Veterans with PTSD – Insights by Dr. Henry Grayson. Your thoughts?

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 24 May 2015 17:05:53 -0400

This Is A Long Post About PTSD That I Have Not Heard About

Dr. Henry Grayson, one of SFTT’s distinguished members of its medical task force always points that there are no two identical cases of Post Traumatic Stress. In effect, each individual brings a set of prior conscious and unconscious experiences – dare I call it “baggage” – that is often triggered in totally unpredictable ways during periods of great stress. Many veterans have suffered traumatic events in combat and this battlefield stress is almost impossible to overcome when these brave warriors return home.
Dr. Grayson touches on many aspects of this in this lengthy but informative video which discusses his book “Use Your Body to Heal Your Mind.” Dr. Henry Grayson is a scientific and spiritual psychologist who founded and directed the National Institute for the Psychotherapies in New York City. He is the author of Mindful Loving, The New Physics of Love, as well as co-author of three professional books. Dr. Grayson integrates diverse psychotherapies with neuroscience, quantum physics, subtle energies with Eastern and Western spiritual mindfulness. He practices in New York City and Connecticut. SFTT is indeed fortunate to count on Dr. Grayson in our efforts to support our brave Veterans.

Retired Veterans Seek Help

While many focus on Post-traumatic stress disorder for Veterans returning from our wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Sadly, many traumatized Veterans from Vietnam were largely ignored and many still suffer from the invisible wounds of that war. Found below is an excerpt from an article which describes how these Veterans cope with these recurring “nightmares.”
This is a common story among older combat veterans, who have contended with both the stigma of appearing weak and the lack of knowledge about the mental effects of combat. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) — characterized by hyper-vigilance, intrusive thoughts, nightmares and avoidance — wasn’t a formal diagnosis until 1980, and effective treatments weren’t widely available until the 1990s.
“They came home, stayed quiet and tried to muddle on as best they could,” says Steven Thorp, a San Diego psychologist with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. “They worked really hard as a distraction, 70, 80 hours a week, so PTSD didn’t really hit them full force until they retired, or the kids left the house, or they’re reminded of loss through the deaths of their friends.”
Dillard didn’t know how to right himself, but he knew exactly what had changed him: one long, terrible night in the jungles north of Saigon during his first tour, when Delta Company, his unit from the 101st Airborne Division, was nearly overrun by hundreds of North Vietnamese soldiers. That night he witnessed heroics by his captain, Paul Bucha, and waited with Delta Company buddies like Calvin Heath and Bill Heaney for a dawn they feared would never come.
“That night marked all of us,” says Dillard, 66, who now lives on a ranch in Livingston, Texas, and assists other veterans with their disability claims. “It’s been the source of lots of nightmares.” via: PTSD, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – Retired Veterans Seek Help – AARP
Military Suicides and PTSD

Our military leadership is rightly concerned about the rate of suicide among military veterans. SFTT has been reported on this growing problem for some time, but little substantive change has occurred over the last several years. Sure, the government has announced many measures to deal with the problem such as the “Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention Act for American Veterans,” but suicide rates continue to be high. Found below are some of the recent government initiatives, but the even more compelling arguments why these token actions are not enough to stem this epidemic problem.
Suicides by active-duty troops and veterans are at levels that would have been unthinkable a generation ago. Each day, on average, a current service member dies by suicide, and each hour a veteran does the same.
In response, President Obama signed the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act in February. The act aims to make information on suicide prevention more easily available to veterans; it offers financial incentives to mental health professionals who work with vets; and it requires an annual evaluation of the military’s mental health programs by an independent source.
The law is commendable, but it won’t come close to ending military suicides. That would require radical changes in the policies, procedures, attitudes and culture in two of our biggest bureaucracies: the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.
Fifteen years ago, the suicide rate among patients in a large HMO in Detroit was seven times the national average. Its leaders decided to try to end suicides — not just reduce them but end them. In four years, the incidence of suicide at the HMO was reduced 75%; with more tinkering, the rate went down to zero, and has stayed there, at last count, for 2 1/2 years. The difference was an all-out commitment to the cause.
The HMO also implemented measures to provide timely care by enabling patients to get immediate help through email with physicians, to make same-day medical appointments and to get prescriptions filled the same day too.
A similar commitment by the military could achieve dramatic results, at least among active-duty troops. These troops are in the system now, their activities are being monitored regularly, so there are plenty of opportunities for assessment and treatment.
Then there is the matter of stigma. It’s not the military’s responsibility alone to destigmatize psychological problems, but there are steps the military can take. Service members with PTSD who are able to manage it should be strongly considered for promotions just as though they had recovered from physical wounds. Their ability to overcome mental injury should be recognized, so it inspires others.
To keep its troops mentally healthy, the Defense Department must reduce the number and duration of combat deployments and do more to prepare troops for assymetrical warfare. It must help them adjust to life when they come home — with jobs, housing, loans and legal assistance. It must enforce, not just approve, a policy of zero tolerance related to sexual harassment and assault.
Each element has a price, and collectively the cost will be astronomical. We must be prepared to pay it if we are sincere in our commitment to support our troops.
John Bateson was executive director of a nationally certified suicide prevention center in the San Francisco Bay Area for 16 years. His latest book is “The Last and Greatest Battle: Finding the Will, Commitment, and Strategy to End Military Suicides.” via: Support our troops? Dealing with PTSD requires commitment
This entry was posted in PTSD and tagged Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention, Dr. Henry Grayson, PTSD, veteran suicides, Vietnam on May 6, 2015 by Richard May.

http://sftt.org/blog/ptsd/vets-and-ptsd/

Dr. Henry Grayson and Veterans with PTSD

Veterans with PTSD is now reaching epidemic proportions in the US. 26 Veterans commit suicide each day and yet we seem powerless to deal with this problem.

Response by SPC Charles Brown made May 24 at 2015 5:17 PM

SPC Charles Brown — Sun, 24 May 2015 17:17:54 -0400

Great article. Thanks for sharing, it was very informative

Response by GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad made May 24 at 2015 5:16 PM

GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad — Sun, 24 May 2015 17:16:52 -0400

You're right SGT Private RallyPoint Member --- very long article (thanks for the warning). It does have a lot of good information in it though.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made May 24 at 2015 6:01 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Sun, 24 May 2015 18:01:17 -0400

First: I am going to state we have more similarities than differences. PTSD patients experience hype-vigilance, anxiety, stress, depression, inability to sleep, and nightmares.
Second: Most experts don't really know how to heal PSTD patients.
Third: Of the 22 veterans suicides per day, how did we fail them? Did they want to remain hidden? Did they try to get help but it was ineffective? About 15 suicides per day are Vietnam Veterans. Did they just give up hope in the older stages of life? Instead of saying stuff we need to peel back the onion and answer why?

As Ernest Hemingway said, "You see the light if you are broken." It appears that many broken people don't see the light.

Response by PO1 John Miller made May 25 at 2015 3:14 AM

PO1 John Miller — Mon, 25 May 2015 03:14:56 -0400

SGT Private RallyPoint Member, thanks for sharing. I myself don't have PTSD but I do have friends that do. I am going to pass this article on to them.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 8 at 2015 6:54 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 18:54:13 -0400

Received this from "This Ain't Hell"

ON SUICIDE – FROM A SURVIVOR
GallantFew September 29, 2015

This is a true story. At the bottom of the link are places to leave comments:
http://gallantfew.org/on-suicide-from-a-survivor/

I’m going to share a piece written by the spouse of a, in her words “one of the 22”.

I am sharing my story with you because for every action, there is a re-action, like ripples on a pond, your pain is so intense all you can think of is ending the pain. Nothing else is on your mind. Please read and think long and hard, we need to stop the stigma of PTSD and mental illness. We need to bring awareness to every one nation wide. This is my story, my life, my living hell.

I lost my husband 11-9-13, his ex took off with his girls before I could even have the funeral, the military paid for his funeral thank the good Lord, but they lost the last 6 years of his records, so all benefits and insurance went to his ex.

I have had to sell everything we ever owned, we rented so I don’t have a house, the only things I have left, that we got together is a car, a bed, and a broken lawn mower. I moved to NC to marry my husband, all of my family lives in Ohio my kids are 27 & 25, his girls are now 11 & 10, I havent seen or heard from his girls in 2 years. After my husbands death I chose to stay in NC and have his father help me write letters and make calls trying to find my husbands lost military records, as his father had retired from the military. He had changed his paperwork twice since he started his divorce.

I could not eat, I dropped to 79 lbs.

In the mean time, my kids are pissed that I did not move back to Ohio, so now they are not speaking to me.

My in laws started feeding giant ice cream protein shakes, it was all I could keep down, by this time I am in psychotherapy and seeing a psychiatrist and on a butt load of meds. I am now on ss disability, I have no insurance, my husbands family has all gone their seperate ways and now they don’t want me in NC anymore, I’m a trigger for them. I have 4 dogs that have been my saving grace through all of this but it is not easy to find some one that will rent to me with 4 dogs. My landlord doesn’t mind because his storage lot is next door and the dogs let me know if someone is over there.

So, I have lost his family, I have lost my family, I don’t really have a home, since I lost my insurance I cant afford my bills, it is either get my meds or pay my bills, I have emptied out my 401k, maxed out all my credit cards, my health has gone down the pooper, I’ve lost my sanity, my PTSD and other mental issues are bad enough that docs will not let me work. I’m now afraid to leave the house, all the friends I had here, were my husbands friends and they all blame me for his death.

I have the guilt of losing my husband, my one true love, my soulmate, I’ve lost my family, my credit is now shot, I have no security, even if I did move back to Ohio who is going to rent to me with 4 dogs, I have no friends, I have no life, I just exist, I’m not living life. Still fighting the military after almost 2 years, I have NO support what so ever except for the Facebook friends and groups I am in. I am doing everything I can to raise awareness for the 22, people do not know about it, or want to talk about it. It’s the stigma and I’m trying to prevent it.

I refuse to let them be forgotten!!

On Suicide - from a survivor - GallantFew

I’m going to share a piece written by the spouse of a, in her words “one of the 22”. I am sharing my story with you because for every action, there is a re-action, like ripples on a pond, your pain is so intense all... read more »

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 20 at 2016 1:11 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 20 Apr 2016 13:11:41 -0400

i muddled for years it cost me