PTSD Help- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

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PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It affects as much as 8% of the general population and 17% of the military population (reference). Last week I discussed a few self-help strategies for dealing with PTSD this week I'd like to talk about the use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT. It is often the first intervention that will be offered as it's easy and non-invasive and has been found to be effective for many who struggle with PTSD(reference).

Please remember that I am an author and researcher, my key role is to filter through the mountains of information available and bring the best of it to you. I do not and can not offer medical advice. If you suspect that you or a loved one is dealing with PTSD please seek professional help immediately. If you are considering suicide, or you believe a loved one is considering it, please call for help now. As I've said before, we can't let the trolls win this battle and 1 suicide is 1 too many. #22soldiers a day

What is it?

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CBT is a type of psychotherapy that involves talking to a trained professional, not a banana, who will guide you to uncover unhealthy attitudes, thought patterns and feelings(reference). These attitudes, thoughts and feelings are likely making your PTSD worse by encouraging the negative feelings that the PTSD brings on. It is possible that they aren't even related to the cause of your PTSD, they are simply feeding it with negative behaviors and emotions. By dealing with them, you are taking a step towards balance and healing.

For instance, if you suffer from low self-esteem and you have PTSD, CBT can help you understand and correct the wrong thought patterns that lead to your low self-esteem. The correction of the thought patterns that led to your low self-esteem will help you be more self-aware which can help you find healing for your PTSD. It doesn't matter if your low self-esteem didn't come from the same thing that caused your PTSD, correcting those wrong thought patterns can still help you because you are an interrelated whole made up of many interconnected parts.

How does it work?

When you engage in CBT with a professional counselor, they'll guide you to identify any false or negative patterns in your thoughts and attitudes and work with you to help you see the truth(reference). Your counselor will then work with you to correct them by helping you to craft new positive and true thoughts and feelings. Often, your counselor will assign you homework to do between sessions that involve reflection and journaling to help you further. There is an excellent article here(reference) that goes in more depth than I can.

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To build on my previous example of low self-esteem. If you believe that your work has no value your counselor will work with you to find the value in your work. Your counselor will then help you to replace your negative thoughts about your work with more positive ones and may assign you homework of reflecting on the value of what you do, and, possibly, how you can make it more valuable in your own eyes.

CBT is not meant to be ongoing(reference). You and your counselor will set goals and work towards them. Periodically you will both reassess those goals and decide together when you have met them. The counselor's goal is to teach you to do this for yourself and when you both feel you have reached that goal you can choose to end treatment or continue it if you feel you still need it.

Is it effective?

CBT has been used in the treatment of PTSD with success for a long time with good results. It has been found to lower PTSD scores effectively even when the person receiving treatment suffers from an additional mental illness. It is often used in conjunction with other treatments such as medication and other types of therapy such as hypnosis and supportive therapy. Success also depends on the involvement of the person receiving therapy, an involved patient who is actively seeking healing is more likely to find relief and stay with their counselor until they both agree they are done(3).

How do I find help?

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Finding help for PTSD can feel overwhelming. If you are a veteran you can call the helpline and get started. If you are not a veteran there are still many options available to you. Your health insurance likely offers some mental health care, Mental Health America has resources listed for finding help, and National Institute of Mental Health has some as well. If you don't have health insurance don't panic! Many providers understand and will work with you, either charging on a sliding scale or by putting you in contact with one who does. Mental Health America, linked above, has some resources and Emedicine offers some arguments about why you should get help regardless.

I urge you to get help today if you are struggling with PTSD.

It is my goal to end the stigma that comes with PTSD. I blog about PTSD once a week, searching the mountains of information out there and bringing you the best of what I find. I review a book on PTSD every other week and I publish a weekly encouraging reflection and tweet encouraging quotes for PTSD survivors daily, follow me to be encouraged. Together we can make a difference.

When I'm not blogging about PTSD or trying to encourage those of you living with it I'm an author. I write romance. I just finished my first book and I am revising and editing it. With any luck, it will be published later this year, in the meantime you can get a sample of my work on the web. Original work can be found here, and fanfiction can be found here. Let me know what you think, and tell me how you found me!

A conversation about PTSD

What is PTSD? We hear about it in the news, sometimes. We hear whispers about it at Uncle Joe's funeral- “you know he never was the same after the war...” And we see bits and pieces of it in articles about soldiers who've lost control and harmed people, blaming it on PTSD.

I'd like to begin a conversation on PTSD, what it is, who it affects, how it's treated and ways we, as a society, can begin a dialog to understanding it and changing the stigma that comes with it. This where the shit gets real. This is where we will dispel myths and misunderstandings.

Myths

• You don't have PTSD unless you are amassing weapons and barricading yourself behind the sofa.
• Only combat veterans experience PTSD
• PTSD only happens to the weak
• They (the person with PTSD) just need to talk about it
• Admitting and getting treatment will interfere with my work
• PTSD isn't treatable

That last one is the worst myth of all because it leads those suffering to not seek treatment. Treatment is available and can help. Just like any other illness PTSD will manifest differently in different people and the treatments will, accordingly, be different. There is no 'one size fits all' treatment, and there are no quick fixes. Treating PTSD takes time and commitment but there is help.

PTSD is a huge topic that is affecting someone you know. It is estimated that roughly 7% of the population will deal with PTSD at some point, that's about 5.2 million adults in a given year, numbers are here. Chances are you either know someone with PTSD or you know someone who is dealing with a loved one that has it. And if you live in a community with a high military population then your chances are even higher. And the chances are good that they don't talk about it.

Let's get this conversation started!

First, a definition and then in my next post I will revisit these myths and discuss them in more detail.

PTSD stands for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It is an anxiety disorder that can occur after a traumatic life event. These events can include assaults, natural or unnatural disasters, accidents or military combat. (Reference) 

There are 2.3 million veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, an estimated 20% of them are struggling with PTSD, and some of them don't know it or won't admit to it. Statistics say that 50% won't seek treatment because of the stigma associated with PTSD and that out of the half that do seek treatment only half of them will get adequate treatment. People who struggle with PTSD may not show it outwardly but inside they are hurting. They may live very normal lives, work full time jobs and be respected members of their communities. You can't tell by looking at someone if they have PTSD.

But PTSD isn't just a military issue, it can happen to anyone who experiences a traumatic event, repeated trauma or threats to their life. It is suspected that PTSD affects 5.2 million adults in the US. A sudden traumatic life event, repeated abuse or being the victim of a crime can cause PTSD.

PTSD can manifest itself in many ways, as flashbacks, depression, anxiety, obsessive thoughts or thought patterns and suicide or suicidal thoughts. For anyone dealing with PTSD their ability to deal with normal everyday stressors that you and I might take for granted is limited, they may not be able to drive, go to the dentist, or take a walk depending on how their symptoms play out in their lives.

If left unchecked these symptoms can worsen or increase over time and cause more symptoms to appear. It's likely that someone with untreated PTSD will self-medicate with alcohol or drugs to ease the pain. Or they may choose the unthinkable, suicide. PTSD will not go away on its own. This year alone saw a 44 percent increase in suicides among male veterans under 30.

Next week we will look at each myth more deeply and discuss them in detail. Let's get this conversation going. We are losing 22 soldiers a day to this and that is unacceptable.

If you or someone you love is dealing with PTSD please don't delay, get help. There is help available, check out the links I've included in my post, or google PTSD help. Don't delay, every day, every moment counts.

Manic Mondays- Four from the Web

So today I'll take a look and offer my thoughts on four articles that caught my eye. This is a sort of current events but not really since it is opinion and pop-culture more than news.

I hope you enjoy and don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss a moment of the madness!

Lingerie Model speaks out against the term "plus size"

Credits

 The full article can be found here but the gist of it is that she feels it's unfair for the fashion industry to continue using the plus size term when the  average woman's size rests around a 14, which is considered plus. She says it's harmful to women, especially young women, and their body images.

I have to say I agree with her and, of course, I have my own thoughts to add.  Let's also stop making plus size it's own department and line of clothing at the store.  I am, myself, a plus size. I can't shop at many stores because of this and it's not because I'm about to be featured on "My 600 Lb Life." A show that I love for the empowerment it gives to those who are struggling to lose weight and regain their health. Their stories encourage and uplift me when I take the time to watch them.

I hover slightly above a size 18. For those of you who are unfamiliar with shopping for women's plus size that means that if I were about 3 inches smaller I'd still be able to shop in the "Misses" department. A "Misses" size 18 is a little tight, a plus size 18 falls off of me and the 16's are very hard to find.

Additionally, the plus sizes, when I do find one that fits right, often look like tents or sofa prints. I don't know who decided that a paisley print stolen from my grandmothers drapes and fashioned by Paul the tent maker would make me look thinner because it doesn't. It does, however, help me blend in when I'm sitting on the couch in a old hotel, something my introverted self likes to do often.

Finally, lets discuss plus size exercise wear. Or the lack of it. If anyone needed exercise wear it would be me but, alas, it's not available in my size, XXL. I guess only skinny people work out. I am currently squeezing myself into the XL and hoping I'll shrink enough that they'll look less like an accidental and very colorful scuba suit and more like gym wear soon. Am I self-conscious at the Y? Of course I am but oh well, I turn up the music and dance anyway.

Meghan Trainor says it best and I love her for standing up for us.

Men's Standards of Beauty Around The World

While I'm on the topic of fashion lets not forget the men. Men used to have it easy, show up, open a door, smile, pay for the meal and he was a keeper.  Things are changing as this Buzzfeed Video showcases.

Lets give the guys a break too! I realized, watching this, that even I do it. My main male characters are all tall, trim and sexy. Is that the reality? Hardly, look around you, just like women, men come in a variety of shapes and sizes, lets love them for their uniqueness. I'm going to work towards changing my thought patterns and if you read my work let me know how I'm doing.

 Images of PTSD

This article caught my eye, in a way it's related to my manic musings above. If you just did a double-take and reread that statement stay with me for a moment. 

PTSD is rapidly becoming a widespread phenomenon and not just among soldiers, although they do weigh heavily in the statistics. Add to that the fact that we lose 22 soldiers a day to suicide, usually PTSD related and that means, "Houston, we have a problem."

What is the cultural idea of who a soldier is? Strong, tough, independent, brave? Those are all words that can be used to define our soldiers. They willingly step up and do what our country asks, no orders, them to do, be it peace keeping missions or other. Now I don't want to start a conversation on the missions, this is not a political piece. They signed up to serve in the military, it's a job and someones got to do it, after that they are simply following orders, they don't get to choose where they are sent or what they do.

Twenty percent of the men and women who are serving our country today are likely to develop PTSD when they get home. Lets stop demonizing it, lets stop pushing it under the carpet in the hopes that it will go away on its own and lets offer them the support they need to heal. Healing is possible. Sure they may never be the same but they can live. How do I know this? I live with a soldier who has PTSD and I have walked beside him over the last ten years as we've come to terms with what it means for us and watched him heal. Is he done? No. Will he ever be completely healed? I don't know, I hope so but I'm going to love him where he is, no matter how hard and never compare him to some unattainable, fairy-tale ideal that doesn't exist.

Lets start the conversation today! Check out these images, you may be surprised at the humanity you see in them. And lets remember that in PTSD everyone suffers.

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 Dogs by the Hour

Finally, I'm going to log off with a slightly less serious topic. If you've made it this far through my manic ranting then this is your reward.

A Japanese company, in response to crowed homes and busy lives has started a pet rental service. For a fee you can rent a few hours of puppy love and then go home. This is almost better than grandchildren! I mean, no pooper scooper duty, no last minute trips, and I might add very expensive, trips to the pet food store because you didn't notice you were opening the last can of food, and definitely no chewed shoes when you're late because Banjo got bored waiting for you. I'm kind of wishing I'd thought of this first!

Now, if my granddaughter is reading this which I highly doubt, she's smart but she isn't reading just yet, I hope. I am not saying I'd rather rent a puppy for a 1/2 hour then spend time with her but the payoff is essentially the same. You can rile them up, feed them lots of junk and then send them home for someone else to deal with, that's playtime you can enjoy. I wonder if this will catch on anywhere else?

Oh well, it's unlikely to become a part of my life since we own a dog who is my hubby's best friend and when he passes on to that playground in the sky we will seriously consider a service dog trained to work with PTSD since that would be amazing for both of us.

I hope you've enjoyed my Manic Musings for this bright and shiny Monday morning. Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.