PTSD Getting help, getting well

PTSD from sexual trauma in UK

Saturday, December 1, 2007 3:06 PM US/Western


Getting help, getting well
By MIKE JOHNSTON


If the same thing had happened two years ago, Monie, a 49-year-old woman living in rural Kittitas County, doesn't know what she would have done. It possibly could have sent her into a self-destructive spiral of depression.

A flood of hurting emotions and memories of a childhood lost rushed in earlier this week when she heard the tinkling of Christmas bells on a television movie.

The sound of the bells was something connected to Monie's experience of 14 years of physical and sexual abuse from her late father, an alcoholic.

In the past, such a strong tug of emotions drawing her into her former life would put her into her "own private hell," as she puts it. She would revisit the loss of self-esteem and personal value as a victim of abuse and remember past, poor choices in failed personal relationships.



But this time Monie used techniques and "wise mind" responses learned from two years of counseling and classes at Central Washington Comprehensive Mental Health, or CWCMH. They kept her from sliding into a deep depression and overwhelming anxiety from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

Monie "graduated" from her program with CWCMH in October.
go here for the rest

http://www.kvnews.com/articles/2007/
12/01/news/doc47510ec2e7bfc612072316.txt

Here is a look at PTSD from a fireman

Compo man's ordeal by fire Australia
December 02, 2007 12:15am
A FORMER fireman has won a major court victory by successfully suing for workers compensation based on post traumatic stress disorders from the 1960s.

Tom Schwerdt, 61, of Christies Beach, won the victory in the Workers Compensation Tribunal after a seven-year legal battle, but the payout was limited to the period before 1986, when a new Act with a tougher test came into force.
Mr Schwerdt is now appealing that part of the verdict with a view to obtaining backpay to 1991, when he left the Metropolitan Fire Service.

"There are 28 other firemen with similar circumstances lined up behind me to see what happens with this case so I'm sure the powers-that-be are watching it very closely," he said.

Mr Schwerdt served from 1963, when he signed up as a 17-year-old, until 1991 when he was forced to leave after a lengthy period on sick leave.

In later years he found himself bursting into tears when watching news bulletins showing accident scenes, and in 1999 was diagnosed with PTSD.

He lodged a claim in April 2000 under the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1986, and a second claim in April last year under the Workers Compensation Act 1971.

Mr Schwerdt said he received no counselling during his career despite repeatedly being involved in situations where he saw terrible deaths or injuries, and being in events where he feared for his life.
go here for the rest

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/
story/0,22606,22854878-2682,00.html

It doesn't matter what country you live in. It doesn't matter what kind of trauma caused it. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is after trauma. It is a human illness.

Family tragedy living with PTSD

This report is not about combat, but living with PTSD. It shows what it is like for the family. Maybe after reading it, you can get out of your own mind what you envision the type of person who suffers with PTSD is. This woman is married to a successful doctor. They live in a mansion. Educated people among the elite. Yet this woman, living with the horrors of sexual abuse, is responsible for the death of someone else. While drunk driving, she killed a mailman.

Some will read this and think she needs to be locked away for the rest of her life. After all, an innocent man is dead because of her. I read it and thought about all the other families out there dealing with PTSD in someone they love.

In Jack's dark days, he would take off for hours at a time. We never knew where he was but we knew how he would come home, drunk. Jack didn't drive if he had too much to drink. For that, I am grateful. He did drink and drive, but when he knew he had too much, he would walk home or get a ride. A few times, he couldn't remember exactly where he left the car. One time he remembered where the car was, but lost his set of keys, including the keys he needed for work.

What we need to remember is that you cannot force someone to seek help. You can support them in seeking it,but in the end it is up to them. We can make sure the help is there when they finally reach out for it. In the case of this doctor's wife, I'm sure they can get her all the help she wants but they key word is "want" which she does not accept.

You need to understand that while most do in fact want help, some don't. Some are in such denial they will never overcome it. Others will feel they don't deserve it.

This report from the Hartford Courant offers a window on a family not falling into the notion of what a person with PTSD is. If we are ever going to defeat the ravages of PTSD, we need to see it as what it is. It is a human illness caused by trauma. Maybe after reading this you can better understand what our combat veterans are going through and what their families go through as well.

Some families can survive it, like our's did. We've been married 23 years. Some will fall apart. We need to end the stigma of PTSD, educate everyone on what PTSD is, make sure help is there when they seek it and we also need to remember to support the families. They need all the help and compassion they can get. kc

He said her alcoholism stems from post-traumatic stress disorder, a byproduct of sexual abuse she suffered as a child. When Watson "consumed a crazy amount of alcohol, this was to try, in a very desperate way, to silence the demons in her head," he said.

Woman Gets Four Years
Caused Fatal Accident And Fled In 2003; Violated Probation In April Car Crash
By CHRISTINE DEMPSEY Courant Staff Writer
November 30, 2007

MANCHESTER — - Aubrey Watson seemed incredulous Thursday when Judge Raymond Norko abruptly ordered her mother, Tracy Watson, to prison for four years for violating her probation, part of her sentence for a 2003 hit-and-run accident that killed a mailman.

But when his words sank in, the 16-year-old wailed in Superior Court in Manchester. Her father, Dr. H. Kirk Watson, tried to console her, but he, too, was shaken.

"No, no!" he said. "Oh my God."
http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-ctwatson1130.artnov30,0,2903305.story

From a female veteran and what they go through

My rules for emails are very simple. They are private. Nothing sent to me is posted on my blogs. There are times when the sender wants it posted. I am more than happy to do this. This is one of those cases. It's about a female veteran being denied a VA claim for PTSD and for an injury. I took out some personal information but these are her words.

September 24, 2006

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
St. Petersburg Regional Office
P.O. Box 1437
Bay Pines, Fl 33731



Dear Department of Veterans Affairs:

I am writing an appeal on my denial of knee injury and PTSD.

As I previously stated, I suffered a knee injury due to jumping out of my cot during basic. I have not been able to use the right leg for support in going from a kneeling position to standing erect for years. I have always favored my right leg and tend to rely on my left leg for changing positions. After years and years of doing this, my left knee is suffering from the effects causing me pain. I had my bilateral knees checked out by a physician which she stated..there is definitely a difference in both knees.

I take either percocet or soma or both for the pain. I feel that I wouldn't have this pain and difficulty in movement if it wasn't from an injury from basic training. I, to this day remember the doctor explaining I either needed physical therapy or surgery to help with the injury. I know that I would not have this problem if it wasn't for basic training. I am also thinking about my future with knee problems. I fear that someday, I will need a total knee replacement.

I am appealing my denial on sexual harassment. As I stated, I was a PFC that went to sick bay in May, 1966, to find out why I was having pelvic pain. The doctor knew that I did not want the exam, yet he had two nurses hold me down for the examination. My statement was denied as you stated no evidence of records found for verification of the occurrence. I was either eighteen or nineteen at the time of the occurrence.

The Army was my first job and I came from a very sheltered background. How could I, a PFC bring a complaint against a Captain? Who would had believed my word against a word of an officer and a doctor? Sexual harassment was not even heard of at that time. The first time I heard the word sexual harassment were many years later during the supreme court justice nominee.

How many women at that time would come forward even when they were raped? Very few as women, we were treated differently. Women had to prove their case along with their whole background being exposed. Yet, for the man it was so much easier...they didn't have to expose their background or their buddies would support them. Women did not have the luxury of having a support system except from family and close friends. For instance, my sister was a victim of physical abuse by her husband. Every time she would call the police, they would laugh at her. No report filed.

I have carried around the hurt and humiliation all my life from this so called occurrence. I may not had reported this while in the service, but I have told several friends and my daughter what I went through. Even to this day, I remembered what I went through and yes it has affected me in many different ways. I hated going to a ob-gyn doctor all my life. This occurrence affected my sexual relationship with my husband. Do you know how it feels after being intimate and feeling so sick to your stomach afterwards. This went on for years and years. I was in essence raped or assaulted by an instrument. This doctor had the choice of listening to me or assaulting me. He decided on the latter.

I would like you all to sit back for a few minutes. Imagine this happening to your children, wife, grandchildren, niece, sister or neighbor. Years later they told you what happened. Would you say show me the records or show me the proof? I doubt it very much, instead you would want to do the moral standards of conduct. Can any of you take away that one minute in my life? Of course not, I have lived with it all my life. The day, I told my counselor about my attack, I broke down crying.

That moment in time has never left me. I then had an appointment with the VA psychiatrist. He believed my story, he saw how I was that day in his office and he wrote to the VA saying I was suffering from PTSD due to the attack. Are you saying that you have doubts about one of your chosen psychiatrist? The doctor saw my reaction and told me he believed every word I said. One further note, I took a friend to the VA hospital in California. That is the first time I saw that women veterans had rights for any offense they suffered while in the service. I carried this with me all my life and will continue to do so.

I also went to talk to the chaplain in August, 1966, when I was attacked by my husband. Yet, I was told Special Forces knew they would probably be killed and this is how they react to their wives. The chaplain further told me to leave the service as this was the only way I could be protected. Once again, the men were protected over the women. If your daughter had a cigarette to her face, would you just say that is how men will treat her?

I am just one voice of what many women went through in the military. Yet, this voice feels she deserves to have disability due to her harassment. One voice is crying out for help, understanding and compassion. One voice can make the difference in right and wrong. One voice can tell the horrors of what many service women have gone through.

Even with suffering from PTSD, I have a startle reflex as well as recurring nightmares. If anyone comes behind me, I scream and jump. I have thrown my keys across the floor from fear. I am always making sure no one is walking directly behind me. If an automobile is even with my car, I will take my foot off the gas and slow down. Will this startle reflex ever go away, I doubt it. I have warn friends never to come up behind my back due to my reaction. Having this reflex isn't fun for me..it is a hardship instead. As for the nightmares, I had to live with them for more years then I want to remember.

I wake up scared to go back to sleep again. How would you feel if you had recurring nightmares for years and years. This is not a part of my life that I would wish on anyone.

I want you all to close your eyes and put yourself in my place. As I said, this was my first job..the Army away from home. I was extremely naive and quiet. My childhood was surrounded by being obedient and never making any waves in life. I was taught to be honest and truthful. I will end this letter with the statement that everything I have told you about my injury and sexual harassment is the God honest truth.

Keep our troops safe,

Nancie L. Smith

PTSD Clinic For Female Veterans

PTSD Clinic For Female Veterans

More women are part of the U.S. military and seeing combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Some return with the same psychological problems their male counterparts faced for years, post traumatic stress disorder.


Local 12's Jeff Hirsh reports that the Tri-State is one of the few regions in the nation with a PTSD clinic, just for women.


From the horrors of war can come wounds of the body and wounds of the mind.


"I carried a rifle with me for a year," said Danielle Sosin, Iraq War veteran. "I saw a lot, and now I can't go to Target. Who is this person?"


Who is this person? A different female veteran, not traumatized by combat, but by another form of brutal violence. She was raped by her Army drill sergeant. More than 20 years later, the panic remains:


"When it first starts, almost like you're having a heart attack," said Michelle Covert, sexual trauma victim. "Your heart starts beating really fast, pain starts shooting down your left arm and as it progresses, I will literally stop breathing and pass out."


Now, these two veterans sit side-by-side, getting help.
click post title for the rest

Ecstasy Trials Was it a fluke -- or the future?

The Peace Drug
Post-traumatic stress disorder had destroyed Donna Kilgore's life. Then experimental therapy with MDMA, a psychedelic drug better known as ecstasy, showed her a way out. Was it a fluke -- or the future?

By Tom Shroder
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, November 25, 2007; Page W12

THE BED IS TILTING!

Or the couch, or whatever. A futon. Slanted.

She hadn't noticed it before, but now she can't stop noticing. Like the princess and the pea.

By objective measure, the tilt is negligible, a fraction of an inch, but she can't be fooled by appearances, not with the sleep mask on. In her inner darkness, the slight tilt magnifies, and suddenly she feels as if she might slide off, and that idea makes her giggle.

"I feel really, really weird," she says. "Crooked!"

Donna Kilgore laughs, a high-pitched sound that contains both thrill and anxiety. That she feels anything at all, anything other than the weighty, oppressive numbness that has filled her for 11 years, is enough in itself to make her giddy.

But there is something more at work inside her, something growing from the little white capsule she swallowed just minutes ago. She's subject No. 1 in a historic experiment, the first U.S. government-sanctioned research in two decades into the potential of psychedelic drugs to treat psychiatric disorders. This 2004 session in the office of a Charleston, S.C., psychiatrist is being recorded on audiocassettes, which Donna will later hand to a journalist.

The tape reveals her reaction as she listens to the gentle piano music playing in her headphones. Behind her eyelids, movies begin to unreel. She tries to say what she sees: Cars careening down the wrong side of the road. Vivid images of her oldest daughter, then all three of her children. She's overcome with an all-consuming love, a love she thought she'd lost forever.

"Now I feel all warm and fuzzy," she announces. "I'm not nervous anymore."

"What level of distress do you feel right now?" a deeply mellow voice beside her asks.

Donna answers with a giggle. "I don't think I got the placebo," she says.

click post title for the rest

Women Veterans There are more than you think

There are some narrow minded people in this country assuming that the problems female veterans and active members of the Armed Forces, have less problems than males. Some still think females are just doing light support work. If you pay any attention at all to what is going on in Iraq and Afghanistan, you are aware they do not serve with a food tray. They are using machine guns.

They are exposed to the same traumatic events as males. But more, they are exposed to sexual trauma from the males. Women all over the world are used, abused and attacked. What makes the military women different is that they are surrounded by males with weapons day and night. I am in no way suggesting all of them are attacked. Thankfully the attacks on women in the military are not the "norm" in the military. Many leaders no longer dismiss the rapes and show no tolerance of this crime. However there are still too many subjecting the women to further abuse by dismissing their claims, or worse, blaming them.

They still have a hard time with PTSD because of the same traumas the males face but added to all of this are the sexual attacks and abuse.

According to the VA there are only four states with special PTSD centers:

Where are the special PTSD treatment centers?

Women Veteran Stress Disorder Treatment Programs have been established
at the following VA sites:
• Boston, MA
• Brecksville, OH
• Loma Linda, CA
• New Orleans, LA

Homeless veterans, women with children, only 11 pilot programs.

How do I contact a coordinator for options for women veterans who are homeless with children?

Contact the local VA homeless coordinator (or point of contact), Social Work Services department, or Women Veterans Program Manager at your local VAMC. There are homeless women veteran and homeless women veterans with children pilot programs located at 11 designated VA facilities as well, and the Women Veterans Program Manager can discuss what options are available in your area.

Veteran Specific Highlights:
23% of homeless population are veterans
33% of male homeless population are veterans
47% Vietnam Era
17% post Vietnam
15% pre Vietnam
67% served three or more years
33% stationed in war zone
25% have used VA Homeless Services
85% completed high school/GED compared to 56% of non-veterans
89% received Honorable Discharge
79% reside in central cities
16% reside in suburban areas
5% reside in rural areas
76% experience alcohol, drug, or mental health problems
46% white males compared to 34% non-veterans
46% age 45 or older compared to 20% non-veterans
Service needs:45% help finding job37% finding housing


Treatment within the backlog of claims

How do I get a clinic appointment when the waiting list is six months for an initial appointment?

If you experience an urgent or emergent medical condition, you can contact your local VA health care facility telephone care program or visit their walk-in (urgent care) clinic or emergency room. Non-acute problems will be scheduled on a next-available appointment basis.

Where can I get inpatient psychiatric care as a woman veteran?

Most VA Medical Centers have inpatient mental health programs. Contact your VA Primary Care Provider or the local Mental Health Program office for assistance. If you already have a therapist and need inpatient care, please discuss your concerns with your therapist.

If you have urgent or emergent needs, you can contact your local VA health care facility telephone care program or urgent care clinic.

For more go here

http://www1.va.gov/womenvet/docs/25FAQs_web_version.doc

Specialized Programs for Women Veterans

The Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded grants to eight community-based homeless veteran service providers to support programs designed specifically for women veterans, including those with dependent children. The grants are funded under the VA Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program. The programs funded under this “special needs” GPD program are:

California Long Beach, United Veterans Initiative (562-388-7810)

Los Angeles, Salvation Army (310-478-3711)

San Diego, Vietnam Veterans of San Diego (619-497-6123)

Santa Rosa, Vietnam Veterans of California (707-578-8387)

Florida Tampa, Agency for Community Treatment Services, (813-246-4899)

Massachusetts Leeds, United Veterans of America (413-584-4040)

Ohio Cleveland, West Side Catholic Center (216-636-4741)

Pennsylvania Philadelphia Veterans Multi-Service and Education Center (215-923-2600)

How many homeless veterans are there?
Although accurate numbers are impossible to come by -- no one keeps national records on homeless veterans -- the VA estimates that nearly 200,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. And nearly 400,000 experience homelessness over the course of a year. Conservatively, one out of every three homeless men who is sleeping in a doorway, alley or box in our cities and rural communities has put on a uniform and served this country. According to the National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients (U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and the Urban Institute, 1999), veterans account for 23% of all homeless people in America.

http://www.nchv.org/background.cfm#questions

Vet Center
Vet Centers provide individual, group and family counseling to all veterans who served in any combat zone. Services are also available for their family members. Veterans have earned these benefits through their combat service and all are provided at no cost to the veteran or family
http://www.vetcenter.va.gov/





Women Veterans Statistics



Women Veterans Population

September 2006

The total veteran population in the United States and Puerto Rico , as of September 2006, was approximately 23.9 million. The population of women veterans numbered 1,731,125. States with the largest number of women veterans were California , Texas , Florida , Virginia and Georgia .

State-by-state totals (including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico and the Territories), follows:


Alabama 31,678
Alaska 6,950
Arizona 43,212
Arkansas 18,143
California 164,810
Colorado 36,294
Connecticut 14,722
Delaware 5,940
District of Columbia 3,261
Florida 132,723
Georgia 69,718
Hawaii 8,478
Idaho 9,660
Illinois 53,468
Indiana 32,620
Iowa 13,865
Kansas 16,137
Kentucky 22,468
Louisiana 27,526
Maine 9,358
Maryland 44,078
Massachusetts 28,096
Michigan 48,188
Minnesota 23,166
Mississippi 18,339
Missouri 35,370
Montana 7,114
Nebraska 10,899
Nevada 19,574
New Hampshire 8,382
New Jersey 30,478
New Mexico 14,742
New York 66,730
North Carolina 61,420
North Dakota 3,622
Ohio 63,256
Oklahoma 24,137
Oregon 25,401
Pennsylvania 63,279
Puerto Rico 7,086
Rhode Island 5,393
South Carolina 32,702
South Dakota 5,063
Tennessee 37,911
Texas 134,949
Utah 9,290
Vermont 3,750
Virginia 75,129
Washington 50,385
West Virginia 10,650
Wisconsin 27,571
Wyoming 3,866

Territories/Foreign 10,080
Total Women Veterans 1,731,125
Source: Department of Veterans Affairs, VetPop04,
Version 1, at www.va.gov/vetdata




Outreach to Women Veterans

Community Outreach to Women Veterans

Currently, women make up approximately 15 percent of the active force, are serving in all branches of the military, and are eligible for assignment in most military occupational specialties except for direct combat roles. The increase in the number of women serving in the military significantly impact the services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Projections show that by the year 2010, women will comprise well over 10 percent of the veteran population, an increase of 6 percent over current figures.

The Department of Veterans Affairs places great importance on providing women veterans access to information about and assistance with filing claims for VA benefits and health care services. To underscore VA's commitment, the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans was established in November 1983 by Public Law 98-160. This Committee continues to review VA programs, policy and the health care services for women veterans and publishes their findings. A copy of their 1998 report can be found at:

In November 1994, Public Law 103-446 established the Center for Women Veterans in the Department of Veterans Affairs under the Office of the Secretary. The primary mission of the Center for Women Veterans is to review VA programs and services for women veterans, and assure that women veterans receive benefits and services on a par with male veterans, encounter no discrimination in their attempt to access them, and are treated with the respect, dignity, and understanding by VA service providers.

VA has developed initiatives for women veterans that assure women veterans receive the benefits to which they are entitled. One of the most important of these has been the establishment of the Women Veterans' Coordinator positions. Most VA regional offices, medical centers and vet centers have a designated Coordinator to assist women veterans in accessing VA benefits and health care services.

VA emphasizes equal access to care and adequate privacy within the Women Veterans Health Programs. Women VA patients receive complete physical examinations upon admission, including breast and pelvic exams. Clinicians emphasize preventive health care and counseling, including contraceptive services and menopause management, Pap smears and mammography. VA Clinicians and Women Veterans Coordinators are provided specialized training and sensitivity awareness to help sexual assault victims. Additionally, VA has been authorized to provide specialized counseling and treatment for the aftereffects of sexual trauma that occurred during military service. Our 1-800-827-1000 National toll free line is designated and advertised as the contact telephone number for veterans to receive information, assistance and referrals on issues related to sexual trauma in the military

go here for the rest

http://www1.va.gov/womenvet/page.cfm?pg=18