Coping with PTSD

"Strength does not come from winning
Your struggles develop your strength.
When you go through hardship
and decide not to surrender,
that is strength."

Click Here For Success Tip # 090

I read and study about my challenges. I learned when medical doctors had no answers for me that I am responsible for my health, physical, emotional, or spiritual. I also believe that in this age of information glut someone else has written about my challenges somewhere.  Quite early on when I still thought all my problems were a physical ailment I discovered in the basement of our local library a computer connection that brought all the information at all the hospital libraries to a single library terminal.  I discovered health net in 1992.  Facebook boomers were babies.  I was desperate to find out what was wrong with me.  I learned a lot about what I did not have and how to do research.  How to sift through hundreds of pages of information to find another piece to the puzzle.  What I learned I used to change my life.  I am still using research to study.  Today I am giving a review:

Coping with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder:  A guide for families by Cheryl A. Roberts 
ISBN: 978-0-7864-4974-3 http://mcfarlandbooks.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-4974-3

I found this book at the library when I was looking for another one.  I was impressed that there wasn't a suggestion that was in the book that my counselor didn't suggest or try.  I turned down medication for reasons too complicated for me to understand, let alone explain, but I know for some people medication makes a difference.  Overall opinion for the book is it gives a current overview of practices for coping with PTSD today.  I was interested that there wasn't much in it that my counselor hadn't already taught me.  I felt like I was reading the text after taking the final exam.  I think it would have been more helpful about 10 years ago but it wasn't written until 2011.  The book does favor military background for their audience.  It does mention other reasons for PTSD but a good portion of this book focuses on what is happening and available through the military.  I was intrigued by their perspective of PTSD, "One way to look at PTSD is a response to a traumatic event that collapses time; the PTSD individual reexperiences the trauma through flashbacks or nightmares, experiences anxiety and stress at reminders of the original trauma, and seeks to avoid triggers that remind him/her of the trauma."  It then explains fairly clearly the diagnostic criteria used today.  It does acknowledge that abuse, rape, also long term abuse may cause PTSD.  There are sections on second hand PTSD by firefighters, counselors, spouses, and children of those suffering from PTSD.  I felt the book covered the information I learned.  I appreciated reading the chapter Living with PTSD.  Not one technique was given that my counselors didn't try with me.  The book also acknowledges that some techniques work better for one person verses another.  It is like there is no magic bullet but plenty of bricks for building a healthy life.  The appendixes listed resources, books and movies all with PTSD as the focus.  I felt if I was asked for an over all theme it would be PTSD is tough to live with but not impossible.  Acceptance, connecting with others, and living in the present make a difference.  One last point is those that recognize that PTSD is what they have and not who they are seem better able to cope with this challenge. 

Compressed time