How have you dealt with PTSD?

I take to my family, friends and therapist. I try to make light of what I have gone through and speak out to try and change the stigma behind the term PTSD... There have been people before us that have given it a negative name and there are some of us that through therapy and support from family and friends can live in a positive light.

I talk to my wife, friends, and my Dad. He finds it mutually beneficial since he served in Korea.

I'm still dealing with it. I wake up in the middle of the night fighting, even hitting my wife in my sleep (like Palm punches to her back) fortunately we have found a good doctor, and I am under good medication, NO Thanks to the VA; they had me on medications that made me worse. My wife while we were engaged almost ended it all because of those problems - However, once we stopped going to the VA and got a REALLY Good Doctor and changed my medication, things started to turn around for me and also I would have to say that I was fortunate to have found a Good Woman who saw the good INSIDE of me, and that kept our relationship going. I still have to have my meds altered from time to time, not sure why; however I fall into slumps now and then. My "VICE" is Spending, I go on spending sprees, to make me feel good, however like alcohol and Drugs, there is a Crash & Burn too, when you see you have ran out of money, thank goodness my wife has caught it in time before I spend our house payment money, she has recognized my tendencies and my symptoms of my actions; I stop sleeping, I'm up all night doing things because I'm afraid to go to sleep because I'm afraid of what I will remember or do while I'm sleeping. I've been on binges of 7 days without sleep, that's usually the tell that she starts watching me close, and starts checking the savings and checking accounts closely to see if I am paying the bills on time, then she schedules more appointments with my doctor. I usually see him on a monthly basis, but when I go on these binges, she sets me up on weekly meetings and my meds get changed as well. AS of late, I would say, finding a good Church to go to & the friends there we have met and the Preacher who has one Great sense of humor; has made my illness managable....

Yes and it needs to be named Post Traumatic Stress Injury. I have had counseling, 1on 1 and group.....neither worked for me

I suffered for years then finally I reached out for help. My doctor recommend a treatment called neurofeedback. At first I was very skeptical but reluctantly I tried the treatment and can honestly say it has turned my life around I finally sleep through the night I am no longer depressed or suicidal if anybody would like to know more information about it feel free to contact me

What I have to deal with is disbelief that I could even have PTSD. After all, I was in Germany, not down range, and in on-post housing (some of the nicest I'd ever had in the Army, though not good enough for the Navy & many AF personnel....of course that may have been due to the red signs condemning the buildings due to asbestos). After all, wasn't that practically a vacay?
No. I worked in a department of the hospital that had contact with the wounded every single day, both outpatient & inpatient. We had to be available 24/7 for incoming flights that came at anytime of the day or night, we had to plan and do the work to get the patients out to CONUS as scheduled 3 x a week, and expedite special "burn flights" that took place when we got a group of VSI wounded/burned patients in. My 2nd leave home, people kept asking me if I was ok. I was jumpy, anxious, hyper-vigilant and having flashbacks to the ICU with the sounds of the ventilators, the bright heater lights over the beds of burn patients while gowned/gloved docs were standing at the bedside, waiting their turn to do a specific procedure on a patient too unstable to make it to the OR, about 50' down the hall. The sighs of the vents, the colors of OR draping and OR gowns, the bright/hot lights, the instruments, the tubes from everywhere running into devices hanging off the sides of the bed, the "ex-fixes" (external fixators) the black metal erector-set-like scafolding that kept crushed/broken/shattered bones in alignment preventing movement that wouldcause excruciating pain, the "Christmas tree" of multiple IV bags with monitors. People who worked in LRMC, were confronted every day with the sights, the smells, the sounds, of the wounded. I have a friend who worked on a ward, and after 1 year there, wasn't able to go by a meat counter after she got home, because the sight & smell of fresh meat reminded her so much of the wounds she took care of. For the docs, nurses, radiology, pulmonary, & lab techs, for the admin people who had to do manpower for a month when their company's turn came up (meeting each incoming flight/each scheduled out-bound flight to transport gurneys, w/c & ambulatory patients to their designated areas) was to have up close and personal, daily contact with sights that many hardened trauma surgeons had trouble dealing with. My friends knew there was a problem when I was home on leave the 2nd year at LRMC & now, nearly 10 years later, am glad to see that the counseling has helped, the talking with other soldiers, both medical & non-medical, has helped, learning about/identifying triggers has helped. The fact that I'm of retirement age has also forced me to try to deal, as I don't anticipate another 40 years to "get over it!" Unfortunately, many of my medical friends have not sought help.....we're the fixers, we "shouldn't" need fixing. That was the first crock of shit I had to get over. There's been quite a few since then. My VA psych dept was a God send. My counselor had white hair & had been counseling vets since post-Vietnam. Unfortunately, he retired, so now will be getting in to the local vet center with a counselor I've heard is good. Please go get help. I take a single anti-depressant, no anti-anxiolytics, no sleepers, no pain meds. The help is there, it's available, look for it!

Everyday and Night it is constantly there. I have learned to deal with most of it, I just don't give a shit what other people say or do and I have aquired a nack of pissing people off just to stay away from me if they have to talk shit .

I deal with it everyday of my since I lost my eye sight in my left eye due to the army but still wouldn't trade it for anything

I had never heard of PTSD until 2009 but new I lived with somethings really wrong. Anxiety, depression and so much with my health the doctors didnt even believe it. I tried suicide once in Germany and once here state side. The one stateside put me in a comma for 3 days it was after I got out of the military. I can not cope with to much stress or anxiety and have scarring that shows on my heart from heart attacks. I have pretty much shut myself down but also the physical part keeps me in bed more then it did now day. I pray a lot. My family and a few friends find it hard to believe that the Government would put soldiers in a place like Fort McClellan and allow them to get sick and dye. So to talk to my family is hard. I have the talk line, I have supporters from here and a few on facebook. Mostly all veterans or military people. I deal with the hurt inside that I wanted to be a soldier and even tho my memory has some troubles it is like my military basic training is right there embedded in my head. I try to do my crying at home alone. But mainly even with my wonderful little service dog am home more. I sometimes need a cane or collapse and people don't want to deal with it. I miss having a man in my life there were so many ways that I used then to release tension. But when alone it is harder. I have never yelled at or thrown things always try to be as loving as I can no matter how much hurt I hold inside. But needed a man who was honest not an alcoholic or into drugs and had a big heart. But guess its just me my dog and my little projects to get me by and who ever will have a heart to listen. I go to telemeds for my psychologist every 3 mos. I have a guy from the va under him that calls at least once a mo. I never used to cry but do it more now. take up some hobbies to help take the mind off it. Now my report is saying prior PTSD but I no it is still there.

Still dealing with it actually. Still terrified of myself. I have my good days & bad days. For six years I dealt with sub-standard care at my local VA. That's what the director there referred to it as, not just my own opinion. I hit a crisis stage, & was admitted to another VA hours away from home. What a blessing. They were extremely professional & knowledgeable. They evaluated me & told me had severe PTSD & that my home VA had identified it when I first returned from Iraq but never gave me the diagnosis. This place did & set me up to come to their in-patient PTSD program. It was great. They taught me how to manage myself & instructed me to find the best care for myself even if it was outside the VA. I go to a civilian team now that I can call up at anytime & discuss all of my issues. Each day is a struggle since my return in 2004 but it's more manageable since I got the care that is best suited to me. Yes, I still get into where I scare myself & family but I am in control much more now than before.