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post traumatic stress disorder

Discussions and general chat about PTSD. Feel free to introduce yourself or if you need help, please reach out and ask.
John_D
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Trauma

Post by John_D »

Good on you Colours [ KEEP IT UP]
Aye
John_D
harry hackedoff
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Post by harry hackedoff »

Well done G and Yorks,
You met , socialised and drank. Just like normal people, really 8) See post "When Harry Met Sally" (shameless plug 8)

Harry
Yorkie Malone
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Post by Yorkie Malone »

Got here eventually. Yes he still calls it his opps room.... but promises that he is going to change it. Just gone through happy snappies of his with stacks of people I know as well. Ps George Hunt as a young lad is something else!!!! Had a bollocking ... a bit of skin??

Got cracking phot of Scrives and Coops Who I will pick up for a hair cut this W/E in Arbroath.

Yes Harry puting an area on the profile does help in moreways than one.
The problem I have is I'm always on my way to the stud!!!

SyY
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Post by harry hackedoff »

Keep it up, Yorkie :wink:
I`ts either horse linament or Viagra, can`t decide which.
Enjoy sunny Condor and have a Smokie or two. We`re Per Mare this weekend( well, Per Windermere any way)
Aye, Harry
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Post by SYB »

WOW.

I have spent the last half an hour catching up on this forum. (Away in the peaceful French Countryside)

Frankenstien,JohnT, Colours you are not alone and have made the first valuable steps on the long road to recovery. Keep going you are not alone.

If I can be of any use on telling you about my recovery or you just want a chat, leave me a message and ill get in touch?

Everybody who contributes to this forum are fine people and all have the same but different experinces?

The government/MOD etc hasnt got the treatment right since shell shock in the great war of 1914?

People like Yorkie who are involved in this case need to do it. Stand up for what is right. It will be tough but dont let the challenge stress you.
The law is a slow dirty drama at times........

I got it off my chest with the book.
Incidently the ISBn No is 1857766296


Well done lads and ladies.

PS Ive got a spot Yorkie, but its from the Red Wine...

Simon
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Mike
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PTSD

Post by Mike »

EMOTIONS
When was the last time you hugged someone and told them you understood how they felt......(Woah!....... Am I getting into an area we do'nt like to speak of)?
When was the last time you cried, and I mean CRIED!....
We dont do either... do we?
Why the bloody hell not, why do we men think it is demeaning to show emotions.... Its a natural function, a pressure release and we stifle it, for what reason? We all could cry our eyes out on occasions.......so why do'nt we
Because from an early age we are told it's not what we should do... Its not manly...We should not be seen to give in to emotions...Bo****ks.
If you want to cry, CRY. If you want to hug, HUG. If you can cry and hug at the same time, with someone special and who understands, all the better. You will find that, like TALKING, you will feel better for it. Believe me I've tried it, it works.
Aye
The Honourable Lord Mike of Loch Borralan
.........................Because I AM Worth IT..xxxx.......Never Mistake Motion for Action
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Mutley
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HUGE HUG

Post by Mutley »

Well -

Those of us with children, know - what a hug can achieve, how a little smile lifts the spirit and how childrens laughter is like sunshine in the day.

Those of us with spouses or partners, often forget to hug, hold hands and sometimes even to smile at one another.

GO ON GIVE THEM A HUG TODAY

in hoc vinces
Last edited by Mutley on Wed 18 Sep, 2002 1:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Mike Mortimore
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Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post by Mike Mortimore »

Hi all, sorry I've been awol, back in the UK for a spot of refereeing with one of the childrens birthday parties (17) and thats the youngest!! and trying to get the new computer (english) to except the french server, and we beat them again!! :o So much has happened since last in the disscussion, hang in there Colours, reading your 'cry' for help whilst in bought back memories for me, I just got deeper in the s..t and they Courts Martialed me!! Like Yorkie Im on the register for the lack of medical assistance when the s..t hit the fan for me. Talking really helps and having a good wife behind you supporting you really helps. Yorkie, sorry I missed you when I was over, I'm going to owe you 1/2 doz pints bye the time we meet. By the way the wine :drinking: :drinking: is flowing exceptionally well over here. Simon, sorry I did not get back to you before your 'vaconce' over here in France. We are right on the Charente/Dordoyne border near Chalais (Charente).
Whilst back in the UK I met up with an oppo that I was out in the Gulf with and this is only our 2nd meeting since 1992 and while talking over the bar-bee and a beer, as you do, we were chatting about 'then' and 'now' and our common foe 'PTSD' He mentioned that I had become a 'softer person' and noticed that while we were serving together that I was a stressed person then. In a lot of areas of our pasts, we have all crossed each others paths in one way or another. I think it was Colours that said that we as a group of fellow sufferers have become a family, and families are tight knit and close bonded. One critical item that I have noticed in all the comms between us is that we all agree that COMMUNICATION is the move forward word. Have to close for now the heats dropping and the grass needs cutting.
Update: On the 12 June I was involved with the OP FRANKTON Memororial walk out here. A French Old soldiers association have spent the last 3/4 years retracing the escape route that Hasler/Sparks took in 1942/43 from Bordeaux to Ruffec. to cut along story short I was talking to the CTCRM commadant (Brig RM) and their concern for PTSD. It is now being taken very seriously (finacial comebacks I expect) Its really an updated method of 'Oppo watch' where you keep an eye on each other and if something is noticed 'out of the ordinary' this is then mentioned to 'in house' trained staff (Sgt Majors/RSM's, etc) RSM of CTCRM was there as well. Depending on the nature of the problem it is delt with accordingly. It would be interesting to get some more info on this move forward with the reconition of PTSD. 60 Years this Dec of OP FRANTON and Bill Sparks comes to all the memorials. Enough of me, speak soon
God Bless you all Mike :o :o
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Post by Yorkie Malone »

Had a letter from the solicitors in the court case.

They have said no communication with the press. So like dad, I'll keep mum!

Basicly it in legal jargon, that things are going ahead, and they give a few dates in the future of what is happening.

But as we all know the wheels turn very slowly, well these have got road blocks to get round, and running skirmishes with MOD....!

So to put it into simple bootneck language, stand by to stand by. Stand by!

As that is the case, I think that I may have time for a couple of pints, or so, before anything else happens.

Won't say any more cos loose lips sink ships.

SyY
harry hackedoff
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visit

Post by harry hackedoff »

Evening, all,
since starting this thread in March( can you believe it`s been that long?) I have had much contact with Ex-Services Mental Health and have spoken many times to the Clinical Manager down there. I have a long-standing invitation to visit them and when we set up the Listener usergroup I asked Mutley if he would like to come with me.
Well, we are visiting next Friday, September 13. The purpose of our visit is to do a recce and report back on here.
The aim is to answer as many questions about the treatment process as we can, how do I get in, what goes on, what about my familly, what will be my chances of recovering a "normal" lifestyle, what are the success rates, etc.etc.
My reason for telling you in advance of our visit is so that you can give us any questions that you have about treatment and I promise you that we will find out the answers. You can post questions on this thread or send them to any member of the Listener group via the private message route should you want to do so in private.
I`ve often used the analogy of the guy who is happy to put up with toothache because he doesn`t like going to the dentist.Just like someone who realises he has a problem with this disorder but won`t seek help because he is unsure or maybe afraid, of what treatment may mean.
We want questions from anyone, sufferers or not, which will serve to allay these fears and uncertainties.
I am ashamed that our Corps is not doing enough about this disorder, the damage to individuals and famillies and the suicides.
Shoulderholster once said,
"If we stop looking after each other, then we might as well chalk `f&*k` on it and stop calling ourselves Royal Marine"
Don`t know about you, but I`m not quite ready for that.
Please, send us your questions. We will have some answers next week.

Aye, on behalf of all the members of the Listeners group,

Harry Hackedoff
colours
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Post by colours »

Hi Harry,

Thanks very much for the email. I have been a bit upset this week hence delays in replying.

As you may have seen on the Civvie Street web my best friend Russ Williams (ex CSGT RM) died in a motorbike accident last Friday. I have not pressed Karen for any details as yet but it looks as if Russ was on his way home from work on his motor cycle. there were only two vehicles involved and the car driver may have been on the wrong side of the road!

I have been busy trying to contact mutual friends in order to let them know the tragic news.

To change the subject, to the original thread, yes there are a few things you and mutely can find out for me if you do not mind.

I’m feeling much better, although I’m not out of the woods yet by any means. I receive treatment from my Psychologist every two weeks, and visit my GP about the same time. I am going out more, going on runs etc and regularly take my medication including Fluoxetine and sleeping tablets. Both are content to continue managing my disorder in this manner until I am admitted into a treatment and respite home (Audley Court) operated by Combat Stress where I will be evaluated, treated, and hopefully begin rehabilitation.

However, with PTSD and depression it seems that you feel better for a time as the medication reopens pathways in your brain, and then you go into a trough, feeling depressed for a few days before perking up again. The good thing is that the troughs become shallower as time passes, unless something like the death of a dear friend occurs!


Now for a few questions.

1. How far away is the nearest pub, or is there an off-licence at the treatment centres? :drinking: (Only joking I’ll be on the wagon for a few weeks before I attend – I want to get better and not waste their and my time)! :angel:
2. What is the food and the accommodation like?
3. How long is the initial length of visit, is it one or two weeks, how many stays does the average client undergo before he/she is considered cured if such a thing is possible?
4. How many professionals are there to look after each client and what does the average day consist of?
5. I’m a bit worried about a new form of treatment ‘EMDR’ which I believe eye movement while reliving the Traumatic experience(s). Can you chat to someone about it?

The rest of my questions you already aim to ask i.e. about the treatment process, how do I get in, what goes on, what about my family, what will be my chances of recovering a "normal" lifestyle, what are the success rates, etc?


Thanks all for your help and support, and just being there.


Colours
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Post by Mutley »

I found this overview of EMDR (warning it is extracted from a sales blurb)

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a clinical treatment that has helped many individuals who have survived trauma, including sexual abuse, domestic violence, combat, crime, and those suffering from a number of other complaints including depressions, addictions, phobias and a variety of self-esteem issues.
EMDR is a complex method of psychotherapy that integrates the elements of a range of therapeutic approaches in combination with eye movements or other forms of rhythmical stimulation in ways that stimulate the brain’s information processing system. EMDR therapy does not look into old psychological memories, but by activating the information-processing system of the brain, helps achieve therapeutic goals.
Recent studies with individuals suffering from events such as rape, combat, loss of a loved one, accidents, natural disasters, etc. have found that many no longer had PTSD after only three sessions. However, EMDR is not a race, while some show dramatic responses in a short amount of time, there are also those who will progress more slowly and that the slower progression is not abnormal. Just as in any therapy, we all progress at the rate appropriate to the individual and the clinical situation.
The major significance of EMDR is that it allows the brain to heal its psychological problems at the same rate as the rest of the body is healing its physical ailments. Because EMDR allows minds and body to heal at the same rate, it is effectively making time irrelevant in therapy.

In Hoc Vinces
harry hackedoff
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Post by harry hackedoff »

Colours, chin up mate,
I hope to be able to post the answers to your questions either Friday night or Saturday at the latest.
If I was to answer your specific question about R.E.M. de-sensitisation now, then I feel my answer would be incomplete.
So, if you don`t mind, please wait till after the visit. What I do know about it is that it`s a very usefull tool to reduce the intensity/ frequency of panic attacks, for instance.
That and the fact that it can`t make you pregnant :wink:

Spoke at lenght to the Mutster, tonight. Basically to agree a "game plan" for our visit, and how we are going to report back.
As they say, please watch this space.

Aye, Harry.
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Post by Bringer »

My mother is currently acting as the surrogate for the head of the EMDR institute in the US, so I've picked up little bits of knowledge about it. Mostly about how it compares to other forms of treatment, because much of her time is spent on reviewing papers or writing them.

It's supposedly as good as any treatment, and better than most, for helping the patient to overcome a traumatic incident. As well, it's a faster treatment than most.

If you like, I can see if she would be willing to review this thread and contribute. I know she was contacted a while back by the Department of National Defense here in Canada to provide treatment to soldiers suffering PTSD from the local reserve unit.
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Post by harry hackedoff »

Evening all,
Busy day today. Met up with Muts at Winchester, 0900, and went through our "Agenda" during the drive to Combat Stress. I`d suggested to Tony Letford( Clinical Manager) what I thought our visit should consist of beforehand.
Have to say Tony exceeded my expectations by miles and he and his team pulled out all the stops to make sure our visit achieved(surpassed) our aims. Well done Tony et al, and a big thank you.
We started with a questions sesh, which went on for nearly two hours, during which Tony was "interrogated" on the whole process from first referral through to completion. He took time to answer everything, patiently ensuring that we fully understood and were happy with his answers. Sometime during this sesh his boss, the Director of Clinical Services, dropped in to say hello. He was as keen as Tony for our visit to be a success.
We then broke off for lunch with Tony in the dining room and were joined by an ex-P.W. Senior, who gave us a valuable insight into life at the Centre.
After lunch we were given a tour of the site by a member of the clinical team and were allowed, encouraged even, to look at whatever we wanted to. All the facilities, cabins, heads, showers, t.v. rooms in fact we went everywhere. We frequently stopped to talk to guys on our tour, but as Friday is a day for trips out, there were no more than fifteen(ish) guys present.
In the occupational therapy room we had quite a long chat with an ex-army guy which was very informative.
Each of the guys we spoke to I asked the same three questions:-
"Are you glad you came here?"
All answered "yes" and the Booty P.W.I. said it saved his life, last April.
"Has the quality of your life improved since you first came here?"
Once again, all answered " definately"
"What`s the best thing about this place, what do you enjoy most?"
Unanimously:- "The Blokes"
They all said they found the support from fellow sufferers a breath of fresh air.
Booty P.W. "Before I came here, I thought it was you lot that were mad"
(indicating me and Mutley) Then I walked into a room full of blokes just like me, and I realised it was me that was mad!"
Tony pretends to put his Nurses head on,
"I don`t like to think of you as being mad. To me, you`re fuc*ing bonkers"
Much laughter, but it reinforced a point that I have made time and again, that sufferers are not alone. The realisation of this fact itself brings enormous relief.
Lastly we spent some time with a group of Ladies who work in the welfare department. I hadn`t realised quite how much they do.Things like informing sufferers` famillies how to recognise the signs of an impending panic attack to finding accomodation for homeless guys
Or arranging to de-toxify alcoholics before they arrive at the centre.
By the way, they actually knew the Lamerton Lurcher and all asked me " is the spot any better?" All send their love, Yorky :roll:

Muts has no net access at weekends, his seven year old has persuaded his computer that this is a "bad thing" so he will post his version of the visit on Monday. What I have to do is produce a report on our visit that will answer most of your questions and it will take me too long to do online. So it will appear either tommorrow or Sunday. Allso, as this thread continues to grow, this isn`t the place to post it. It will be an "announcement only" thread that can be read but not get swallowed up in the rest of this thread.
Once again, I must say what a pleasure it was to meet Tony after all this time and the many hours of pestering him( by you, Harry? Surely not)
His staff, who went out of their way and allso the guys. Everyone we met thought this site is a great idea and a fantastic way of spreading the word that:-

Treatment Works




Mutley and Harry,both, Aye
Last edited by harry hackedoff on Sat 14 Sep, 2002 1:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
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