Personal Hygiene

Personal Hygiene

(Excerpt from The Endless Journey Home by Specialist Joe Collins) This is another important symptom that is common among PTSD sufferers. It is often progressive and the person can easily be diagnosed with Depression when it is really a symptom of … Continued
Self-Mutilation

Self-Mutilation

(Excerpt from The Endless Journey Home by Specialist Joe Collins) Self-mutilation, which can be burning or cutting of oneself, can be a symptom of PTSD sufferers. If you or someone that you know is doing this, it is extremely important to … Continued
Support System

Support System

(Excerpt from The Endless Journey Home by Specialist Joe Collins) Having a support system (family and friends) to be there for you when you are suffering from PTSD is absolutely necessary for recovery. In my own personal experience, there was … Continued
Recovery and Living with PTSD

Recovery and Living with PTSD

(Excerpt from The Endless Journey Home by Specialist Joe Collins) With proper counseling and medical treatment and support, it is possible to make a complete recovery from PTSD and function as a normal member of society again. Although when I … Continued
Process Changes Needed When Caring for PTSD

Process Changes Needed When Caring for PTSD

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can happen to normal people who have witnessed a traumatic event. Military training does not cause a person to be immune from trauma. War, by its very nature is a series of traumatic events. Problem: Military … Continued
PTSD Resources

PTSD Resources

VFU is a not-for-profit organization that offers a comprehensive website and resource bank for identifying and helping veterans and families who may need assistance in understanding and coping with war-related illness. Financial resources are not available, but information on how … Continued
Veteran Coping Skills

Veteran Coping Skills

Veterans have amazing coping skills. The war and survival skills that a veteran used to stay alive during conflict and to return home are extraordinary and resulted in him/her doing just that, staying alive and returning home. These skills sometimes DO … Continued
Family Coping Skills

Family Coping Skills

Your family has also developed and learned survival skills while your veteran was at war. These skills helped you to make it through daily life, even knowing the constant peril that your veteran faced and the uncertainty of your future. … Continued
Dealing with Loss

Dealing with Loss

In one way, the previous life together is lost forever. With loss, comes some sadness and grief for which there are predictable stages. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, Ph.D. found that all loss includes the following: Denial – examples include thoughts like “Life … Continued
Anxiety

Anxiety

(Excerpt from The Endless Journey Home by Specialist Joe Collins) Anxiety can be tied in to nearly every symptom of PTSD. This is another symptom that often leads to misdiagnosis. A misdiagnosis can lead to the wrong type of medication, which … Continued