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By Charlene Rubush, January 27, 2012 5:34 pm

That fateful night when I reached out to strangers at the clubhouse for recovering alcoholics, I was truly a basket case. It was a big adjustment to being divorced after a long-term marriage. Especially when I was the rejected one. I must have had a look about me that said she’s vulnerable. You can take advantage now.

After attending Open AA meetings and Al-Anon for some time, I pretty much was starting to realize that everyone that came there, came there for the same reason. We were sick, mentally and emotionally.

The good news was that many were becoming better, by working the 12-steps. The bad news was that some were still extremely sick and needy. From that night a few years back, when I’d first fallen to my knees in despair, I had realized I needed help, even though I wasn’t the one abusing drugs and alcohol. Continue reading 'Part Two: Sharing Some Personal Thoughts on PTSD and Alcoholism'»

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By Charlene Rubush, January 16, 2012 4:53 pm

Part One:

From time to time, I think back to a relationship I had over twenty-four years ago. My husband (a Nam vet) of nineteen years had recently left me. I was totally devastated, especially when I found out he’d been having an affair with one of my (younger) friends.

I had been attending Al-Anon and Open AA meetings for several years prior to that, due to my husband’s overindulgence in booze. – Now that he was gone, I needed the fellowship I’d found there more than ever.

The meeting place was just a mile from my home. It was a stand-alone building that they actually called a clubhouse. They had meeting rooms as well as a snack bar, and also a recreation room with pool tables.

Well, the first night of my now single life, I made myself sit down on a barstool at the snack bar. I must have looked as pitiful as I felt, but then, a lot of us looked pitiful. I desperately needed to make a human connection; to have someone to tell my troubles to.

A man and woman next to me finally took notice. I began to pour my heart out to them. We talked for hours, till the club was ready to close. These two new friends were so concerned about my state-of-mind, that they urged me to come to their apartment for the night.

I reluctantly agreed, and we talked into the wee hours of the morning. They were a God-send to me. I honestly don’t know how I would have gotten through those dismal hours without their compassion and concern.

Little did I know that this new friendship would lead me (unwittingly) into another dysfunctional relationship with another combat vet. Or that I would soon learn the meaning of a dry drunk.

I’ll continue this in my next posting, and share what I learned through this strange pairing.

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By Charlene Rubush, January 9, 2012 9:28 pm

From an article by Leo Shane III, in the Stars and Stripes News, we learn that medical schools will soon include more course work on post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and other common military ailments.

This is in response to a White-House led effort to prepare future physicians for the next generation of veteran patients. The plans were announced by First Lady Michelle Obama and officials from the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine recently.

A surprising fact from the article states that more than half of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans receiving treatment for mental health issues do not rely on Department of Veterans Affairs physicians, but instead turn to private medical practices.

Michelle Obama said,

“We have to meet our veterans and military families where they live. We have to engage all of this country’s doctors, nurses and health care providers on the challenges these families face, especially on the issues of mental health.”

Officials from the associations stated that that the goal is to ensure that young medical professionals become familiar with the signature wounds of war, as well as to be able to more effectively treat the millions of veterans who will be struggling with these issues for decades  to come.

To read the complete article, go to:

http://www.stripes.com/news/medical-schools-to-increase-focus-on-ptsd-tbi-1.165601?loc…

Note:

This is encouraging news. There is so much more to be learned about PTSD and its treatment, as well as Traumatic Brain Injury. These problems are incurred by the civilian population as well as the military. I’m glad to see nurses will be included in this focus, as they are the hands-on-caregivers in medical facilities.

In my daily life, I’m often astounded by the ignorance that still exists on the subject of PTSD. Encountering this problem so often is what keeps me motivated to continue writing this blog, and share my personal PTSD experience.

I pray for a day when the general public and all medical providers will have a much deeper understanding of what so many of us live with day after day, year after year.

Hopefully, this will go a long way toward erasing the stigma that is still attached to those who suffer with this often misunderstood illness.

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By Charlene Rubush, January 2, 2012 1:27 am

Lately I’ve been spending quite a bit of time at a VA Medical Center. My husband, an Army veteran, Korean Era, has acquired a rare illness called Balt non-Hodgins lymphoma.

Just this week we met with my husband’s new oncologist. She is a young, petite doctor, and we were very impressed by her calm, compassionate attitude. Actually, we’ve been satisfied with all the VA doctors so far.

Whenever we’re at the VA, I pick up literature, and am always amazed by what I learn. The War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC) is a VA National program that specializes in post-deployment care for Veterans with Difficult to Diagnose Illnesses and deployment related exposure concerns.

For more information, go to:

http://www.WarRelatedIllness.va.gov