I have covered a lot of different things that help people with PTSD.
I found out today that an inpatient treatment program somewhere in AZ uses my format for a 12 step group for trauma, and the people who are in there for addictions find the trauma group helpful too. I am so glad. Everything on patiencepress.com about PTSD is available for use and to give to people who might be helped.
Traumatic events are a separate reality which other people can't understand at a gut level. They may want to. They may try to, but the shot of adrenaline, the movement without thought, the terror, the rage, the changes in your metabolism... Those are a separate reality. Different people have different elements in their separate reality, like that quote yesterday from a WWI doctor pointed out.
There are a lot of other realities to PTSD.
How about the reality that most people want it to go away and wonder why you are not over it yet... This is really painful to the person who lived through it and will never be over it in the sense that those ignorant people want. This is the reality of societal attitudes. Then there are the scum who like to drop things behind combat vets to see them jump, or call them names to try to get them to fight.
How about the reality that getting diagnosed is really hard. The military, which claimed it would take care of you, is now trying to give you a bad conduct or personality disorder or adjustment disorder discharge, all of which mean no veterans benefits. Or the VA psychiatrist who just doesn't see your PTSD because you shaved when you came in for your C&P exam.
How about the reality that getting treatment tailored to you is hard. Many places have a focus: we do X, Y, or Z. It is even harder now at the VA's where people really care and are simply overwhelmed by the number of people who need help.
I'll talk about more realities of PTSD tomorrow.
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