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By Charlene Rubush, August 16, 2010 4:36 pm

For over 40 years now, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has been a major problem for many Vietnam veterans. It’s one of the main conditions treated by the VA. It’s said to be one of the major causes of divorce for Vietnam veterans. And, if some of the suicide statistics are true (and there’s room for argument on both sides), PTSD is a major cause of suicide among Vietnam veterans.

VietNow is very fortunate that two compassionate PTSD experts – experienced counselor Mary Tendall and her associate Jan Fishler – have shared their expertise with us in the form of a great series of articles with ideas on how to deal with PTSD.

In the history of the VietNow National Magazine nothing has come close to the response to these articles. These articles have not only touched a nerve, but have also provided a healing touch.

Since it’s obvious that PTSD won’t be going away any time soon, and because it sometimes seems that the problem is getting bigger rather than smaller – and because there are differences of opinion on the topic – we have published lots of articles, stories, and poems related to this painful topic.

We hope something you’ll read here with touch you in a good way, and we hope that if you need help with your ghosts, maybe something here will point you (or someone close to you) in the direction of help.

If you have questions or comments about your PTSD-related problems, Jan and Mary have kindly made themselves available to help. They assure your confidentiality and invite you to e-mail them directly at:
Jan Fishler: jan@tincatmedia.com
Mary Tendall: maryten@jps.net

Some of the article titles are:

Featured PTSD Articles by Jan and Mary – and other writers.

Getting Through the Rough Times
There are ways to help the PTSD sufferer through the physical and emotional pain, but you also have to take care of yourself during the process.

Living With Guilt and Shame
Guilt and shame are deep and often debilitating emotions that can haunt individuals for years. Exploring the origin and impact of guilt and shame from the perspective of combat veterans and family members.

http://www.vietnow.com

Charlene Rubush’s Note:

VietNow is an awesome organization which is committed to helping all veterans and their families. Much of what we now know about PTSD has come from the study of Nam vets and their families.

Please visit their website and learn all about them. I’ve gained a lot from my membership with them. Their magazine is phenomenal, and they’ve been  working hard for many years, to better veterans lives.

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By Charlene Rubush, June 6, 2010 2:32 pm

Part One:

Another good website sponsored by social workers, which offers excellent information for the general public and for combat veterans and their families is:

 http://www.helpstartshere.org.

Susan Evans, LICSW, runs a support group, and offers the following information (which I’m summarizing).

 “There is not a day goes by that PTSD does not play some part in that day.”

-Trudi, Spouse of Vietnam Combat Veteran 

Introduction

The Journal of the American Medical Association in March, 2006, reported that 35 percent of Iraq war veterans sought treatment for mental health issues within a year of coming home.

The Department of Defense now estimates that between 15 percent and 29 percent of veterans from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan will suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

The caseload for mental health counselors in the Veterans Administration is six times higher than anticipated. By 2008 more than 400,000 troops could need mental health treatment if this trend continues. Who will help the spouses and families of these combat veterans?

 Stepping Up to Help

Eleven women with vast experience dealing with combat veterans returning home from war are using what they’ve learned by contributing to this article. They are married to vets who have significant PTSD disabilities from previous wars, and the Iraq War. Their goal is to offer support, encouragement and hope to the spouses and families of Iraq and Afghanistan vets.

They offer the following thoughts while recognizing that each war is unique and some of these suggestions may not be appropriate for the most recent wars.

• Listen and Do Not Judge
• Know What to Look For. Educate Yourself about PTSD!
• Accept Help. / Be Willing to Accept Help, Even if He Doesn’t!
• Protect Yourself and Your Family Even if He Can’t
• Help Your Children. Go to the PTSD Information Helpline at 802-296-6300

 Remember:

You cannot fix the PTSD symptoms. Those are his symptoms that he has to learn to manage or not. Make your own goals and keep them in your focus. These goals might be improving your own health with good nutrition, exercise, and rest, or spending time with friends, or doing special things for yourself.

Go to http://www.ncptsd.org for constantly updated info on PTSD and resources.

To read complete article now, go to:

http://www.helpstartshere.org/tip-sheets/veterans-affairs-tip-sheet-help-for-spouses-of-com

Charlene’s Note:

I’ll be posting more on this article soon. As a former spouse of a Vietnam veteran, and one with very little help at the time I needed it, I’m so grateful to pass on this terrific information for today’s vets and their families. There is hope and help out there for you!

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By Charlene Rubush, April 12, 2010 11:42 am

Part Two:

More thoughts from Richard Danielson’s article “They Wage a War Far from the Battlefield”:

To count as PTSD, the symptoms such as nightmares, insomnia, or flashbacks, must have lasted more than a month, and must have hurt the patient’s ability to function at work or in relationships.  A key factor in the diagnosis is being directly exposed to a traumatic event. This wasn’t the case with psychologist Sunich’s patient, a wife of a deployed soldier.

Tom Berger, a senior analyst for veterans benefits and mental health issues for the Vietnam Vets of America notes, “There’s a lot of research to show that partners and spouses and kids suffer from secondary PTSD.”

A 2005 study of the fmilies of Dutch peacekeepers found that partners of soldiers with PTSD symptoms reported more trouble sleeping and marital problems than partners of soldiers with no symptoms. Dr. Carri-Ann Gibson, director of the PTSD and trauma recovery program at James A. Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa, Florida, says “If somebody is with you and they’re constantly hypervigilant … you can sometimes take on that kind of anxiety.” Continue reading 'Military Spouses and Secondary Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder'»

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By Charlene Rubush, April 9, 2010 3:10 pm

Part One:

In an article by Richard Danielson, he writes of an interview with psychologist Michael Sunich. Sunich had a new patient come in one day. She looked so “put together” with her collar-length bob, dark blazer and big diamond ring. She made a good first impression.

Yet within minutes, he saw she was anything but. She wrung her hands and cried easily, recalling nightmares and panic attacks. Six months before, her soldier-husband had returned from a 16-month deployment to Iraq. He was unhurt and untroubled. But she was a wreck. Continue reading 'Spouses of Soldiers Deployed Often Exhibit Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder'»

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By Charlene Rubush, April 1, 2010 4:05 pm

In a February 19th, 2010, article by Chaplain Kathie Costos, she states “Denying PTSD does not heal it.” Kostos knows well of where she speaks, for she has been married to a Vietnam veteran for many years. She works with combat veterans and their families, and knows how severe their problems are. I subscibe to her wonderful blog, “Wounded Times” and continually learn from her.

This was her response to the recent news from Dr. Karen Seal, of the San Francisco Veteran Affairs Medical Centre, that only 10% of returning combat veterans are completing the recommended 10-12 weekly sessions prescribed for those who have been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

“Fewer than 10%? The program is there. They were diagnosed. So what’s the problem? Is it that the program is not what they are looking for? Is it because they want to just get over it on their own? As if that worked before …PTSD gets worse without treatment. They can try to cover it up with alcohol and street drugs all they want, but that is just covering it up, not healing it, and as a matter of fact, making their lives worse.

Their answer is to self-medicate more, latch onto the latest bright idea they have of making themselves happy and then finding out none of that is working either. They are in such denial that they think they are not going down the same road the veterans before them did when there were plenty of excuses to hide behind. After all, very little was being done to help them heal before the Gulf War. Even now with a history of suffering needlessly, they still try to ‘get over it’ and get on with their lives. Continue reading 'Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Only Gets Worse Without Treatment'»

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By Charlene Rubush, March 27, 2010 12:42 pm

In a CNN article, we learn that Army generals, who are not known for talking about their feelings, are finally speaking out about their own battles with PTSD. Two high-ranking officers are now doing it, hoping that by going public, they can remove the stigma that many soldiers say keeps them from getting help for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Brig. General Gary S. Patton and Gen. Carter Ham have both sought counseling for the emotional trauma of their time in the Iraq War. Patton said, “One of our soldiers in my unit, Spec. Robert Unruh, took a gunshot wound to the torso. I was involved in medevacing him off the battlefield. And in a short period of time, he died before my eyes. That’s a memory that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

Ham was the commander in Mosul when a suicide bomber blew up a mess tent. Twenty-two people died. “The 21st of December, 2004, was the worst day of my life. Ever. To this day I still ask myself what should I have done differently, what could I have done as the commander responsible that would have perhaps saved the lives of those soldiers, sailors, civilians.” Continue reading 'Even Generals Are Now Talking About Their Own Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder'»

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By Charlene Rubush, March 23, 2010 10:21 pm

Part Two:

More from the Delicious Day blog interview (4-24-2009) with Clint.

How would your wife Sara, say PTSD has affected her life.

It definitely changed her life. It was a rough 5 or 6 years. Over the last few years it has gotten better. There are still moments where I am a complete asshole but I try to rein that in or go off by myself. It was hard for her to read my book because it brought back such bad memories.

In the moments where you are an asshole, are you aware of it? Can’t control it? Or do you just don’t care?

A lot of times I just don’t care or I can’t control it. I am usually pretty aware of it especially when I am around my wife becasue she has no problem telling me. PTSD has elements of depression in it. I wouldn’t say I am hopeless but a lot of people with PTSD are hopeless. Sometimes they switch back to warrior mode where they are just able to yell at someone to get things accomplished. It is not like we as Marines are the easiest people to get along with to begin with and PTSD just adds to it.

There are reports about veterans coming home from combat and killing their wives or children. Were you ever afraid you would do that?

No, I was not worried I would kill a family member. Maybe a civilian. I was not homicidal. I was afraid of what would happen if I did get to that point. I did not know how far PTSD would take me. I did not know how bad it would get. It scares me that PTSD leads people down that road.

In Soft Spots you talk about your compulsion to commit seemingly random violence on others when you returned home. What do you think was your primary motivation in that?

It was because I was so angry. It was not a release because it does not feel good to be that angry. To be on the verge of losing control is a horrible feeling.

In Soft Spots, some of the things you write about are pretty shocking – a dog being intentionally shot, you killing a young Iraqi girl, a Marine’s body being left behind – is it possible if there were more control over those events your PTSD would not be as severe as it is?

No, I don’t think those things have any bearing on it. Most of those things as out of control as they sound were pretty controlled. We were always within our rules of engagement. I always shot at what I thought was a target. I shot the little girl when I saw something out of the corner of my eye. Those things happened randomly. Shooting a dog was out of control, but that was done by a guy in the Navy.

In Soft Spots you ask yourself, “What kind of person would shoot a little girl?” Now that you have had time to think about it, do you have an answer to that question?

That was an accident. The thought of it really bothered me. We were not trained to do that. We were trained to help people. Whether or not the war in Iraq is right or wrong we should have been over there helping, not killing civilians.

In Soft Spots, you said “In some messed up way being home produced withdrawal symptoms. I’d experienced some of the most exciting events of my life. Nothing compared to the feelings that war induced.” It is hard to read that and not think this had become some sort of game or high to you. Is there any truth to that?

It is definitely a high. You are hunting people. You have to have that adrenaline going. It is like going into a game almost except if you lose you are dead or your friends are dead. I do not think civilians understand that very much. It is something I did not understand until I went there. I thought I knew a lot about war but I realized I did not know anything until I experienced combat.

In Soft Spots you said when you first landed in the U.S. the thought going through your head was “Turn back. Turn back. Turn back.” Why was that?

What was I supposed to say to my wife? I was killing people everyday. I didn’t have anything to say to her or anybody. When I was over there, we all understood each other perfectly. When I got off the plane we were all going our separate ways.

I have interviewed a guy who was a sniper in the Vietnam War. He said he was afraid no one would understand what he did, what he experienced. Do you think this is why you wanted to “turn back?”

That is exactly what it is. I relate to combat veterans really well. You do not have to say certain things to them. You do not have to worry about what they are going to think of you. They know when you go into combat shit happens. Maybe you killed a little girl but they understand I did not do it on purpose. But if you try to explain that to a civilian they think you are an asshole. I am not an asshole. It is just something that happened and combat vets understand that.

http://www.clintvanwinkle.com

Charlene’s Note:

Painful as it is, this is how we get a glimpse of the true reality of combat. Tomorrow I’ll post the third and final installment of the interview with this courageous and frank war veteran.

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By Charlene Rubush, March 22, 2010 10:45 pm

PART ONE:

Clint Van Winkle, author of  Soft Spots: A Marine’s Memoir of Combat and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder believes that all veterans of all wars return home with this illness. It is only the severity of the disease and the willingness to accept the diagnosis that varies from veteran to veteran.

Van Winkle went to Iraq from February until “Mission Accomplished” in June of 2003. In those 5 months he does not believe he fought for Iraqi freedom or liberation, but solely for his life and the lives of his friends. In the 150 or so days he was in the Middle East, what he did, experienced and witnessed would leave him with a mental illness that he and his family are forced to cope with for the remainder of his life.

In an interview with the Delicious Day blog,  (4-24-2009) Van Winkle  spares no words on the toll that participating in war takes on soldiers. On why Van Winkle joined the Marines,  he notes:

I was in college and I was not doing that great. It seemed like there was more to do and I wanted to challenge myself. I hoped at some point that I would go to war. I remember watching the Gulf War on television and it seemed exciting.

What seemed exciting about war?

Combat in general seemed exciting. It seemed like something rough men go and do. Going off and fighting and coming back home has a romantic feel to it. I watched a lot of war movies when I was younger. That is where I got all of my information.

Looking back now, what event or events do you think caused PTSD?

There are certain events that stick with me more than others but I think it was the entire experience. Continue reading 'Iraq War Veteran and Author Clint Van Winkle Shares His Thoughts on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder'»

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By Charlene Rubush, March 15, 2010 11:54 pm

From an article by Jim Steinberg, of the San Bernadino County Sun, we learn that with the huge influx of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, the number of patients diagnosed with PTSD has increased 114% from 2005.

Not all of the increase is from the war on terror. Many are veterans of Vietnam, who are entering retirement age, and are haunted by images of the current conflicts.

Lois Krawczyk, a supervisory psychologist at the hospital, said many didn’t seek help earlier because of the stigma attached to those who face mental illness. Fear that co-workers and superiors would wonder if they could do their jobs left them to face their PTSD alone.

Awareness in the military and the VA is far different for vets coming out of the current conflicts than for Vietnam. Military services are doing health assessments as people leave the war theater, and then the VA follows up 90 days later. Continue reading 'PTSD Cases Soaring at Loma Linda Veterans Medical Center'»

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By Charlene Rubush, March 14, 2010 10:41 pm

In an article from The Times Free Press, it’s stated that the Veterans Administration reports that about 1,000 veterans a month try to commit suicide and that acts of rage and violence are common in the group. Many victimized by that rage and violence are the wives, children and friends of those veterans.

The rising and frightening number of suicides and suicide attempts by U.S. combat veterans is a shameful legacy of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. For too long, the military has been reluctant to admit the existence of the problem, but recent events have finally forced the Pentagon to confront it. To its credit, the military seems to have done an about face on the issue.

While the newfound understanding is welcome, it’s painfully overdue, and much more needs to be done to provide mental health assistance to veterans and active-duty troops. Many veterans and active-duty personnel refuse to seek assistance when confronted by mental health issues. That unfortunate attitude is a legacy of past military practices.

For decades , the military encouraged an independence and self-sufficiency among its members that suggested that an injury to the body was a sacrifice for one’s country, but that an injury to the mind is somehow cowardly or a figment of an over-active imagination. The latter caused many members of  the armed forces to avoid treatment. Continue reading 'The Ongoing Battle to End Military Stigma of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder'»