Is PTSD a condition that dissipates with time, or will I continue to have anger issues forever?

PFC Eric Parrish — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 11:46:46 -0400

Response by LCpl Joshua Greer made Aug 2 at 2017 11:49 AM

LCpl Joshua Greer — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 11:49:05 -0400

From what I understand, you can get it under control and eventually try to come off meds.

Response by SFC Joseph Wise made Aug 2 at 2017 11:51 AM

SFC Joseph Wise — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 11:51:28 -0400

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder isn't a headache, where we can take a pill and it goes away. It's not a cut that you can put a bandage on, forget about, and go on with your day. For most struggling with PTSD, medical evaluation is a necessity with extended counseling and support groups, based on the severity/condition.

I realize this issue has received a lot of public scrutiny since the wars began and we started seeing so many cases, but this is not an invisible disease. I've seen too many Soldiers lost to depression and anger issues which feed medical and legal battles down the road. Please take the time to be seen by a medical professional. Go back to the VA with your diagnosis/prognosis and seek to receive counseling/medical services for your condition. Good luck, and take care of yourself.

Response by Sgt Wayne Wood made Aug 2 at 2017 12:06 PM

Sgt Wayne Wood — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 12:06:06 -0400

Differs from individual to individual

Response by Cpl John Barker made Aug 2 at 2017 12:21 PM

Cpl John Barker — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 12:21:51 -0400

As far as I know it's never been "cured". Majority of my guys from my 2nd tour have it. Comes and goes. Worst is over by 5 years, 8 years you're as good as you're going to get. Would recommend avoiding alcohol and drugs, smoke moderate amounts of weed combined with copious amounts of reading and exercise. Also stay away from liberals.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 2 at 2017 1:23 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 13:23:39 -0400

it depends on your environment and triggers. Stay positive and away from reminders and you should be fine.

Response by CH (CPT) James L. Machado Workman made Aug 2 at 2017 1:39 PM

CH (CPT) James L. Machado Workman — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 13:39:43 -0400

PTSD is a DSM 5 diagnosis that has received extensive attention due to really good research that has been done lately. Iroincly-the VA and other government agencies have funded that research. There are a lot things that come into play when one considers how well they might cope after a diagnosis. These things we call "protective factors." These include supportive family, access to medical/mental health resources, socio-economics etc. etc. Somone mentioned above that a combination of meds, group and individual talk therapy can help mitigate the symptoms of PTSD and keep them from interfering with your life. There are also other well researched interventions such as Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), Eye Movement Desenitation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and a spin off of that called Mindfullness CBT, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and one of the therapeutic approaches I use with clients that seems to yield good results-Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). When considering a particular intervention and therapist it's always a good idea to ask about that person's training and experience with the approach.

All of this to say, there are treatments available for managing the symptoms of PTSD. Some of this can depend on how devastating the trauma was to you and possibly your genetic makeup. But you CAN get BETTER. Anger, anxiety, depression, feelings of guilt, sleeplessness, hypervigilence ("always waiting for the other shoe to drop")-these things don't have to ruin your life. A good place to start researching the symptoms and resources for coping with PTSD is the National Center for PTSD at https://www.ptsd.va.gov. I highly recommend downloading their free phone app for all platforms called "PTSD Coach". It was just updated yesterday and I haven't looked at the recent update but it has great information on PTSD, self-assessments, and interventions that you can use in your home, office or anywhere to help you manage PTSD when you need the resources the most. Again, the app is not the solution. It is a coping resource to be used alongside of therapy, avoiding substances (this is actually called the "avoidance criteria), and possibly med-management all of which you can be assessed for by a competent clinician. That person can help you develop a care-plan that works for you. Also, don't hesitate to include support people like family or friends or fellow veterans in your care plan. Just knowing that you're not alone can really give you hope. Be good to yourself!

PTSD: National Center for PTSD Home

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health problem that can occur after a traumatic event like war, assault, or disaster. PTSD treatment can help. Find handouts, apps, videos, and courses based on current research. This site provides educational resources for Veterans and also for health care providers, researchers, and the general public.

Response by CH (CPT) James L. Machado Workman made Aug 2 at 2017 1:41 PM

CH (CPT) James L. Machado Workman — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 13:41:49 -0400

PS-in my response above it didn't like my link because the app put a period at the end so here it is again:

https://www.ptsd.va.gov/

PTSD: National Center for PTSD Home

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 2 at 2017 2:11 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 14:11:32 -0400

It affects everyone differently. My dad said he had two uncles who served in WWII. One of them would tell stories about when he was over there; the other not so much. The first one he said the PTSD hit him later on in life I think not long before he passed away actually. The second uncle seemed to struggle for most of his life with it.

People can get PTSD from any traumatic even too. It's not just from combat. There's MST. Abused as a child or an adult you can have PTSD. My mom's cousin's son struggled with PTSD (he had served and had deployed to Afghanistan). He killed himself about four years ago I believe he was only 24 or 25 I think. He was about the same age as my youngest brother and he's 29 now. I had never met him and my great uncle (his grandfather) died from a sudden stroke less than a year before that and he had been the person that kid could lean on I was told. So my mom's cousin lost her dad and her son within a year and that was pretty traumatic for her.

Response by SGT Tony Clifford made Aug 2 at 2017 2:11 PM

SGT Tony Clifford — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 14:11:41 -0400

PTSD is a condition that can sometimes never be cured. In many cases symptoms decrease, but not always. Your anger issues may or may not be connected with PTSD. I suggest seeking a psychologist and try to see if your issues can be addressed. There is no shame in seeking help. Even if they can't fully solve problems associated with PTSD, they might be able to address some of the symptoms like anger or hyper vigilance.

Response by SrA J King made Aug 2 at 2017 3:03 PM

SrA J King — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 15:03:03 -0400

It a reason way they call it post traumatic the longer it takes to get treatment the more coping skills and treatment you will need. 10 or more years in denial more time in treatment to learn coping skills.

Response by Jhon Caprisi made Aug 2 at 2017 3:43 PM

Jhon Caprisi — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 15:43:37 -0400

I agree it differs from human to human even triggers effect everyone different and depends on what trigger is more serve to the person

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 2 at 2017 5:10 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 17:10:38 -0400

Since PTSD is associated with anything now outside of combat, it all depends on the stressor & severity that caused it. Most people heal with time, while others live with it until they die. Just have to be able to manage it.

Response by SGT James Murphy made Aug 2 at 2017 5:41 PM

SGT James Murphy — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 17:41:14 -0400

I pretty much stayed angry for about 40 years. I'm not sure I'm totally over it yet!

Response by SFC William Stephens A. Jr., 3 MSM, JSCM made Aug 3 at 2017 3:17 PM

SFC William Stephens A. Jr., 3 MSM, JSCM — Thu, 03 Aug 2017 15:17:25 -0400

demons never go away, there caught in the mirror I've been on medication forever let me tell what you put in you your body will so take toll on your body, cause I know I'm living it everyday and If I stop taking the meds the demons come back and the PTSD get worse.

Response by AN Christopher Crayne made Aug 4 at 2017 8:27 AM

AN Christopher Crayne — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 08:27:32 -0400

After reading this post and the well thought out and spoken responses, I myself have been able to control my anger better . It doesn't go away but I can see it coming and adjust for it. It's been 24 years. Take the good advice listed here and get the support you need. Thank you. God bless.

Response by CCMSgt James Helms made Aug 4 at 2017 11:49 AM

CCMSgt James Helms — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 11:49:38 -0400

Although we know quick to anger is often a component of PTSD, as someone said above, we can learn to manage it better. Since your question was not given a specific response, I will stick with your question about anger and stay away from all the other aspects of PTSD. Anger, similar to hundreds of other emotions we humans can feel -- none of them are wrong, they are just that -- emotions. The important issue is the behavior followed by an emotion. In other words, to feel anger is normal, its how we act/behave when we feel angry that has to be controlled, not the feeling. To better understand all this, remember we humans go through the process of: event - thought -- feeling -- action/behavior, with every event that takes place in our daily lives. The person who becomes successful with managing (not controlling) their anger, must learn to catch their thoughts that follow the event. For example, husband comes home late from work without calling and wife asks, "Where in hell have you been, I prepared your favorite dinner and you didn't even have the decency to tell me you were going to be late." The event: angry wife. Thought: "I work my butt off every day so I can give my family all they need and when I come home my wife jumps all over me, she never shows any appreciation -- why that nasty bitch!?" Behavior/action: "Get off my ass you nasty bitch, my CO sent me to the field and there were no phones to call home -- get out of my face bitch!" A more effective thought process after the wife jumps on you at the door: "Wow! she must have had a bad day today, she's right, I could have called before going out to the field and after all, she did try to do something nice for me." You then give her a hug and say, "I'm sorry, you have a right to be angry at me for not calling and just taking you for granted, I will do my best to not let that happen again." Remember, failure only comes if we stop trying -- I wish you the best.

Response by SFC William Stephens A. Jr., 3 MSM, JSCM made Aug 4 at 2017 2:23 PM

SFC William Stephens A. Jr., 3 MSM, JSCM — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 14:23:33 -0400

I don't think there called anger issues but you will always have a condition that will stick with you because the demons never go away, When you face a traumatic event in life it sticks with you where ever you go and in your dreams and while you sleep. Even with medication or Therapy you're like mirror we all have a dark side that we hide no mater what. I don't if you hear stories about people saying they are healed but something in their life will trigger that action once again, sometime in their life. Just be lucky you're not one of them who sit on the couch everyday and wish their life away on the TV set and have no hope, turn into one of them 22 a day.

Response by Colton Freemantle made Aug 10 at 2017 3:42 PM

Colton Freemantle — Thu, 10 Aug 2017 15:42:27 -0400

Unfortunately sir, not it does not dissipate.
I'm a sociology student at Utah State, and had the opportunity to study and propose a method of prevention of PTSD. I tell you this, because the key word in that phrase is "prevention". There is no way for PTSD to "dissapate", or be cured, because of the nature of the illness.
When you experience something traumatic, your body releases a whole bunch of hormones and chemicals. They all serve different purposes, but one in particular is important to us. Cortisol, commonly known as "adrenaline" serves to give the body a kickstart in those fight or flight situations.
Unfortunately, Cortisol also damages some parts of the brain, specifically the hippocampus and the medial prefrontal cortex. These two regions are involved with memory recall and emotional recall. As they're damaged, they actually begin to shrink and lose some of their functioning power, creating the symptoms of PTSD- in your case, anger, but it varies.
This is the reason why the only solution to lowering the rates of PTSD is preventation- we just don't have the technology to repair that part of your brain yet. So, again, no. The PTSD won't dissipate.
That being said, there are always healthy ways to cope and fellowship is one of them. You, and all others afflicted by this illness, share a bond and have served all free people greatly. I know that I speak for all on this forum when I say that if you ever need a thing in the world, we're here and happy to help.