PTSD, Hear It To See It

PTSD is Not Invisible If You End the Silence
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
July 24, 2017

National Center for PTSD sent out the newsletter with a link to this research.

Potential New Path For PTSD Treatment Neuroscience News NEUROSCIENCE NEWS JULY 18, 2017

In the article, there is a reminder that PTSD is not really an invisible wound.

Clearly, you can see the difference but since we don't walk around with all the medical equipment, we have to search for other ways to see it. Frankly, saying PTSD is an invisible wound, seems to more of a copout. After all, if you can't see it then you won't have to fix it.

Kind of like when my house is really dusty, but I won't see it without my glasses on. I'm not a very good at domestic stuff, so I don't usually think about how long it has been since I dusted furniture. I know it is really bad if I can see it without my glasses on.

It is also like what I am dealing with right now. Back problems, no one could see without an MRI and X-rays, so the doctor had to trust what I was saying before he could figure out what could be causing the problem and then take it from there. They are shooting pain killers into my spine using an X-ray to find the nerves. Otherwise, I bet my doctor would have just told me that margaritas would do the trick because he wouldn't be able to see the cause of the pain. (Ok, confession, I asked and he said "no" to that treatment.)

I am also dealing with Bronchial Pneumonia, (I had to look it up online) but yet again, my doctor had to hear what I was saying about how I was feeling before he listened to what my inside was telling him. Heavy duty antibiotics for 10 days and no margaritas.

We can say that all pain is invisible but only to the naked eye and not if someone is paying attention to what we're saying and has the background to do more than just give lousy advice.

So here is some sound advice. (Reminder here, in case you're new here, but I am not a veteran, never served in combat and probably would have been kicked out had I joined when I was young.) After surviving something that could have killed you, or as in the times I heard "should have killed" the first thing you need to remember is, you are not a victim. Victims did not survive. So whatever it was, you are still here and "it" lost.

I do not have PTSD only because of the way my family dealt with everything. It was talked to death right after it happened and they stopped listening when I finished talking. Don't get me wrong here. They gave shitty advice all the time but I was able to take those death defying moments into a time when I was safe and loved. PTSD never had a chance to take hold. It did change me and how I look at life though. Some leftovers I have to deal with from time to time, but since I know those ghosts sucked at taking control, I chill out and remember I survived "it" and this was a lot easier than that.

Ok, that out of the way.

Talk about it and kick the crap out of it since you already beat it before, do it again. Your buddies were willing to do anything for you in combat, including dying for you, just like you would for them. So it won't bother them to have to listen to you talk. Imagine how pissed off they'd be if you took the stuff they did for you to bring you back home and end up in the grave because you were too proud to ask for help. What's your problem with that anyway?

If you don't think they care now that you're back home, then you need to wonder why and then do something crazy about it like, oh, maybe ask them if they still care.  For Heaven's sake, you spent everyday with them for how long? And you think they would be burdened now? 

If you think about it then get them to help you, listen to you, then maybe they'll be able to take a look at what you've been dealing with? How can they see it if you won't let them hear you?  How can you feel better and recover if you don't let them show you what you still mean to them or show them how much you still trust them now?