Men's Mental Health Week Part 4 - Overall Wellness: I have PTSD and Mental Health Issues: So What?

2021-06-25T14:43:52-04:00

Read Part 1 here: https://rly.pt/2SpVuAf
Read Part 2 here: https://rly.pt/3qm37UR
Read Part 3 here: https://rly.pt/35UoeUW

We talked about physical and mental health, but what about the other stuff we do daily to just try to get through the day? The small things that don’t fit into any specific mold, the “crazy” stuff that objectively seems like it would never work, but really helps get you through the day. I know I have a lot of these techniques and I’m sure you do too.

If you saw my last video on Hunt the Good Stuff https://rly.pt/2T5JoMV you know I love this very simple technique that is used every day and can help not only with changing your mindset, but can also help you sleep better. Each day before bed, I look for 3 things that were good that day and I reflect on them. This helps put my mind in a positive head space prior to bed.

Getting sleep is hard for me because I am left alone in my head to face some thoughts that are very dark. I would love to say that “hunting the good stuff” always works, but sometimes it just does not. If my mind won’t shut off and I keep thinking about things over and over again, I do have friends I can pick up the phone and call and sometimes talking through what I am going through helps. It is always good to have that one “phone a friend” you know you can talk to no matter what. If you don’t have that friend, there are a lot of resources that are just a phone call away.

When I get really upset and I just want to scream, I do just that. I will walk out into the woods behind my house and just yell. I will scream and cuss and stomp around and get all the negative energy out of me. It really is funny how good that feels sometimes, it’s like a release.

Please post a technique you find helpful, I guarantee you there’s not one too crazy or small, that has helped you. The more tools we have as a community the closer we can get to truly never leaving a soldier behind.

If you or someone you know is struggling, please get help now. Tell a loved one. Tell a friend. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: [login to see] . If you prefer to talk online, visit the veteran crisis line here: https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/get-help/military-crisis-line

Men's Mental Health Week Part 1: I have PTSD and Mental Health Issues: So What? | RallyPoint

I have PTSD and Mental Health Issues “So What” Everyone at some point in their life goes through struggles that will impact their mental health, it’s inevitable. Although some will have harder battles than others, it’s a shared experience across the board. I am not immune to this shared experience. When I was dealing with my own mental health struggles, the hardest thing for me was admitting to myself “it’s okay to not be okay” I refused to...

Response by SPC Nancy Greene made Jun 25 at 2021 3:29 PM

2021-06-25T15:29:17-04:00

Very useful information CW4 Private RallyPoint Member! I use aromatherapy daily and especially when trying to go to sleep!

Response by SSG Edward Tilton made Jun 25 at 2021 7:59 PM

2021-06-25T19:59:52-04:00

what is your COMBAT RELATED STRESSOR

Response by SrA Ronald Moore made Jun 26 at 2021 4:43 AM

2021-06-26T04:43:07-04:00

Keep Sharing !

Response by SrA Ronald Moore made Jul 9 at 2021 4:04 AM

2021-07-09T04:04:15-04:00

That is a great Mental Health Aide ,Phone a Friend, And to add only in an Emergency which could be specified, otherwise also A text Friend ,which is better so if it’s late night, I could text them and get a message later after they are able or after they awake early soon or the next day, plus it helps to have a miniature journal on Paper some where , And the Text can serve as a journal as well, until you can transcript it to the Journal.

Response by PO3 Aaron Hassay made Jul 12 at 2021 5:53 PM

2021-07-12T17:53:55-04:00

Wonder if it has to do with the fact you know you are used like your life didn’t matter and you were pushed to the point where the only decision you can make was you were going to take out someone else and you already felt like you were lost

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 17 at 2021 8:53 AM

2021-09-17T08:53:01-04:00

I talk to friends who understand what I'm going through. We usually end up talking about how most people are a bunch of stupid sheep and how the world's going to hell in a handbasket. Then I stress eat and go tinker with cars.

Response by SPC Alison Tutt made Sep 23 at 2021 9:00 AM

2021-09-23T09:00:03-04:00

I've worked with clients in the past that have PTSD. And I've used what is called Cognitive Processing Therapy to help them. It's an arduous process that works best with a therapist that knows what they are doing and is empathetic. But in all the clients I worked with, this was the most effective technique I found to help.
Additionally, there is an app I like to recommend to my clients for guided meditations. I've tried meditation on my own with no success. Guided meditation is where I'm successful, as are a lot of others. The app is called MyLife. It's free and they offer a variety of different meditation sessions for your unique situations. You "check in" with it by telling how you are emotionally, mentally and physically and get select up to 5 emotions. Based on how you are, it makes recommendations of sessions that may better assist you. It also has a variety of timings for these sessions, so whether you have 3 mins to do it or 10, it may be helpful within your busy day.

Response by SGT James Bradley made Mar 12 at 2022 10:27 PM

2022-03-12T22:27:39-05:00

I love the sound of a running spring and ziI go there when my mind won’t just slow down.