OPD officer recalls early morning call where he met a man suffering from PTSD, threatening suicide
KETV
Cal Larsen
December 7, 2023
"I said, 'Hey man you want a hug?' He looked at me, I said, 'I'm serious I'm a hugger, you want a hug?' And he just starts crying and buried his head in my chest and I could feel that release," Ruby said.
An Omaha police officer was on a call in July when he came face-to-face with a young man who was threatening suicide, and suffering from PTSD.
Officer Justin Ruby was one of the first on scene and made initial contact over the phone with a 24-year-old, Army veteran who had a loaded gun under his chin. The man was threatening to kill himself.
"This male called in and said his roommate was sitting in the hallway holding a gun under his chin, he'd been crying, he's yelling his roommate's name," Ruby said.
Ruby got on the phone with the man for nearly 45 minutes before going up to the apartment for a conversation.
"I need you to unload the gun, I need you to get the gun out of play," Ruby told the man. The man responded with, "I don't want to hurt anybody, just myself."
Before Ruby went into the room the man unloaded the gun and slid it across the floor. read more here
An estimated 8 percent of the population will experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in their lifetime.
Those living with #PTSD are already under a great deal of pressure. Suggesting therapy is helpful, but trying to make your loved one see "the good side of things" or "remember that this is all part of a bigger plan" is likely to create even more guilt and stress rather than prompt action. PTSD is painful and it's serious, but it's never a sign of weakness.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
Up to 8% of the American population will experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in their lifetime, according to the National Center for PTSD.
As much as people might not want to discuss it, traumatic experiences are not rare. In fact, recent data suggests that 60% of men and 50% of women will experience at least one traumatic event in their lifetime.
For a long time, it was believed that only those who had served in the military could develop PTSD, but that's simply not true.
The reality is that, while it may be more prevalent among certain groups, PTSD can affect anyone who's experienced a traumatic event. It's important to be able to speak about it clearly and openly, without fear or condemnation, in order to promote understanding and healing.
learn how you can be an ally here
The headline on this is, New initiative for those who struggle with PTSD but there isn't anything "new" about it. Ask anyone involved in helping survivors survive surviving and they'll tell you how long we've known what works. The other thing is, it says it is open to everyone but think about how many non-veteran people will reach out for help from them.
A new initiative called The Suicide and Trauma Reduction Initiative for Veterans also known as Strive is now making an impact not just for veterans but for anyone with PTSD.
"Its open to anybody anyone whose experienced a traumatic event that they think they have PTSD can possibly benefit frim a treatment like this and that's really what strive stands for is provide treatment to those who need it and continue to refine and make those treatments better through research." says clinical director of the STRIVE program.
This one is a good article.
Post-traumatic growth—how to flourish after a PTSD diagnosis
by Laura Kelley, CU Anschutz Medical Campus
June 12, 2023
No caring person would wish post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—or the likely terrifying event that led to it—on anyone. But for those people who develop the mental health condition and find treatment, the skills and lessons they learn can improve their lives in unexpected ways.
PTSD and traumatic events often have long recovery periods. Talk about the growth that can come with treatment.
To be clear, many individuals with PTSD experience considerable distress as well as impairments across domains of their life—whether in relationships, work or school—but this does not tell the whole story. Recovery from PTSD is possible. For individuals who have recovered from PTSD, there is frequently a period of sizeable psychological growth. This growth can take many forms, including a greater appreciation for life, an increased focus on values-based living, a broadening of perspectives and an acquisition of new skills to better deal with day-to-day stressors as well as other traumatic events that may arise. read more here
If you take away nothing else from the following stories about #PTSD and healing, let it be the beginning of your own search to find more hope that you can do it too!
Thriving beyond circumstances and diagnosis; Marshfield woman encourages normalizing mental health
By Emily Davies
Published: Jun. 2, 2023
“When I got ready this morning, I can’t, I can’t tell you. I didn’t know what it was like to live like this, to feel confident, and empowered, and strong, and less afraid. And I think that it’s great. I think everybody should be able to live like this.”
MARSHFIELD, Wis. (WSAW) - Not all wounds are visible; that is the message one woman from Marshfield wants to spread to normalize mental health struggles, in her case post-traumatic stress disorder.
Kristina Howey is the director of product development at Security Health Plan. She is also a mother, a military spouse, and not just a survivor of domestic violence, but a “thriver” as she channels the courage and strength to take care of herself, leaning on resources, to be her best despite her diagnosis.
Uvalde Marine veteran battling PTSD finds healing through physical fitness
KENS 5
Author: Alicia Neaves
June 2, 2023
"What they have access to now, the therapies, anything that they have now for those that are returning, it was completely different back in 2005," said Gonzales. "I don't think [PTSD] was really a part of what you would think about having to deal with coming back."
UVALDE, Texas — A Uvalde veteran found healing from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) through exercise.
Now, he owns a business where he helps others in his hometown turn their life around.
Joe Gonzales is sharing his story with KENS 5 for PTSD Awareness Month.
"What they have access to now, the therapies, anything that they have now for those that are returning, it was completely different back in 2005," said Gonzales. "I don't think [PTSD] was really a part of what you would think about having to deal with coming back."
read more of Joe's story here
PTSD Is Not a Character Flaw
Community News
By Brandon Carlson Correspondent
Jun 3, 2023
“A lot of people think PTSD is something that only happens to people who have been in the service,” said Althaus. “It can be from any kind of traumatic event. PTSD is not a character defect; it is a response to trauma.”
Memorial Day has passed and while we remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, it is also important to be reminded of those who have served our country and return home with their lives but have a different kind of scar.
According to the National Center for PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder) is a mental health problem. PTSD can only develop after you go through or see a life-threatening event. It’s normal to have stress reactions to these types of events.
The National Center for PTSD says, having a very intense or long-lasting traumatic event or getting injured during the event can make it more likely that a person will develop PTSD. PTSD is also more common after certain types of traumas, like combat and sexual assault.
According to the National Center for PTSD, what happens after the event is just as important as the event that causes previous traumatic exposure, age, and gender can affect whether or not a person will develop PTSD. What happens after a traumatic event is also important. Stress can make PTSD more likely, while social support can make it less likely.
Gail Althaus, a mental health counselor from Jesup, has 30 of years’ experience with mental health issues such as PTSD. read more of what Gail has to say here
My Arena visits Montana State Prison to talk about mental health and PTSD
KPAX
By: Claire Peterson
Jun 02, 2023
“After researching it, and speaking with him, it was like, oh, this is a heck of an opportunity to show our staff that we care, that it's okay. We could tear down that stigma that seeing a counselor is a bad thing. It's not,” Salmonsen says.
DEAR LODGE — First responders can experience traumatic events on a daily basis, which is why one man has made it his mission to spread awareness.
Travis Gribble’s organization, My Arena, is gaining steam speaking to law enforcement and first responder agencies across the state.
He visited the Montana State Prison (MSP) on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, to talk about PTSD symptoms and prevention with the employees there.
Gribble was invited by the warden of the prison, Jim Salmonsen, after an employee of the Critical Incident Stress Management Team recommended My Arena.
read more of Travis's story here
Chris survived domestic violence. He had a wonderful childhood but it was what his wife did to him that nearly destroyed him. He was wounded while reporting on the war in Afghanistan. When he returned home, she hated the fact he was home, instead of trying to help him heal. She tried to kill him. Having failed at that, she stalked him.
Mandy, the woman who began to heal Chris, survived child abuse and an abusive husband. He tried to kill her but failed.
Alex and Mary, brother and sister, survived child abuse.
All of them, along with many others in Stranger Angels, not only survived child abuse, they healed. The healing did not stop with them. They passed on hope to all others that they could not just live a happier life but could become part of a miracle for others to hope for.
All of them had PTSD because of what other people who were supposed to love them did to them. All of them were healing. Some healed completely. Others, like Chris were still healing their wounds.
They knew what it was like to feel hopeless. They knew what it was like to feel as if God allowed it all to happen and to lose faith in His love. They also knew what it was like to have their faith restored and have their broken hearts mended. They were no longer God's lost children searching for hope.
It is because of this, that Chris set out to write his third book to offer hope to survivors of domestic violence. He traveled to talk to his friends to gain a better understanding of what it was like for children when their own parents inflicted the most damage to them. All of them were examples of what is possible for others to have in their futures and be empowered to dream of the day when they would also become healed.
I know what it is like too. My Dad was a violent alcoholic until I was 13. He recovered with help of people from AA. He ended up helping others. My ex-husband tried to kill me and then stalked me. So, yes, I know what it is like. I survived many other things, but it was the damage he did to me that did not go away until I found out he died. Even with the suffering I went through, I managed to get married again, had a daughter and lived a pretty good life. I had help along the way. The thing that helped heal me more was my faith in God and helping others find what I found. That no matter how lonely, hopeless or lost we feel, He sends someone into our life to let us know He hears our prayers and feels our tears. Helping others was healing for me too!
Some think these books are sad but that is only part of their stories. There is great sadness and struggles. Just like there is great sadness and struggles for anyone trying to heal after surviving any of the causes of PTSD. Just like others, there is also hope when people understand what PTSD is, what caused it and what you can do to #takebackyourlife from #PTSD. Having someone who knows what your life is like helps you #breakthesilence and break the power PTSD has had over your life.
I hope you find comfort and a better understanding of what it is like to be in the arms of Stranger Angels.
Stranger Angels part three of The Lost Son is about domestic abuse survivors going on to lead awesome lives because someone came along to help them heal.
Chris thought about how he didn't spend enough time writing about healing from what happened to many people in his life. He had a good childhood and great parents. Too many of his friends were raised by horrible parents and his ex-wife was the target of bullies in grade school.
He decided to write another book telling their stories to offer hope to others, including survivors of domestic violence committed by a spouse. After all, he was one of them. It is hard enough for female to break away from an abusive spouse/partner. It was almost impossible for him to ask for help when his wife was the abuser. He had PTSD from that plus the bomb blast that almost killed him.
Mandy, the woman who taught him about how God still works miracles, was also an abused by her mother and then her husband. She went on to help people heal from trauma for 40 years.
Alex and Mary, the agents for his publisher, were abused by a horrible mother.
While helping people who lived in a shelter, Chris encountered two sisters who were abused by their mother's boyfriend. She disappeared and they wanted help to find their Godmother so they wouldn't end up in foster care.
One of the woman from the shelter said that Chris was a stranger angel because of Hebrews 13:2
"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."
He had been taking supplies to the shelter every week but no one knew who he was. They all called him the stranger angel.
Chris was also the target of a fraudulent preacher who had many secrets of his own.
The thing that Chris kept proving over and over again is that there were more good people in the world than there are evil ones. Most of the ones doing the most good, knew what it was like to have evil done to them and they did all they could to help others just like them.
I know, because I was the child of a violent alcoholic. While physically, he never hurt me, my older brother was his target. My Dad stopped drinking when I was 13 and changed his life for the sake of his family. Later in adulthood, my abuser was my husband. At first it was verbal abuse, but that didn't hurt me at all. After everything I had already survived, his words did no damage to me. One night he came home from work and it became physical abuse to the point where he tried to kill me. He stalked me for a long time after that.
I know what it is like to feel helpless, as well as not feeling worthy of receiving help but that is never the end of our story. Someone comes along to help us heal. We learn to trust again and I hope when you read this book, you learn to believe in miracles again too. After all, they happen all the time when God sends stranger angels to deliver the answer to our prayers.
I wrote 3 new books and published them in just six months, but they are being buried on Amazon. I can't afford to buy ads, so I am doing what I can to help people find them. I spent most of the day trying to find the best way to get people to see these books.
Writing them was a miracle because there is no way I could have come up with a story like this on my own. They were an answer to my prayers. With over 30,000 posts, over 700 videos and 3 other books, I needed a new way of saying what I've been saying for 40 years. People can heal PTSD if someone shows them how to do it. I thought PTSD Patrol would be the way.
After all, that is exactly how people have healed PTSD. Someone cleared the way for them to get to the place in their life so they would discover how much power they do have to heal. It worked for a while, but not enough.
In August, I was really depressed about it. I asked God for help to write one, but He helped me write three. Just goes to show that God still listens to prayers and still inspires people to go out and change the world. When I started all this back in 1982, the world was smaller. I wrote opinion pieces to local newspapers. We didn't have the internet in our house until 1993 and I got on AOL. I had a blog there, eventually I had many more but always focused on PTSD.
Now the online world seems too big for me and I my work gets buried, or at least I thought it did.
Lesson I learned today. Sometimes we pray for a miracle and that is all we focus on. The one we want is all we want to see. When we discover that a different miracle came, we realize that we have been looking in the wrong places.
I knew about Feedspot having my site up but did not know it just reached #4 of Top 60 blogs for PTSD.
I no longer live in Florida but was stunned to see that Wounded Times is number 4!
I live in Rochester NH, not NY but still consider this an honor.
If you've been praying for a miracle, I hope you take some comfort in this. There are people out there just like me, doing the work for the sake of the work to be done. The simple fact that people found this work or the books, or the videos, proves God guides us to where we need to be to find what we were searching for.
Yep! One more thing that is The Lost Son series. Miracles happened when people were guided to where they needed to be to be found!
I've been having a really hard time lately. People come into my life, claiming to want to help me, but they decide to walk away. Sure it hurts, but what hurts more, is the fact they didn't even bother to say why they decided I wasn't worth their help.
I am a person of faith and have seen many miracles in my life. I wanted to share miracles in The Lost Son series to give people hope their lives could change for the better above anything other message in the books.
I pray for what I need and sometimes, God can just grant it. Like when I ask for Him to mend my broken heart, restore my confidence or ease my loneliness. Other times, He needs someone else to answer what I pray for.
Sure enough, someone calls me or emails me. They give me hope that finally, after all this time, someone is willing to help me. They fill me with hope but after a few days, I know they decided to just walk away and leave me as I was.
There was a rich guy who promised me for a couple of years he would donate when I had a non-profit. He never did. I never got an answer as to why he did not honor his word.
A Mom of a veteran, who credited me with saving the life of her son, offered to help over time, but when I asked for help, she refused. No explanation. She just said no.
A lot of people came into my life and then, walked away. I had a choice to dwell on what I did wrong that they would turn their backs on me and then, I realized, it says more about them than it did about me.
God heard me and wanted to help. He sent them, but when they walked away, they didn't just refuse to help me, they refused to help God too!
If you are going through the same thing, remember that. Take comfort in that because it proves God is listening to you and cares about you. It also means if He sent you someone before, He'll send someone even better the next time.
With so many horrible things going on in the world right now, it is understandable to feel hopeless. After all, we are not in control over much. We cannot stop the bombs and slaughter of Ukrainian citizens. We cannot get them food water and supplies as Russian forces surround them. We cannot stop the Russian soldiers from murdering citizens. Only Putin can do that, but he won't.
Sure we can pray that God opens their hearts and minds so they see the difference between defending their own country during war and what they are doing in Ukraine. That has actually been working. Some have seen what they are becoming and it makes them sick to their stomachs. They are telling citizens in Ukraine they had no idea what they were being sent to do after they surrender. The most remarkable thing is, the videos of this happening also show compassion the Ukrainian people have for those sent to kill them.
(WILX) - The Ukrainian government, as well as many Ukrainian civilians, have made a point of saying on camera that they do not hold the Russian soldiers to blame for the war ordered by Vladimir Putin.
“I didn’t want to fight,” said one Russian soldier, interviewed after being captured in Ukraine. “I will say the Ukarainian army are nice guys. They didn’t hit me. They gave me food.”
Now, Ukraine is backing that sentiment with a direct offer.
TV presenter Maria Yefrosinina, who is an ambassador of the United Nations Population Fund in Ukraine, has announced an offer to Russian soldiers from the Ukraine Government, funded by the global IT community.
The thing is, no matter how bad something is, we can do nothing while it gets worse, or, we can choose to do something, no matter how small we may thing it is. Nothing changes for the better if we do nothing.
If you are in pain, you understand what it feels like. Then you can also understand the pain someone else is living with. If you have ever lost hope, then you know what it feels like when others lose hope. No matter what they are going through, the chances are, you went through the same thing.
Sure you could remember what others did to you and decide to do the same, but it is better to remember what it was like when someone did something for you and do the same.
Remember what words would have given you comfort and restored a sense of hope within yourself, and do the same for others.
Remember what it felt like to be given the glimmer of things getting better for you, and do the same for others.
Remember what it felt like when someone showed you kindness after others only showed you their backs, and do the same for others.
Do what you can for others and heal yourself at the same time. You do not have the power to change the entire world, but you are empowered to change the world for someone else.
“Find out how much God has given you and from it take what you need; the remainder is needed by others.” ― Saint Augustine
Married Couple of 44 Years Dies of COVID While Holding Hands: 'True Definition of Soulmates'
William and Carol Stewart of New Hampshire died of COVID-19 within moments of each other
People
By Jason Duaine Hahn
January 05, 2022
A couple from New Hampshire who contracted COVID-19 during the holidays died within moments of each other while holding hands.
According to a GoFundMe set up by their family, William and Carol Stewart died on Dec. 30 after a battle with COVID-19 that "took a turn for the worse" while the couple was hospitalized at Parkland Medical Center.
"Bill and Carol peacefully passed away hand in hand with their loved ones bedside," their nephew, Tim Stewart, wrote on the campaign page. "They fought a long and hard battle with covid, both intubated and on life support."
"I truly believe that the power of prayers and all the kind words that have been shared over the past few weeks is what kept them fighting," he added. "It also kept us hopeful for the best. We sincerely thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. We never really have enough time with our loved ones."
Eight members of the family tested positive for COVID-19, Noke said, and her parents were unvaccinated against the virus. She hopes people who haven't received the shots yet do so. read more here
I wrote about something like this happening in the second part of The Lost Son. The difference was the couple were vaccinated but too many others around them were not. This is from Alive Again by Kathie Costos published on Amazon November 15, 2021
Can I see the future? No. I see what is happening. I see how good people believe liars and rumors more willingly than they see the truth and facts. What I see more is how too many think that God has turned away from them.
I see churches, houses of worship, turn from what scriptures they speak, yet do not practice. I see too many people being turned away from those buildings advertised as God's House, while ignoring the place where God lives within each of us. Too many value the rich and ignore the needy. They condemn the sinner while committing their own sins and justify themselves by saying they not as bad as those they condemn. I see too many fail to search their bibles for what is true as much as they fail to search their own souls to know why they cannot hear God's voice.
But more so, I see miracles happen all around us that prove God's love is alive and competes us to act out of love as well as spread hope to this troubled world.
1 Corinthians 13
New International Version
13 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.
11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.
12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Today, Christmas Day, we celebrated the birth of Jesus. It is a shame that we do not seem to notice that He is an example of a life with a never ending story. Oh, sure, we know He sacrificed His life on the Cross but His story did not end that day. As a matter of fact, it is still being written.
If you survived the cause of PTSD, you have witnessed His story still being written in those who came to help you. It is still begin written in through the lives of those who dedicate their lives toward helping you find hope for a happier life, compassion to help you know you matter, those who help you understand how much power you do have over the life ahead of you. Above all, through those who help you understand that God did not do it to you, but is there to help you heal.
For almost forty years, I know that is why I have done whatever I could to help and I know why I did it. I survived over ten events and remember all of it. The physical pain, the emotional turmoil, a million unanswerable questions, but I also remember what it was like to heal. What it was like to not just smile again, but feel the emotion behind it.
Above all, once I stopped focusing on what someone did to me, I was able to focus on what others did for me. No matter what happened, it always ended the same way. Someone came to help me and that began the healing.
None of our stories are even really ended. They are carried on in the lives of others we come into contact with, just as the lives of others are still being written through us.
When I wrote The Lost Son it was an answer to my prayers. I struggled with trying to find a new way of saying what I had said for almost four decades. It took a couple of weeks of praying and then one day, I sat down at my computer and the work flowed out of me. What I had not planned on was writing two books to tell our stories of healing through faith in God and when others come to answer our prayers. They heard God asking them and they responded. After all, that is the way miracles still happen. I am living proof of that.
The books are for what never seems to get covered in the news. There are over fifteen million of us being added every year to the number of survivors struggling to heal PTSD. The thing is, even after becoming an expert on PTSD, I had no clue I was one of them because my case was odd. The first time I faced death happened twice in one night, but I was only five years old. The rest was also different because of the way I looked at life, and God. I never read anything about someone like me, so I decided to write it.
These books are for everyone struggling from all different causes and helping others find their way out of spiritual darkness. They are not intended to replace mental health professional help, but to infuse it with the power of faith. They are also written for others like me, among the churchless children of God who do not feel as if there is a place for us in a building. We too can experience God's love, much like the way Jesus taught us to pray directly to Our Father. He prayed outside most of the time.
Churches are find for a lot of people but most of the people I helped over all these years, they believe in God but consider themselves spiritual instead of religious. It is not that we are wrong not wanting to go to church, but that we simply don't feel as if we belong there.
"Thank you all for coming. I am Chris Papadopoulos. Blessed Are The Peacemakers Ingredients of Miracles tells the story of how on September 13th 2019, a Friday the 13th by the way, I sat on my bed with a gun in my hand. It was seven years after surviving a bomb blast covering war, but that night, there was a war going on inside my soul. All I could think about was ending my suffering. An angel of light and goodness was fighting against an angel of darkness and evil inside of me. The angel of light managed to declare a minor victory and I was not happy about that. The next thing I knew, I was walking to my home away from home, this bar. Strange thinking about it now, because even as depressed as I was, I was still worried about hurting someone else, so I walked instead of risking driving drunk and hurting someone else. Apparently God had other plans for how to end my suffering.
I was talking to the only friend I thought I had, Ed, the bartender,” he waited for them to stop laughing. He turned to point to Ed. “I really wanted to say good bye to him. While I was sucking down another drink, a group of men walked in carrying the answer to my prayers. This is Bill and David and Drake. We also have Alex, Mary and Benjamin, all in the book. We have with us Grace and she’s the reason I called this press conference. A couple of nights ago, we were all eating dinner at the Inn in Gabriel when a woman came to us. She was wondering if the people in the books were real. She said she was sure her Dad helped the Boston Police Officer named Frank, who ended up saving Grace. She got to meet someone her father helped without even knowing it. She thanked us for proving that the stories of our lives never stop being written. They are in fact, never ending stories of life. And she was right. We’re all living proof that those who helped us, were helped by others before them and who knows how many other generations it goes back to. We don’t even know how far forward it goes while we’re still alive.
The question we need to ask ourselves is, do we want our life stories to be about light and goodness, or do we want to pass on darkness and evil? We’re capable of both and we’ve seen how darkness and evil spreads. David has something to say about that.”
The story of our lives does go on and what we pass on to others, is defined by us and what we choose to do with our lives. Look at this list.
Causes of PTSD from The Mayo Clinic
Risk factors
People of all ages can have post-traumatic stress disorder. However, some factors may make you more likely to develop PTSD after a traumatic event, such as:
Experiencing intense or long-lasting trauma
Having experienced other trauma earlier in life, such as childhood abuse
Having a job that increases your risk of being exposed to traumatic events, such as military personnel and first responders
Having other mental health problems, such as anxiety or depression
Having problems with substance misuse, such as excess drinking or drug use
Lacking a good support system of family and friends
Having blood relatives with mental health problems, including anxiety or depression
Kinds of traumatic events
The most common events leading to the development of PTSD include:
Combat exposure
Childhood physical abuse
Sexual violence
Physical assault
Being threatened with a weapon
An accident
Many other traumatic events also can lead to PTSD, such as fire, natural disaster, mugging, robbery, plane crash, torture, kidnapping, life-threatening medical diagnosis, terrorist attack, and other extreme or life-threatening events.
Prevention
After surviving a traumatic event, many people have PTSD-like symptoms at first, such as being unable to stop thinking about what's happened. Fear, anxiety, anger, depression, guilt — all are common reactions to trauma. However, the majority of people exposed to trauma do not develop long-term post-traumatic stress disorder.
Getting timely help and support may prevent normal stress reactions from getting worse and developing into PTSD. This may mean turning to family and friends who will listen and offer comfort. It may mean seeking out a mental health professional for a brief course of therapy. Some people may also find it helpful to turn to their faith community.
Support from others also may help prevent you from turning to unhealthy coping methods, such as misuse of alcohol or drugs.
If you want to begin to believe in miracles again, today would be a great day to start since we are remembering the day when God sent His Only Son to be a never ending story to the world.
Heads up on this. If you watch the video from Disturbed, and someone pops into your mind, then send them the link to it. I means they are the one who needed to see this.
I used the song by Disturbed, A Reason To Fight, not too long ago. I saw this video when I was putting up today's video for PTSD Patrol. It is too powerful and when I watched it, I knew it couldn't wait for another day. Someone needs to see it today and I hope it helps! For everyone else, just consider this a bonus video for the day.
Disturbed understands what that pain is like.
A Reason to Fight
Disturbed
The image in your eyes
Reflecting the pain that has taken you
I hear it in your voice, so ridden with shame
From what's hailing you
I won't give up so don't give in
You've fallen down but you can rise again
So don't give up
When the demon that's inside you is ready to begin
And it feels like it's a battle that you will never win
When you're aching for the fire and begging for your sin
When there's nothing left inside, there's still a reason to fight
Lost in your world of lies
I find it so hard to believe in you
Can it be real this time?
Or just a part of this game that we're playing through
I won't give up so don't give in
You've fallen down but you will rise again
I won't give up
When the demon that's inside you is ready to begin
And it feels like it's a battle that you will never win
When you're aching for the fire and begging for your sin
When there's nothing left inside, there's still a reason to fight
Don't let it take your soul
Look at me take control
When knowing to fight this war
This is nothing worth dying for
Are you ready to begin?
This is a battle that we are gonna win
When you're aching for the fire and begging for your sin
When there's nothing left inside, there's still a reason
When the demon that's inside you is ready to begin
And it feels like it's a battle that you will never win
When you're aching for the fire and begging for your sin
When there's nothing left inside, there's still a reason to fight
I'll be your reason to fight
Give you a reason to fight
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Dan J Donegan / David Michael Draiman / Kevin Gregory Churko / Michael Wengren
