PTSD-COMBAT STRESS

[Mishkacat]

Hi everyone.Hope this message finds you all in good health.If not then I wish you all a full and speedy recovery.This week I started a one week course with the ex military mental health charity-Combat Stress.Good news that already i have been taught all about PTSD,how and why it happens how to beat it.the place is like a safe haven.i now believe i am in control if i chose to be by using relaxation,talking,i even tried tai chi for first time.it was great.so all who are suffering there is hope.but you must work at it.it is easy to let booze and drugs run you as i know well.take care.

[Hidden]

I think that counts for all of us. Medication helps but in the end we have got to help ourselves. Alcohol will dull the pain initially but it won't cure the problem. It's good you are getting support . I know that PTSD can be very bad, but there is help out there. I don't think any of the meds I have been on have done me any good. I believe counselling, and in my case CBT, can be beneficial. As you say you have to work at it. It takes effort. You have to change your way of thinking and how you perceive things. Hope you feel better soon, you seem quite positive which is the main thing. Good luck and take care

[chiv]

Hi you sound like your enjoying life no matter what,good for you I Say,keep going I allways love reading when some one is as posative as you , OF COURSE I KNOW THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN ASWELL , GOOD FOR YOU WE READERS ARE LOVING IT Gina

[Gambit62]

Thank you for this post - Combat Stress is one of the charities I support so really good to know that my money is being well spent.

If you feel like it at some point you could talk to someone about sharing your story more widely with supporters through their magazine etc. Last months edition had the story of two men who got together to form a photographic company - which is now an official photographer - think that is for the BSB.

I'm sure there will be bits of the course that won't go so well but it is really good to know that you have support around ... and also that there will be support for you when you finish the course.

Hope you feel much better soon and really glad that you have some alternatives to self medication

Thanks again for the post

[Mishkacat in reply to Gambit62]

Hi Gambit, hope you are well.At some stage I may be tempted to talk about this, the only issue is, despite my wishes, due to my career, I could not make my name/photo public in relation to this.Sorry...Chris

[Gambit62 in reply to Mishkacat]

Not to worry - I think there are lots of people in the same boat - and I don't think telling your story for the magazines means that you have to either give your name or make a photo public - think they are quite well aware of that anonymity often needs to be maintained but I'm sure they would love to be able to include such positive feedback.

Really hope that you can keep things up outside and you manage to get in contact with a locallish support group - really important that you are able to share with other ex-service men.

[Mishkacat in reply to Gambit62]

Ok, thanks for your understanding.I think when I recover I can give a fuller picture in hindsight.I think will be a source of great hope for PTSD suffers.I'd love to tell my story in full, but am sure without mentioning my job, I could say alot about the subject.I will contact you if there is anything else I think of.By the way, thanks for your generosity, without such support from people like you, it would be impossible to have Combat Stress.For me and many others let down by the NHS, they are the end of the line source of help-lifesavers.

[Gambit62 in reply to Mishkacat]

Part of the reason for supporting combat stress is that they actually helped me a lot - not directly but indirectly - when my boyfriend (ex RAF) was having some flashbacks prompted by his daughter taking a job in the Middle East (had a couple of stations out there in 60s and 70s). Fortunately he's one of those lucky people who has a switch in his brain that just resets everything after a few months but it really helped me understand and get through the few months before the switch flipped.

[Mishkacat]

Hi all, thanks for replying.Sorry for the late reply.I'm back home now....its taken days for the week at Combat Stress to sink in. It was great to be together with other Service Personnel again, with the banter that goes with the life.We are all fighting the same battle against PTSD.The course was amazing, the staff so supportive and on hand 24/7, always talking to you and genuinely interested in your welfare.It was very comforting and I felt able to talk about really distressing things, in fact things I kept under my hat previously. In relation to what I have learnt and can put into practice, well I tried Tai Chi and saw some immediate benefits. Also we were taught about mindfulness.I have now bought a book and CD on this.It is a long term thing, which I intend to pursue due to the very positive evidence it has to help recovery.I can now understand my body better and how, why it reacts the way it does in response to the thoughts I have.Thanks again.