PTSD, thought I was beating it.

G

George Hill

Staff Alumnus
Nightmares are normal.
Waking up with a cold sweat is normal.
Waking up screaming and jumping is NOT normal. That hadn't happened in about 9 years. I think I got about 3 hours of sleep all night... and shaky sleep at that.

Tell me I'm not the only one here that has PTSD.
 
PTSD.....???????
Never mind the question George...I'm just a little slow this morning. This Morning???

I had nightmares for about 10 years after Nam, but things have calmed down for me now.
Sorry to hear about this my friend. Hang in there......I'll be praying for you.

Best regards.
Jim

[This message has been edited by DorGunR (edited September 29, 2000).]
 
In my work I saw many things that could cause someone nightmares. I was even involved in two gunfights and nothing bothered me. Then one night I just happened to have the fortune to be on the scene when a 12 year old girls lungs paralyzed from smoking crack. I did resuscitation on her as she looked pleadingly into my eyes until she lost consciousness and her heart stopped. I then did full CPR until two paramedics pulled me off of her. That was 14 years ago and it still wakes me up some times in the night.
This is the most on topic discussion I have seen. We're here and as C.R. said my Email is open to.........
Hang in there buddy.

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Gunslinger

I was promised a Shortycicle and I want a Shortycicle!
 
What caused it? I guess I don't know your background well enough to know.

Wife's uncle was in Vietnam for 2 tours and got pretty messed up in the head. He practices transcendental meditation now for relief (after 15 years of alcoholism). Good luck.
 
George (and anyone else with PTSD) --

There is a relatively new treatment for PTSD called EMDR. Run a search for it on the web and see what you think. It's very simple and very effective, from what studies show. It's kind of unbelievable -- it has to do with rapidly moving your eyes from side to side as you process the incidents in your past with a therapist. It was explained to me like this -- the incident that caused the stress is on the emotional side of your brain, and the rapid eye movement helps logical impulses from the other side of your brain to cross over and help you to process the event logically instead of emotionally.

Without going into detail, I have had EMDR for events in my past and it worked for me. You have to get a therapist who is trained in EMDR. Good luck to all of you.

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*quack*
 
Never got them. The booze may have had something to do with it. :( I guess my heart attack was my PTSD. I know now I was under a lot of stress. I didn`t realize it at the time. It`s good to vent and ask for help.
 
Believe it or not, you can also have PTSD from a non-combat job. For nine years I worked at a shop with a boss that did stuff almost nobody would believe. For seven years after I left I had nightmares two or three times a week where I'd wake up in a sweat.

I can't relate to combat, or to policing situations, but I sure can relate to the dreams.

Dick
Want to send a message to Bush? Sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/monk/petition.html and forward the link to every gun owner you know.
 
Thought I was alone. I was diagnosed about two months ago. I know how you feel. It pisses me off that my shooting has defined my life. I see the whole thing in my head like a slide show 100's a times a day. My e-mail is avail too. Hang in there bros.

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When guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns.
 
How about HR types who are given the pleasure of telling people that are laid off.

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Shop Smart! Shop S-Mart**** That's right I'm a gear whore and proud of it***
 
Hey - we can do Combat flight sim anytime.
Preferable in the morning when bandwidth is the most open.

I remember when I used to wake up screaming every night. Every night. My wife has helped me. Alot. She has remembered a lot of details about things that I have forgot or blocked out... One night she wrote down everything I said in my sleep.
Stuff that I didn't remember... but when she read it back to me it brought it all back - Like a freakin sledghammer shot to the head.
Names, radio call signs, orders, even dialog I had during the actions.
It was very scary.
Dispite the fact that everything was "clean" - there is a lot of guilt still there. My wife says that I still have not completely forgiven myself. This may or may not be a factor... I thought I had.
I know that EVERY time I fired - I had JUSTIFICATION. But in my dreams - it's not like that. Or it doesn't FEEL like that.

Maybe I need to talk to some old friends about this... Johny Walker, Pete Wicked, Sam Adams, and Old J.D. But I havn't talked to them in YEARS. Yeah - this has really shaken me... But I'm stronger than the Dreams, I have a good wife - I'll get past this.
 
FWIW, any traumatic experience can cause PTSD. I was in the California Quake of '89 (the "World Series" quake), living 7 miles from the epicenter. I had PTSD for a while after that. Bumps in the car, turbulence on an airliner, clinking of blinds on windows (its a long story)--any could ruin my day or night.

Bad for about 6-9 months. Gradually faded. Best therapies I know of:

1) Talking to people about it. Talk through it. You are NOT the only one. Pain can be divided through sharing.
2) Hugs and comfort from the ones you love. 12 hugs a day, minimum.
3) Doing things you love, to remind you that life has good sides. LOTS of fishing was very theraputic for me.
 
George I wish I could help but I know of no way i can.I will say a prayer for you and hope that helps a little.

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Bob--- Age and deceit will overcome youth and speed.
I'm old and deceitful.
 
About a half hour after I posted I thought about how stupid my post was. Yes, a job can give you "PSTD," but that's pretty trivial in light of what those of you who've faced the horror of combat or the life-and-death realities of what street cops lives are like.
Poor, poor pitiful me.

For those of you who faced and continue to face gruesome realities the rest of us would like to forget exist, thank you.

George, I hope it all goes away, and quickly. Why weren't there parades, outstreatched arms and kisses instead of spitting when you guys came home?

Dick
Want to send a message to Bush? Sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/monk/petition.html and forward the link to every gun owner you know.
 
George; I don't have an answer. It is like having a monster in the closet. I don't know that it ever goes away, but as you learn more about the monster it becomes less terrifying.

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You have to be there when it's all over. Otherwise you can't say "I told you so."

Better days to be,

Ed
 
No - there was no one there when I came home.
I am not a Vietnam Vet. I was just a rug-rat during that war.
I fought in Drug Interdiction for George Bush's war on drugs and some other things I dont want to talk about here.
Fat lot of good that did.
I think we raised the street price of coke about a nickle a kilo if that much.
In return I get hearing loss, nightmares, guilt, nerve damage, and other things...
Kinda funny - now I am for legalization dispite the loss of friends over this matter.
But that is another story.
 
George, for some time I have struggled with the idea of posting the story of my perspectives as a police officer aquired during my small participation in the "war on drugs". I have often thought, usually after one of the more "heated" LEO debates that it may give my fellow members a better understanding of why I hold the views I do on various topics. However I have always felt it inappropriate to post what could potentially become another controversial topic on the heels of one just ending. During that time I have often wondered myself about the root of other members views and commitments and wished I had a better understanding of their perspectives. I like to know where we each draw our feelings from on issues that affect the way we post about the RKBA and all that affects it. Which, of course, police issues and enforcement obviously has a very defined impact on. I believe your last post is the inspiration that I needed to share those perspectives. Perhaps tomorrow when I have the time to properly articulate them.

Gunslinger
 
George: I have little experience to offer, only support.

My only brush with this is my moms uncle. After returning from WWII he spent every night under his house waiting for "them". By the time he died it was just another room but it started out dirt.

In the short time I knew him I learned he was a very wonderful man and our family was not sad when he died in his sleep, during the day. It was probably the most peace he had since the war. He refused to seek or accept help because he was unsure if he would lose himself in treatment. My 2 cents: don't be afraid to lose yourself( not with booze although it helps for a time) , sometimes its better that way. (long story/ short life)

I wish you the best of luck and support.
JCH

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DUM SPIRO SPERO
While I Breath I Hope

[This message has been edited by JCH (edited September 30, 2000).]
 
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