-Ann and I got together in my last 4 years in the corps so did not see the fun side and sadly she has had to pick the broken pieces and try and put them back together. Its not easy putting your life back together, rebuilding relationships with my children has been the most difficult thing for me and I have 2 sons in the Army and 3 daughters. Ratso there are always bad days mate when the good days start out wieghing the bad days light will start to flicker at the end of your tunnel. I feel we should be able to help each other as we understand the problem disscuss what works what dosnt , we were taught to look after our oppos and if this is not that I do not know what is. Ive bleated on long enough look forward to some feed back , Yorkie where are you youve missed 2 days!!!!! hang in there Ratso God bless you all Mike