Veterans With PTSD-Part II
Susan Barrera
Eventually Adam came to the conclusion that he had to take control of his life and not accept that the PTSD would control him and his actions and reactions. He has spent a lot of time trying to come to grips with his traumas: he spends time in his favorite spot, meditating and reading self-help books.
It is also imperative that you be compliant about taking your meds and working with the doctors to find ones that work the best. Once my husband finally accepted that he must take his medication every day, like a diabetic does, he was able to get control of his mood swings and keep his anger and rage under better control, (relatively).
It is also a good thing to push yourself past your comfort zones. You need to learn that you can successfully be around people and in situations in which you don’t feel comfortable, a little at a time, to learn that you can handle it. You probably will have trouble learning that everything is not a matter of life and death. At the same time, it is wise to stay away from triggering situations. For instance, if being around certain family members or going to bars, will result in a fight, it will be helpful for your ability to stay stable if you avoid those situations.
It can also be helpful for you to find other vets who are better off and worse off than you are. You can call the ones who are (in general) better off than you are when you are having problems coping. And the ones who are worse off, can learn from you what you are doing that helps. You know that another vet who has experienced what you have, can understand and help you to cope more effectively.
Another thing which helped tremendously was finding Vitality Plus. It is a natural supplement which has literally been an answer to prayer. He had been living with severe ringing of the ears, tinnitus. The VA doctors told him that if it bothered him enough, they could cut the nerves in his ears. That would leave him deaf-but no ringing. Not a good choice. He also had sleep apnea. He would stop breathing constantly for long periods of time and make loud gasping, snorting noises when he would start to breathe again. And the rest of the time the loudness of his snoring would deafen. The VA put him on a CPAP machine, but he couldn’t tolerate it. The only options left were surgery. Both of these conditions are so much better since he started taking Vitality Plus that it is unbelievable. He sleeps again, which has done wonders for his mood and his temper. The depression is better and so is his arthritis pain. He is thinking more clearly and doing better in general. He also came back from Vietnam with a skin condition on his scalp and feet. The medicine that he got only helped for short periods of time. After a few months of taking Vitality Plus, we noticed that the rash and scaly skin had gone and hasn’t come back in two and a half years. And he no longer takes medication for the arthritis pain in his back. He thinks more rationally and is much calmer. The Vitality Plus is definitely worth every penny. The PTSD will probably never be gone, but we don’t live in the hell we used to anymore.
Questions or comments?
