ptsd Fire And Ptsd

[huskerfanfl]

My VA psychiatrist has asked me the last few sessions if I had seen a lot of combat or was abused as a child, neither of which apply. In the Gulf War I was in the rear advising the RSLF. Saturday, I was talking to a fellow veteran and something clicked which caused me to remember an incident from while I was in Germany in 1987 - 1990.

One tank gunnery I was on the platoon qualification course and we were at the final firing line and as planned we did a spin and smoke (turn in place and turn on our smoke generators). The smoke generators work by shooting diesel fuel onto the exhaust. Anyway, we did the maneuver and went to the initial firing line. When I got there, I got a radio call saying that there was flame 5 feet long shooting out of the ass end of my tank. We did the procedures we were trained to do, and it did not put out the fire. I opened my tank commander's hatch to evacuate and my gunner slid right by me in a panic, got out of the tank and got behind a berm. Then the maintenance sergeant showed up and reminded us that we had live main gun ammo on board, some of which is in the hull, so we had to go back on the tank and get the ammo off. When we finally pulled the engine right there on the range, there was a hole in each of the fuel tanks you could stick your head through. We had been very lucky.

After I remembered this and told my wife about it, I was just totally exhausted and had to go home and lay down. Even now I can feel my heart rate increasing thinking about this.

Id my forgetting this incident normal? WHat about the exhaustion in remembering and telling my wife?

[*Bergie*]

My VA psychiatrist has asked me the last few sessions if I had seen a lot of combat or was abused as a child, neither of which apply. In the Gulf War I was in the rear advising the RSLF. Saturday, I was talking to a fellow veteran and something clicked which caused me to remember an incident from while I was in Germany in 1987 - 1990.

One tank gunnery I was on the platoon qualification course and we were at the final firing line and as planned we did a spin and smoke (turn in place and turn on our smoke generators). The smoke generators work by shooting diesel fuel onto the exhaust. Anyway, we did the maneuver and went to the initial firing line. When I got there, I got a radio call saying that there was flame 5 feet long shooting out of the ass end of my tank. We did the procedures we were trained to do, and it did not put out the fire. I opened my tank commander's hatch to evacuate and my gunner slid right by me in a panic, got out of the tank and got behind a berm. Then the maintenance sergeant showed up and reminded us that we had live main gun ammo on board, some of which is in the hull, so we had to go back on the tank and get the ammo off. When we finally pulled the engine right there on the range, there was a hole in each of the fuel tanks you could stick your head through. We had been very lucky.

After I remembered this and told my wife about it, I was just totally exhausted and had to go home and lay down. Even now I can feel my heart rate increasing thinking about this.

Id my forgetting this incident normal? WHat about the exhaustion in remembering and telling my wife?

In order to develope this event into a claim for PTSD you will have alot of work ahead of you. You need to see a psychiatrist to get the diagnosis. You also have to be able to verify the event through buddy statements, and records if they exist. It won't be easy but nothing with the VARO is.

Hope this helps,

Bergie

[Pete53]

I don't have PTSD I have Panic Disorder and I would ask you what symptoms do you have from the incident and now. To prove PTSD you are going to need to verify a stressor and yours although feasible I would consider weak.

Your symptoms of feeling exhausted and racing heary are 2 symptoms but you will need more in my opinion.

Have you ever been to emergency room? Have you had problems with relations ships drinking or drug problems.

To get a diagnosis you probably will have to have recurring systems and some kind of behavior that would indicate that you have a problem.

Are you working?

Good Luck

Edited May 4, 2010 by Pete53