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By Charlene Rubush, August 14, 2012 3:48 pm

Today I’m re-posting a book review on one of the best books I’ve found on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Outstanding Resource from One Who Knows

This review is on:

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder For Dummies (Paperback)

This is a comprehensive look at a very serious subject. Written by Mark Goulston, MD, a top psychiatrist and life-skills coach, the book delivers invaluable information and advice for those living with PTSD.

It’s also an excellent primer for anyone interested in the subject. Dr. Goulston writes with a conversational tone that is very comforting. His primary message to his reader is:

“There is a road out of this terrible place.”

PTSD victims and their family members have to be reminded of this at every turn, for the depression and isolation that usually comes with PTSD, too often leads to suicide. We are seeing this more and more in combat veterans.

While Dr. Goulston notes that PTSD is a major, life-altering disorder, and an “invisible epidemic” affecting at least 13 million Americans of every age, he also asserts the good news today, is that PTSD is highly treatable.

PTSD is a complex illness, and there are many manifestations of it. The author explains that there are two primary types of PTSD: Simple and Complex.

Simple PTSD usually follows a single event, while Complex PTSD can occur after repeated traumas. Goulston gives insights into the amazing array of available treatments that now offer relief and healing.

He addresses the challenges and stresses facing the loved ones of those with PTSD, as well as nearly every facet of this “Anxiety Disorder.” He also manages to infuse the book with flashes of humor, a much-needed tool for fighting PTSD.

This book will help anyone interested in PTSD, and that should be all of us, as we’re all just one traumatic event away from it. As our war veterans return from Iraq and Afghanistan, this vital resource can provide great hope and understanding.

Don’t be mislead by the “Dummies” label. This book is chock-full of scientific facts, and proven remedies. A very important work on PTSD. Highly, enthusiastically recommended!!

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By Charlene Rubush, December 19, 2011 12:59 am

I’ve been going through The PTSD Workbook by Mary Beth Williams, Ph.D. and Soili Poijula, Ph.D.

Perhaps you’ve already been diagnosed with PTSD. If not, and you suspect that you might have it, this is a great book to help you understand if you have PTSD. If you determine that you have all the symptoms, or if you already know you have PTSD, there is much to be gained from this book.

I surprised myself when I turned to pg. 42, and began reading about Constructing a Trauma Inventory. I thought I’d addressed all the traumas in my life. But going over the list of possible traumas, I was shocked to see how many I’ve actually experienced.

We know that multiple traumas can cause Complex PTSD. And of course, we now know that Complex PTSD can cause digestive problems, chronic pain, cardiopulmonary symptoms, and sexual symptoms. The body remembers trauma.

Here are just a few situations that may cause PTSD, from the list:

• Surviving a natural disaster
• Witnessing a natural death
• Witnessing a violent death
• Being in an automobile accident
• Surviving an assault or mugging
• Being exposed to war
• Being sexually abused as a child

It is important to try and remember the events that have predisposed oneself to PTSD. While it can be painful and distressing, it can also be the beginning of healing. The authors note that you have survived the traumas and you have used many positive character traits to do so.

Going over this list was very enlightening to me. I believe recovery from PTSD is a life-long challenge, but it also offers us a way to truly get to know ourselves. Making a trauma inventory helps us see where we’ve been, what we’ve endured, and lets us put it it all into perspective. I highly recommend this workbook.

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By Charlene Rubush, April 26, 2010 11:23 am

From an article in The Dayton (Ohio) Daily News, we learn of another combat vet suicide. Jesse Huff, a 27-year-old honorably discharged soldier, suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and from physical injuries from a roadside bomb in Iraq. He had been living with chronic, severe pain in his lower back and legs.

His sister, Heather Lake, said “He was truly depressed, because he wanted nothing more than to be in the military.”

Huff arrived at the emergency room at the Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center around 1 a.m. April 16^th, and sought immediate help because he was “paranoid someone was after him” according to Scott Labensky, the father of Jesse’s half-brother Dalton. Continue reading 'Iraq Army Combat Vet Commits Suicide on the Steps of the VA’s Patient Tower'»