How Have You Struggled?

For me, the common denominator when I was at my worst was drugs/alcohol. I acted irrationally. Emotional outbursts' of frustration and pain. As soon as I cut that out, it was one less thing that pushed all my progress back to square one. Dont get me wrong, I still struggle with thoughts of self-harm, but I dont make plans to hurt myself. Since I dont drink anymore, it allows for me to process my emotions, be more in control of my reactions/responses, and gives me the chance to get past the issues with a better understanding and positive outlook. It sounds cheesy and cliche, but being able to move past the little issues that would previously ruin my days and would affect events after for days/weeks, it lets me get on a positive streak of events, per say. Those positive wins, so to speak, start to add up, confidence builds, positive outlook and relief all comes together and helps me push me to my next step. If you take care of the little details and play the way you practice, it starts to make a difference. Look at the common issue that is always present, work on one at a time and kick their ass!

I remember coming home 27 Mar, 73 very angry, all for nothing, never lost a Battle but lost the War. All those Brother's lost for nothing, Stupid Command, Kissinger Selling Out our POW's first by giving the North a List of "Likely Survivors" at the Beginning of the Paris Talks and demanding a Complete Accounting, Guess who we got back. We left at least, 1,000 unaccounted for, you Air Force Guys know, I'm sure they still do it, All the Pilots had a unique Panel set up, you could tell by the Panel Lay Out who it was. Well, we had many Recon Photos of American POW sites where Panels were Trampled into the Vegetation or otherwise Marked out and American looking Prisoners sometimes visible nearby. So yes, Suicide's went through the Roof. I first had anger, then Survivors Guilt, then one day I made up my mind to Live for them. Was an Alkey, quit in 82 and guess what, the Nightmares slowly went away, someone told me it takes about a month for every year you were drinking to recover mentally, emotionally. I was surprised it worked out about right, about 3 years and things started getting pretty good.
You Iraq and A-Stan Vet's are probably going through similar times now, don't let Biden, Austin or Milli Vanlli's stupidity get you. You did your Job's as Ordered, they sold out our Country and are still doing it. Stand Proud and Live a Good Life for those Brother's and Sister's that gave theirs, they would have wanted that

Therapy wise, logotherapy or framing situations has helped me. Medication wise…..generic (and inexpensive) racemic ketamine IV has saved my life, given at a MTF. Spravato (esketamine) is the only FDA approved equivalent, but its not generic, and costs are really not financially feasible.

I hope that the dissociative anesthetic IV ketamine gains traction with VA’s, while it is certainly no cure for depression and PTSD, a simple once a month IV infusion has better efficacy, and fortunately study after study substantiates this.

Back-pain + ptsd
What has worked best for you?
Accessing free VA services in Hawaii, Florida, & Mississippi. Taking responsibility for my condition and recovery instead of waiting on others to help me.
What methods/steps have you taken to bring positive change in your life?
Going back to school (graduate school), seeing a therapist, exercising, and volunteering. Spending time with family, friends, and loved ones. Going back to graduate school really helped me learn about my condition and what to do and later how to help other veterans. Accepting the fact that there was something wrong with me was the biggest hurdle to my recovery journey. I was a medic so i thought i could take care of myself and trying to 'fix' my wife & kids did not help at all. There was nothing wrong with them to begin with, they were just scared of me all along!! Going out to visit homeless veterans in Hawaii, Florida & Mississippi really helped me in the healing process. I am suffering but when I visit the homeless veterans I realize that they have nothing. That alone turns my suffering into peace and humbles me to want to get better, to give back and to live a better life.
Which services provided the best / most desired outcomes for your needs?
Free counseling services from the VA.

I have severe PTSD, so bad that the VA has deemed me unemployable. I am in the Madison, Wisconsin VA. Now my buddy is in the Great Lakes VA in North Chicago and gets no help for his. He has told them all the problems he’s having and they just prescribe medication for him. They gave him a therapist but she was based out of Texas. He is unable to focus on anything and when he was having problems getting the work done the therapist wanted him to do between sessions she said there was nothing more she could do for him. In my opinion if for any reason he ends his life his wife could sue the VA. If that was to happen I would definitely make sure she has a lawyer. I can’t believe that VA doctors or therapists can be that uncaring.

How have I struggled? Do you honestly give a shit? Because your doctors didn’t when they put me on the wrong medication and ate a decade of my life.

Well, to be fair, it was only one doctor and an RN with no oversight and a device on which she checked boxes and never bothered with any diagnostic work because she wasn’t qualified to do any. Meanwhile the both of them blamed me for the very obvious, not to mention extremely common, side effects of the medication that they put and left me on.

When I made it to enough and past done, I decided to choose myself and to choose life. I booked a flight to Peru. At the time, I didn’t know why Peru, but that is what was in my heart. I decided to go there as a volunteer instead of just a tourist. I fell in love with Cusco, so after returning to the states, I decided to go back. I worked as a teacher for 2.5 days. I was hiding. This time, I needed to just be. I had work to do on myself and I needed to get away from distractions and get busy with healing.
Long story short, I found my way to the plant medicines and I entered a 90 day healing and cleansing. It saved my life. I HAD TO WORK, but I FINALLY feel more Life than Darkness!! Going to Peru helped me beyond what I can describe. I think about life now, not death. I am happy to be alive

I could not recommend highly enough elevating GHK-Cu, which has proven to help reduce PTSD, anxiety, hypercoherence, pain and aggression. It balances the brain and helps activate dormant stem cells to repair, reset genes to their earlier healthier state, and improve energy and sleep. This helped lift my depression, dramatically improved my mindset and energy, and more. It also helped my husband who has Early Alzheimer's, improve his memory, engagement, energy, vocabulary, helped him to regain lost skills including smell (lost 15 years ago), and recapture his funny and flirty personality that had drifted away as a part of the disease.

I don't understand why it's not more public knowledge. It's affordable. Doesn't require injections or a prescription and is dramatic in it's improvement.

Happy to share with anyone interested how we are elevating our GHK-Cu.

I truly believe that they should do more studies on the affects of the so called magic mushroom as I know that they really have an affect on your whole outlook of life

I'm struggling right now to make everyone understand what I'm going through. While in Maryland after waiting years for a disability evaluation I was awarded the 10% penny pinchers award (you know how you have to keep fighting to get disability in 10% increments) . The VA doesn't acknowledge that carrying litters with bodies on them causes knee and back problems; that repeat hematuria without evidence of bacteria is not an infection and maybe something else; that exposure to radiation from diagnostic equipment and therapeutic treatment for [thyroid] cancer can have any ill effects on medical personnel; that being assaulted by someone with deluded fantasies of romance and forced commitment doesn't cause injury; that a supply sergeant playing macho games by picking you up to do a shoulder high spin but dropping you instead against the corner of a desk can cause head injury; that repeated exposure to mace released in a confined setting for gas mask training has any adverse respiratory effects; that being assaulted by a jealous spouse because she suspects you of having an affair with her husband while on duty is not acceptable behavior; that repeated upper respiratory infections for a year