Post traumatic stress disorder

[Peace of Mind]

Hi All,

Is there any sound advice for dealing with this problem?

The person in this video is a friend of a friend dealing with post traumatic stress disorder. http://youtu.be/iYEyUgto3rs

Recently he developed the courage to talk about his term in Iraq and may be seeking additional guidance. There are a few more people I’m in contact with that are on tour in Iraq and Afghanistan. At times they can feel very alone and guilty for what they do/done (details will not be giving in this post). Perhaps some of you can show him a little support and maybe offer some advice....as I continue to find ways in aiding the others who are not yet ready to deal with this issue. Thanks in advance…


Peace

[fathertedsmate]

i have over the last 8 months, destroyed all myths about ptsd, i have also reversed all ailments which were Athsma,Hay fever symptoms,Tinnitus,constant anxiety,stress,depression,uncontrollable outbursts/reactions,muscle loss,constant sweats when sleeping,and every other ailement,i had 10 years in the system, which i found only wanted to manage what was happening,i have yet to see anyone walk away fit and healthy not on meds, look at it from a total different veiw, PTSD is a symptom of a body that is being poisoned by heavy metals and chemicals, you wont be tested and if you can the tests are inadequate, Heavy metals become part of your body and main organs, this keeps your immune system working 24/7 the metals are constantly working to keep your blood ph acidic, at some point the bodys natural stores of vitamines/minerals run out, also what is happening simultaneously acid destroys good cells,candida is there to clean them up and is running riot, calcium is taken from the teeth and bones to keep blood alkaline,its deposited in kidneys and veins, your inner organs and joints become calcified, calcium in this state is as toxic as lead,blood is turning from water to soup,every time something goes in your mouth that contains sugar or yeast has theeffect of putting a fire out wiyh petrol, anything with a ph of less than 7.365 requires to be alkalised, if you drink a beer it requires 10 equivelant in water to alkalise,where is it coming from, it will be taken from any tissues or cells in your body, behaviour,reactions,thoughts etc are a manefestation of your immune system trying to keep you alive, what is the source i personally would look in the mouths of any sufferers if there is any metal there that is the source,

[ktlight]

Putting myself in his shoes, I would be questioning my sanity and I would probably have realised how much I had been duped into becoming a marine, a soldier. I would certainly be blaming myself to have allowed this to happen. I take it that he is American, from that part of the world at least and I don't know if there is conscription over there.

I feel so sorry that he has the memories of war. It is so destructive, and I would let him know that he should not blame himself for what he went through. He was a very young man of maybe 17 years going into it. He will probably go through the process of learning to forgive himself. He definitely needs a HUGE HUG.

I don't know what else to say right now and will have to think about it some more.

Meanwhile, POM, you are such a great soul to take this on. Blessings to you and to that young man.

Hopefully I'll come back to you with some sound advice.

[EsmaEverheart]

I have PTSD from spending decades in an abusive marriage. I am free of that now. There are still times I almost get panic attacks in certain situations. But havina a peaceful life now helps me a lot. I watched the video. It seems like the young marine has some anger management issues too. But he said he mediatates now and is seeing a therapist. Which I think is the best thing he could do. Other than that, any emontional support that family and friends can give him will be a tremendous help. I know it helps me to know that I have people who love me and support me.

[Fred259]

I see this guy as a hero. Yes he had a problem which wasn’t of his making but he’s beaten that. He’s a winner. It’s a success story. What he should do is listen to his mother more often!

What he needs now is focus direction and love. If he finds a good women that will be the end of his problems.

I do think it’s important that if he feels its necessary he keeps in contact with ex marines or perhaps a veterans group. The military often close ranks and “self heal”. A problem shared is often a problem solved. A beer with old mates is often a good thing in these situations. IMHO.

He needs something that will absorb aggression or adrenalin. I would think running or speed cycling, mountain biking that sort of thing. Obviously he’s a fit guy, go and bash it out on the pavements/sidewalk run up the mountain that kind of thing.

Thanks for sharing Peace of Mind.

[Second Son]

Posted by Peace of Mind (here)
Hi All,

Is there any sound advice for dealing with this problem?

The person in this video is a friend of a friend dealing with post traumatic stress disorder. http://youtu.be/iYEyUgto3rs

Recently he developed the courage to talk about his term in Iraq and may be seeking additional guidance. There are a few more people I’m in contact with that are on tour in Iraq and Afghanistan. At times they can feel very alone and guilty for what they do/done (details will not be giving in this post). Perhaps some of you can show him a little support and maybe offer some advice....as I continue to find ways in aiding the others who are not yet ready to deal with this issue. Thanks in advance…


Peace

Hi Peace...

My partner works at one of the only retreats in the country exclusively dedicated to uniformed service providers who are battling with PTSD. PM me if you would like details.

[Lord Sidious]

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYEyUgto3rs

That is the video.

[edina]

Peace of Mind the best protocol I have come across for dealing with PTSD is call TATLife. I've been several years now trying to prepare for the potential of some difficult times ahead. One of my biggest concerns in my research was how to help people with PTSD in the immediate aftermath of natural disasters, or any number of challenging situations.

Here's a link to TATLife, and to the free instruction guide. Also, here are combat story from combat veterans that finally had relief from PTSD, some after several decades of suffering, by using the TATLife protocol.

Please let everyone know about this simple, simple protocol. I believe the more people who know about this, and use it, the more people can help others in times of need.

I should also add that I use this protocol to dissolve any conditioning or programming in myself that I bump into.

About two weeks ago, I used this protocol to resolve and reconcile all the various "powers" (light/dark/luciferic/ahrimanic/ET/Nature,ect...) we so often feel we are bombarded with.

TATLife evolved out of the EmotionFreedomTechniques (EFT) that so many people highly reccommend. And it uses accupressure points. Some have called this TATLife technique/protocol, direct healing.

It's been amazing for me, I hope it be will helpful for your friend.

[Maia Gabrial]

Very touching video, but I know for a fact that PTSD can never be cured. It'll always be there. However, there are techniques that deal with it. I know because I have it....
Thanks for sharing this, Lord Insidious.
Maia

[Lord Sidious]

Posted by Maia Gabrial (here)
Very touching video, but I know for a fact that PTSD can never be cured. It'll always be there. However, there are techniques that deal with it. I know because I have it....
Thanks for sharing this, Lord Insidious.
Maia

No, that isn't my vid, that is the vid from the original poster.
Thanks are to them.

[loveandgratitude]

POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER-
This is not an easy question to answer, as the jury is still out on this one. A number of mental health professionals attest to the success of using hypnosis in treating the consequences of traumatic exposure, including PTSD.

It has been suggested that hypnosis may help prevent or reduce dissociation following exposure to a traumatic event (which has been found to be a major risk factor for the development of PTSD), reduce symptoms of anxiety, and help people get in touch with memories and feelings associated with their traumatic experience.

However, few studies have been done that actually examine whether or not hypnosis may be more effective than cognitive behavior therapy or psychodynamic psychotherapy in treating PTSD.

One study found that hypnotherapy, on its own, was at least as successful as some other treatments for PTSD, including psychodynamic psychotherapy. Another study found that hypnosis added to standard cognitive-behavioral therapy for PTSD may be just as effective as cognitive-behavioral therapy in improving PTSD symptoms up to 2 years following treatment. So, there is some evidence that hypnotherapy may be helpful for people with PTSD or other symptoms resulting from a traumatic experience.

It is important to know that hypnotherapy may not work for everyone. Some people are more suggestible than others. In addition, as with any treatment for PTSD, it is important get as much information as you can to make sure it is the right treatment for you. A number of treatments are available for someone with PTSD.

In working with patients who are suffering from PTSD-like symptoms, I generally have only one guideline: the way in which the symptom demonstrates a separation from the self. By taking whatever presenting symptom appears seriously, I find I can find a path to the self back through the symptom to the pain and then to triggering event of the symptom. My goal is to bring the individual back to a sense of an integrated self. I have found the best way to do that is to follow a few basic steps:

* Induction
*Creating a safe place
* Letting defences speak
* Entering into time/place where trauma occurred
* Allowing abreaction to the extent the person feels safe
* Re-patterning/transforming relationship to trauma
* Reintegration of experience with larger self

I sometimes wonder if people who think hypnosis might be dangerous think it might be dangerous for them, not the patients, because of their inability to deal with the full emotional and energetic patterns associated with panic/shock/trauma. It may true this work would be dangerous for them. But I am sufficiently comfortable with extreme fear and panic states that I have never been drawn into the patient's panic in such a way that would hamper my ability to draw forth new perspectives on the panic from the client's psyche.

[Davidallany]

My advice is to tell him to stay as a guest in a Buddhist monastery and talk to few monks about his concerns.

[jjl]

as a ptsd sufferer, I can tell you one really useful thing. Identify when the person is having an emotional flashback. Then ask the person to breath and look at thier feet. I have also printed the following 13 steps and hung it on my wall for when I am alone:
Clients
1. Say to yourself: "I am having a flashback." Flashbacks take us into a timeless part of the psyche that feels as helpless, hopeless and surrounded by danger as we were in childhood. The feelings and sensations you are experiencing are past memories that cannot hurt you now.
2. Remind yourself: "I feel afraid but I am not in danger! I am safe now, here in the present." Remember you are now in the safety of the present, far from the danger of the past.
3. Own your right/need to have boundaries. Remind yourself that you do not have to allow anyone to mistreat you; you are free to leave dangerous situations and protest unfair behavior.
4. Speak reassuringly to your Inner Child. The child needs to know that you love her unconditionally—that she can come to you for comfort and protection when she feels lost and scared.
5. Deconstruct eternity thinking. In childhood, fear and abandonment felt endless—a safer future was unimaginable. Remember the flashback will pass as it has many times before.
6. Remind yourself that you are in an adult body with allies, skills and resources to protect you that you never had as a child. (Feeling small and little is a sure sign of a flashback.)
7. Ease back into your body. Fear launches us into "heady" worrying, or numbing and spacing out.
Gently ask your body to relax. Feel each of your major muscle groups and softly encourage them to relax. (Tightened musculature sends unnecessary danger signals to the brain.)
Breathe deeply and slowly. (Holding the breath also signals danger.)
Slow down. Rushing presses the psyche's panic button.
Find a safe place to unwind and soothe yourself: wrap yourself in a blanket, hold a stuffed animal, lie down in a closet or a bath, take a nap.
Feel the fear in your body without reacting to it. Fear is just an energy in your body that cannot hurt you if you do not run from it or react self-destructively to it.
8. Resist the Inner Critic's catastrophizing.
(a) Use thought-stopping to halt its exaggeration of danger and need to control the uncontrollable. Refuse to shame, hate or abandon yourself. Channel the anger of self-attack into saying no to unfair self-criticism.
(b) Use thought-substitution to replace negative thinking with a memorized list of your qualities and accomplishments.
9. Allow yourself to grieve. Flashbacks are opportunities to release old, unexpressed feelings of fear, hurt, and abandonment, and to validate—and then soothe—the child's past experience of helplessness and hopelessness. Healthy grieving can turn our tears into self-compassion and our anger into self-protection.
10. Cultivate safe relationships and seek support. Take time alone when you need it, but don't let shame isolate you. Feeling shame doesn't mean you are shameful. Educate those close to you about flashbacks and ask them to help you talk and feel your way through them.
11. Learn to identify the types of triggers that lead to flashbacks. Avoid unsafe people, places, activities and triggering mental processes. Practice preventive maintenance with these steps when triggering situations are unavoidable.
12. Figure out what you are flashing back to. Flashbacks are opportunities to discover, validate and heal our wounds from past abuse and abandonment. They also point to our still-unmet developmental needs and can provide motivation to get them met.
13. Be patient with a slow recovery process. It takes time in the present to become un-adrenalized, and considerable time in the future to gradually decrease the intensity, duration and frequency of flashbacks. Real recovery is a gradual process—often two steps forward, one step back. Don't beat yourself up for having a flashback.

Copyright © 2009 Psychotherapy.net. All rights reserved. Published September, 2009.


[BMJ]

Hi jjl,
Also my two cents worth. To put yourself in a calm state of mind you could try mindfulness techniques e.g:
Having a shower and at that time consciously focusing on the feeling & seeing the warm water running over your body and enjoying the moment.
Drinking a cup of tea and smelling, tasting & feeling the warmth of the tea as you drink it.

In short loosing yourself in the moment of doing something you enjoy and distracting yourself in that moment by appreciating every aspect of the experience.

Having a support network of friends & family whom provide "unconditional love", this will provide you with a safe place to be, this will also allow a person the opportunity to heal and such an environment reduces stresses, as those around you allow you to be with out judgement. But provide support as requiried in what ever form that maybe, e.g. and that could be making a hot chocolate or lending an ear for whatever you wish to discuss.

[jjl]

yes but it is also important to acknowledge that just because people love you doesnt mean they will be good to be around for some of these events. Some of the people who love me the most, trigger me the worst. It's important to be prepared for times when it is better to handle it yourself. It's a strength within all of us.

[Artemesia]

I've had PTSD issues myself. Lots of ways to work through it, but when in-the-moment of traumatic recall, where reality shifts and you are 'back' in the trauma moment, and in this time/space having a panic attack, a great technique I learned to resynch left and right brains and basically do a procedure that's like a control-alt-delete computer hard reset of the neural wiring in the brain is as follows:

Lie down on the ground (indoors, carpet, outside, whereever, but on the floor, not furniture)
Put your arms at your sides and allow your heels to connect and your toes to fall out to the sides.
You may have your eyes open or closed, it doesn't matter. Your preference.
Engaging the big muscles of your legs tap the balls of your foot below your big toe together hard. Its like Dorothy clicking her heels together saying 'there's no place like home' only its with the front of your foot instead. Really let those big leg muscles do the work. And keep going as long as you can. The pace is up to you, but relatively 'fast' is best so you have to use total focus on the muscular work. Don't voluntarily stop, just go and go and when your muscles reach fatigue, they will stop.
Once they've stopped, just clear your mind, allow the reset. Take your time.
Sit up slowly and reorient to present awareness as you are able to.

What this technique does is using the central meridian of the body as a zero point, which corresponds to the corpus collosum in the brain, you are creating a dynamic where the left and right sides of the body (and hence the brain) come together and impact, creating awareness of one another via the bridge of the central meridian. This stops the compartmentalization of the traumatic recall/panic attack and reopens pathways of communication that get shut down or closed off from one another by the fear/shock response. Once the reset and reboot (the breathing, clearing time after movement has ceased) has occured, the mind has more options open to it on how to proceed to process, rather than feeling 'stuck' back in the moment when the memories were first created.

Its a really helpful technique for anyone experiencing difficult events, especially if you want to work on it but keep getting 'stuck'.

In a similar vein, Tom Kenyon had a REALLY fascinating channeled piece from the Hathors in April, with deals with these kind of 'transitional states of consciousness' created by 'chaotic nodes' of Earth changes at this time, and ways to process them. I've found it very useful, and one of the best messages from him/them I've ever read. It can be found at:


http://tomkenyon.com/transition-stat...consciousness/

PTSD is a condition that most people have about at least one issue in their life, IMO. Strangely, we are only now learning how to really process this stuff and work it through to completion so it doesn't continue functioning like a hungry ghost in our lives. Its a big big step for humanity, and will clear the way for a much better way of life for us all. If you are working through this issue, as I have, I send you my compassion and hopes for true and complete and GENTLE healing. It is challenging work and so worth doing. Thank you fellow being for taking on this feat and finding peace at last. I hope this little reset technique serves you well.

[fathertedsmate]

How i did it. Phase 1
1, liver,kidney and colon flush every 2 days for a month, using 1 x grapefruit, 2 x lemons, a peice of root ginger, squeeze juice into glass, add 2 x garlic cloves, 2 healthy shots of hempseed oil and 500ml water, drink a glass of apple juice morning and night water intake 2/3ltrs daily, stop all sugar intake except from veg,

day 3, a sty that had been present for 2 yrs started to clear up,
day 7, tension and anxiety was diminishing,
day 11 calcium/plaque was leaving my body in vast amounts
day 15 i was smiling naturally for the first time in 10 yrs
day 20 lower back pains gone
day 21 after leaving toilet ringing in my right ear stopped (both have been ringing for 30 yrs)
day 28 jumped in van after using toilet put glasses on, couldnt see they were to strong, i was using them 15 mins previously, i have not required them since.
day 29 attended my 2 psycologists who had been seeing me every 2 wks for a year at combatt stress (the norm is once a year) they had been watching me change in front of their eyes, i told them i was trying to get tests done for mercury poisoning, they tried to deflect this issue then proceded to discharge me,

initially was extreemly pissed off, and as i alway do i ask the question why !, also why have the Uk closed down facilities that can test for heavy metals,why did the doctor try to deflect me away from it, even whan i put test results in front of him,(they had to be done at my expense in Germany) he phoned a freind who happens to be his brother in law who happens to be a Dental leacturer, and guess what, it cant be happening,

at this point calcium chemicals and toxins that have been building up are out,therefore combinations that were present prior to liver flush are not there, the defensive thought that controll you are not there, the process of exploding within .5 of a second because you cannot find the pencil you were using that is between your teeth dissapears, when your wife says good morning and all you want to do is rip her head off, then proceed to do it verbaly it dissapears WHY ! would you keep your centrall heating system for 40-50 yrs without cleaning inside the system, if you didnt what condition would inside the pipes and components be,pump,valves etc, how efficient would it be, is the fuel being converted to energy efficiently, how would it function if you tampered with the fuel mix would it function, How will it perform once cleaned out, your body cannot close down if the mix is not right,

if you can get to this stage the nightmares are over, and the work has just begun, looking after myself and trying to stick to the programm has been the most difficult and rewarding thing i have ever done (that includes 22 yrs infantry service), I can explain every aspect of behaviour,thoughts,reactions,hypervigilance,parano ia,intense feelings of fear,the conversations from years ago that pop into your head from nowhere, and its always concerning something you perceive as being wronged,the only thing you are in controll of is your eyes,when you open your mouth it comes out at 1000mph and sounds aggresive (you dont know this is happening) being emotionally dead, nightmares,pannick attacks, all symptoms of machinery that is not functioning,

dont believe a word i have said, stop alcaholl,fizzy drinks for a month put it to the test, believe your own eyes, then get in touch i will take you through the next phase, removing metals,

final thoughts, there is no money in healthy human beings, illnesses are being tagged in order to manage, fit healthy x soldiers are too sharp to believe nonsense,their eyes are sharp, its easier to make them dependant, just a few thoughts i have picked up whilst trying to get help,

[Davidallany]

There is one very powerful thing he can do, but dangerous. He can go back to Fallujah and live there for sometime among the same people, to face his demons. Maybe he will meet an Iraqi girl and marry her, Iraqi are good hearted people not as good as Tibetans, but almost there.

[BMJ]

Posted by jjl (here)
yes but it is also important to acknowledge that just because people love you doesnt mean they will be good to be around for some of these events. Some of the people who love me the most, trigger me the worst. It's important to be prepared for times when it is better to handle it yourself. It's a strength within all of us.

Hi jjl,
Yes I understand what you mean I can sympathise with you, like certain things a loved one will do can trigger a reaction e.g. an action or a word. I don't profess to know it all but im just trying to offer some thoughts.

I am a part time carer of my best friend whom has bi-polar & post traumatic stress, and sometimes nothing more than my presence rub's her up the wrong way. At times like this I give her plenty of space.
Other times, for example, making a cup coffee will frustrate her and she will give up on making it, and then take out her frustration on me, even thou she is irritated by my presence I then I quietly go about making a cup of coffee for her and walk away to give her some space. Thereby I have for her removed the stress of making the cup of coffee and the stress of my presence.

[jjl]

next time ask her who she is yelling at and give her a glass of cold water. These are the times you both need cleansing breaths and pop outdoors and look up at the sky. All these will snap her out of it. You are a sovereign being and dont deserve abuse ever. She needs to be able to learn these techniques for herself and you have to be able to absent yourself from outbursts. Also please investigate EMDR.