Psychology Thesis Of Ptsd, Please Help Me.

[PsychStudent]

Hello everyone, I just want to introduce myself and hopefully have some help. I am a college student who is writing my senior research project on PTSD. I am writing about resilience and the social construct of the military, and trying to find a way to lower the risk of our soldiers obtaining PTSD.

I have created a survey in which I ask anyone who is willing to help with this research to take.

In this survey I will not require your name or any information that may lead to who you are. And if the survey creates some unpleasant feelings, please stop and do not push yourself.

And for the moderators, I apologize if this is not allowed, if it is not please message me letting me know how, or if I am able to conduct this experiment.

Here is the survey https://qtrial2014.az1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_5nkUEcaifJCDv25 And I ask that only VETERANS take this survey.

Thank you so much for your help, and I will be more than happy to answer any questions.

Edited October 10, 2014 by PsychStudent

[Navy04]

It was a little to long, and not completely easily understood, but I completed the survey.

[Berta]

I am not a vet but ,in my opinion. many of these questions should be a serious part of the VA's assessment criteria for PTSD. And followed up on during PTSD treatment.

.

(those specific questions about the military of course would have no meaning at all to the VA....

and 2 recent issues in the news support what I mean)

Those PTSD vets who go through the PTSD inhouse 21 day program do get asked many of these questions,either on the inhouse intake forms or during the group therapy sessions....maybe for both...I forget.

I think you have provided a very provocative survey here but I am not a vet and don't

have PTSD. I base my opinion on the fact that I worked with a PTSD combat group at a vet center, married a PTSD veteran, and prior to my degree at AMU I was a psychology student at another college.

I also am blessed to have many friends who have PTSD.,as I live near a VAMC.

You certainly covered many issues they have.

"Before, during, and after "used to be a mantra at our PTSD rap groups.

Many could talk about the 'before',....... some could talk about the during......

and all of them talked about the"after" and how they had changed

and wished they could go back to who they were 'before'.

There is no cure for PTSD and probably never will be.

Today I saw something remarkable on Fox news and did not catch where this happened.

Part of our AD military honored Vietnam Veterans for their service.

It has been over 40 years for many Vietnam vets and I could tell how grateful these vets were for getting this acknowledgement.

And I bet all the vets there who were briefly interviewed on Fox had PTSD from the war.

Who wouldn't have it from a year in Hell.

But every type of PTSD is an insidious disability. Combat or not. Not 'looking' disabled does not help either ,when vets try to explain to their family members and non vet friends, what they live with day to day.

But I am not a vet and maybe should not even comment on this thread.

Because unless one has PTSD from trauma inservice ,they are the only ones who really know what it is like.

I hope you get replies but I think you also realize how difficult it can be for vets to articulate how they feel,unless they are talking to other veterans.

My husband has been dead , by Tuesday, for 20 years. USMC Vietnam 65-66.

The intake form , only a few pages, on his stressors etc for the 21 day inhouse program took him a week to fill out.

He could hardly sleep and had some violent outbursts as well, that week, because again he had to describe to VA what he desperately wished he could forget.

Edited October 10, 2014 by Berta

[georgiapapa]

Berta,

I do not believe you will find a single vet on Hadit who thinks you should not comment on this thread. I am sure the psyc student will find your comments to be helpful based on your exposure to PTSD vets and your background as an advocate for PTSD vets.

The most important reason I believe the psyc student would want your perspective is because you were the spouse of a PTSD vet. You, like many PTSD spouses, probably suffer from secondary PTSD because you lived the PTSD experience with your husband. Your quality of life and your health had to have been affected by what you personally experienced as a result of your husband's illness.

As to the story of the AD vets honoring Vietnam vets, I was deeply touched. As you and I both know, Vietnam vets were not treated like they should have been when they returned home from the war.

Just my opinion.

[Berta]

Thank you Georgiapapa...and you are so right.

PTSD is almost a contagious disease. I believe I have it by proxy ,having married a PTSD vet

(or I have it from dealing with the VA.....)

Seriously...years ago the local VAMC gave us a community room whereby a PTSD wife started a PTSD group for spouses of PTSD veterans. There is no doubt at all that it affects the entire family.

(VA tried to control the meetings we had but the woman who started this group kicked the VA out! I had considerable problems there because my PTSD vet spouse was dead so the standing opinion was that I had it much easier than the other spouses, whose spouses with PTSD were still alive. There is something wrong with that picture but this is the intrinsic nature of PTSD.

Death does not eradicate it's negative affect on spouses at all but It isn't the veteran's fault! !!!!!

that was a hard point to try to make to this group...now I think maybe they should have asked a VA shrink to come and speak about that.)

Edited October 13, 2014 by Berta

[broncovet]

Im a Vet, tho I have not been diagnosed with PTSD. Like Berta, however, many of my friends have including my son. My son does not admit his PTSD but others can see it. Often, one of the early symptoms of a disease is its denial. Such is the case with hearing loss:

"Oh I hear fine..as long as you dont mumble".

"How is it my fault when you wont speak louder?"

....This is all part of the denial I had with hearing loss. I either blamed others, or denied it completely. PTSD victims, too, often deny they have it..or blame others.

This does not mean everyone who denies that they have PTSD actually has it. It just means self-diagnosis of PTSD is not all that reliable. Unfortunately, most wont even seek help until they self diagnose PTSD. If they think they dont have it, they wont seek treatment/benefits for it.

I went for decades in denial about my hearing loss..until it progressed to the point where I could no longer deny it. In the military, you learn to "suck it up" and not complain. They dont think highly of complainers and whiners.

However, if you dont tell your doc stuff...then why should we be suprised if he does not diagnose PTSD? Many Vets dont trust their doc's. Its one part paranoia, and one part realism mixed together.

Some of the most severe PTSD victims are still in denial. It really is true that many Vets who need help the most dont get it, while some people who need it less, get help from Va. Why is this?

First of all, to get diagnosed with PTSD you have to make (and keep!) multiple appointments with VA docs/psychologists. Some PTSD Vets want neither to make nor keep doc appointments...remember some are paranoid of docs.

You are unlikey to get a PTSD diagnosis on a single doc appointment.

And, if you have PTSD and you do see the doc, many say, "IM fine" when asked. And keep their mouth shut about their problems. The doc wont know you beat up your wife and kids, store loaded guns under your pillow, and got in a fight with 3 policemen that week, unless you tell him. He will think you are "fine", because you said so.

Many men are not talkers. They dont want to discuss PTSD/the war/the effects/their families. Many dont like to talk at all, and much less about their problems. They may talk about their favorite NFL team, but not the war..no. Remember, their buddies counted on them..and there may be things there that could incriminate their buddies. So, you say, "Im fine". My son does exactly that. The only reason I know better is because, well, I know better. I talked to him after these events happened. I know why he wears a wrist band with names on it...those were his friends who got killed.

I know he was on guard duty, and two minutes after he was releived there were shots fired where he was standing guard. I know the tank he normally drives was blown up and all the men killed when he was sent to do something else that week. I know all that stuff..but the doc does not.

I know how his friend he trained with "went off the deep end" when he helplessly watched another friend burn to death. Maybe I should talk to the doc.