Stress management

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• May 15, 2013 5:43 p.m.

  I suffer severe PTSD, because I watched countless kids killed in cardiac surgery, because of conscious administrative malpractice. I never had anxiety, panic attacks, nightmares, severe insomnia prior to when this started. I have all signs of PTSD in combat. For me, my battlefield was going into the operating room consciously knowing that children would suffer more harm, than good. Morally and ethically, I reported, but it has severely damaged my mind, and I have been on Zoloft, lorazepam, restoril, lunesta, ability, now VIIBryd, with stress related hypertension in which I am on tenormin, and the stress has also contributed to low testosterone, which I am on max dose of Androgel. My depression is so bad, My world feels endless, and days I wish never wake up...For anyone suffering from PTSD, get help asap, and don't try and beat it on your own. I pray to god everyday that I can recover. I see a psychiatrist, a family doctor, a pyscho analyst, and an endocrinologist, and have Unum, my LTD carrier harassing me regularly.....If anyone has any advice, it would be greatly appreciated...

  - destroyed

• August 18, 2012 6:24 a.m.

  Please help me out.Am suffering from fear and mental anxiety since five six years back.

  - Mutute

• March 3, 2012 8:48 p.m.

  I'm a Vet, the 3HR drive to Prescott from Parker gives me more PTSD!! Thanks Pres.!! And $70.00 in Gas...Guess I'll deal w/it..Went the week before for xrays only to be told arthritis..Then to go back twice a week for Phys. Thrp..?? $140.00 per wk. on $800.00 a month SSI ????

  - Bob

• February 13, 2012 5:45 p.m.

  EMDR. I cannot say enough about how much and how quickly this therapy helped me, and I was a skeptic in the beginning.

  - min

• December 12, 2011 12:32 a.m.

  I have post traumatic stress from being exposed to my husbands road rage for several years. I also have been in many many situations with him getting angry at other people and blaming them then me right after. No apologies, just anger. I finally broke on a trip to Belize and got agoraphobia on an airplane in which I had never had and I had flown dozens of times. I even had my first panic attack and felt claustrophobic for the first time. I have endured many mean comments from him through the years and I am at a point of not wanting to associate with him anymore for my own health. Counselors have suggested I get away from him. We went to another counselor who he convinced her that he doesn't have a voice and I didn't get to explain all of the anger. She told me that I had to forgive. I did not go back to her but he did because he found someone who will let him get away with his antics. I felt angry that he was lying to her if we were supposed to get help. I have hypersensitivity in the car with him and on the boat or wave runner because he does dangerous things. He has even splashed water on people with his car and has run over peoples fishing lines with the jet ski while they were fishing. So many other things that I have experienced with him have hurt my life so much. He is working out of town and I am so relieved to not to have to be around him.

  - Jodie

• November 21, 2011 11:47 p.m.

  The stiff upper lip. I am gratefull that you draw attention to the stress and trauma that veterans of all kinds suffer from. Specially those who have given so much for little in return , to paraphrase Churchill. Only in the last few years( since the first Irak war) has it some to the fore that we no longer need to "cowboy up" we can reveal how we feel, psychotherapy and other methods,art therapy in partcular is a great help in vets. with PTSD. In my experience there is definitely a cultural bend to the condition and how its treated and how the traumna is manifested. Surprisingly though, many British vets who suffer need more persuasion to reveal and share, perhaps the stiff upper lip comes into play. Interesting however to see an old returning vet, tatooed and built like a house, daintilly holding a piece of chalk while talking about perspective......certainly worth a chuckle. I am gratefull for your blog. Thank you. lee du ploy ( Hong Kong)

  - leeduploy

• November 9, 2011 8:59 a.m.

  I have Bipolar I,PTSD,Major Depressive Disorder, and have for yrs. In July this yr,Cymbalta was added to my "bag" of med's, lol. It caused me miserable side affects, sweating,irregular heartbeats,weight gain. I've stopped treatment, but notice that my horrid nightmares have returned. Is anyone being treated with Cymbalta for PTSD? I've been put on BP med, Prazosin 4mg to help with the awful nightmares (I've exp. all my life!)especially pertaining to snakes. I've not been told that Cymbalta would help minimize my nightmares, nor that it would be a treatment for them, but rather the prazosin, plus I take Xanax at night was supposed to be the treatment to combat PTSD/nightmares. I just find it interesting that since I've stopped the Cymbalta, my vivid, horrible and very memorable nightmares have returned with a vengeance. I do plan to discuss with my Psychiatrist next time I see him. My heart goes out to all of you, as I've read many of your comments. Life is so very hard, period, and mental illness doesn't make it any easier. My problem is that many of the med's used to treat mental illness work temporarily, and have to be adjusted or changed. I will say Lithium has been the best, and most successful med. I have ever been put on for treatment. I do know, each person has different side affects to meds however. My best regard to all, and hope for a much better, healthy, and happy future to all. God Bless.

  - Peg

• September 2, 2011 4:21 a.m.

  After doing what I did in the sandbox, i was diagnosed with this disease. It is where you have flashbacks of what you did, little things will set you off. Its hard to handle, because getting a person to talk about it is a pain, they don't want to remember those memories, but getting them out in the open will help out alot in the end. Find out what sets the person off, and after you find out, you are more able to help the person deal with it. The military right now is looking for more ways to help out the soldiers who experience it. Its hard though to decipher whether it is PTSD or depression alot of times because one brings the other upon the person. Time and support usually help a person, but its a lot of time, sometimes medication, and support from loved ones. Hope this helps..

  - Cliff

• July 7, 2011 6:53 p.m.

  Have you heard of Equine Assisted Growth and Learning through the EAGALA Model for PTSD?

  - Megan

• June 30, 2011 10:35 a.m.

  What exactly happens to the brain when healing takes place after mental trauma? When they speak of time healing a person, what does it do?

  - Joy

• June 28, 2011 12:27 p.m.

  Thank you so much for this encouraging message. I have PTSD from childhood sexual abuse, and words like these remind me that I don't have to suffer in silence any longer. I have long equated strength with going solo, and have struggled with guilt and shame for needing all the help I receive... The idea of "circling the wagons" though is very powerful to me. A therapist once told me "there is no shame in healing," and reading this has reminded me of that once again.

  - Stacy

• June 28, 2011 10:51 a.m.

  The last paragraph is a very important message. The Canadian troops are returning home. Five thousand American troops will do so as well. They may need help; if their families see evidence of PTSD in their loved one, they should get advice and help as well. It is important to be persistent in your search for help. Finally, perhaps Doctors, such as you Dr. Creagan, could visit a base, give a talk and mingle with the soldiers socially. It might kick start programs that involve civilians.

  - Barbara