Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

[kellymoe]

The department I used to work for had a therapist that I went to for a few years. He was key in diagnosing my problem and assisting in my healing. Now that I am no longer associated with the Sheriffs office I no longer have access to him or any other therapist. I need to go and find a job but I dont know what to do. I have both a mental health issue and a physical health issue (heart attack last year). Can I apply for unemployment benifits?

I dont mean to hijack this thread but I need help

REX

Rex,

Dont sit on this, you need help. This may even be worth going into a little debt to work it out. You need a sounding board. I never thought a therapist would help but once I started talking it helped a ton. For depression I started taking Cymbalta and it changed everything. I feel like my old self again. My wife said she could see a change in just a matter of days.

Thanks to everyone for letting me vent. It's amazing what just talking can do. My list of people to go out and do things with has dwindled in the past few years due to new kids and real jobs. I am hoping to meet some new folks to do things with through this site. I promise I wont be a psycho:drool:

 

[Sloan]

I was in a car accident last December that really did a number on my neck and totaled my Tacoma. As the neck injury revealed it's severity I began to sleep less and less and treatment was progressing slowly at best. I have never been injured in any way that took more than a few days to get back on my feet and was not a patient man by any stretch of the imagination so the lack of sleep and prolonged injury quickly began to take it's toll. About 6 weeks ago my left arm started going numb and that was when I got both feet planted firmly on the bottom in the dark. I have had two co workers kill themselves in the last 6 years and I never understood how they could have done it and one day it makes perfect sense. Your body has betrayed you, lack of sleep has helped your mind betray you, you have lost control of your finances and there is really only one thing that you do have control over. I am still facing some surgeries to repair the nerve damage in my neck but I am stronger than I have been in a long time thanks to my wife, my daughter, some very diligent co workers who called me every day, some good friends from home who helped me navigate the pitfalls of modern medicine, a very young surgeon, my dear friend and therapist and an amazing physical therapist who can get me to push every day beyond my limits. This accident has made me face and start to deal with my sister's death, stop working so much and be there for my wife and daughter and realize that you need to reach out to people because you never know when the guy next to you can't take it anymore. I think we need to be ever more aware of those around us with the economy putting more pressure on people.

 

[Streakerfreak]

Rex,
Thanks to everyone for letting me vent. It's amazing what just talking can do. My list of people to go out and do things with has dwindled in the past few years due to new kids and real jobs. I am hoping to meet some new folks to do things with through this site. I promise I wont be a psycho:drool:

Vet away man. I have done that too on this site. This site is different then others. People actually seem to care about each other. I myself have been helped by random people on this site. I lost all my friends about three years ago due to a misunderstanding on there part. The only person I had in my life was Jenn, but know matter how much we love each other I can't live my entire life just like that.

I can now say that through this site my life has been literally changed for the better and I am gaining friends that I enjoy talking too and going out on trips with. It may be hard to believe, but yes an Overlanding website has changed my life for the better and Jenn's too.

 

[blupaddler]

K - Thanks for sharing this with us. I was just up in Sacramento attending some training on the American river and we got to story talking...

As Lifeguards we are often the first on scene, but we get to pass things on to ALS. But as you know all these calls/events/images are stored somewhere in the back of our mind. We deal with the events with dark humor, sarcasim and other various methods, waiting for that one call that pushes your system into overload and everything comes rushing back at you. We are asked to deal, and cope with things any regular person could not handle on a daily basis.

Thankfully many departments and organizations are realizing now that PTSD is a serious matter, compared to years ago where you had to just sweep it under the rug or ignore such matters.





My prayers are with all of you.

 

[blupaddler]

On a side note... I met a wonderful lady this past weekend who has put together a great website that allows rescuers to share stories, and get things off their chest should they need to, check it out, I think you won't be disappointed.


www.rescuevoices.com

 

[Sloan]

I'm glad you started this thread, I was going to start a similar one after I read Connie's apology thread in the Land Rover forum. The reason I hadn't was that there always seems to be someone dealing with something worse and you feel a little foolish speaking up when you "hurt" your neck or whatever you're dealing with. The problem is depression creeps up slow and I would hate to think that there is someone suffering because they're afraid to speak up or ashamed or whatever. I have reached that level three times in my life and one never prepared for me to deal with the others. If you need help speak up, you can lose a lot of possessions and it's just stuff, the real shame would be to lose yourself.

 

[Streakerfreak]

I'm glad you started this thread, I was going to start a similar one after I read Connie's apology thread in the Land Rover forum. The reason I hadn't was that there always seems to be someone dealing with something worse and you feel a little foolish speaking up when you "hurt" your neck or whatever you're dealing with. The problem is depression creeps up slow and I would hate to think that there is someone suffering because they're afraid to speak up or ashamed or whatever. I have reached that level three times in my life and one never prepared for me to deal with the others. If you need help speak up, you can lose a lot of possessions and it's just stuff, the real shame would be to lose yourself.

It was Teriann not Connie who started the apology thread.

That out of the way, that is great advice that can help a lot of people.

 

[Sloan]

DOH! My apologies, you go to quote a great read and get the author wrong.

 

[kellymoe]

The past few months at work have also been hard. A co worker was killed in an explosion down by LAX last about 6 weeks ago. Normally I would attend funerals for co workers. In 1998 I lost 2 good friends and almost my father when one of our fire dept. helicopter that lost the tail rotor and crashed in Griffith Park. I remember getting off shift that morning and turning the news on. The breaking news was a helicopter crash. Then I realised it was one of ours. Then I realised my dad was working today. He worked air ops. at the time and two helicopters were dispatched to a traffic accident. My dad hopped on the one that didnt crash but I didnt know it for at least an hour. I watched as they pulled 3 bodies out of the helicopter. I lost 3 good friends that day. That was the last funeral that I have gone to. The funeral last month was just a little to soon for me to handle it. I am getting better though.

 

[Z O O R O P A]

Sorry to hijack, but if you don't mind me asking, were any charges brought against her? Would that not be attempted murder, vehicular assault or something along those lines?

I think this thread demonstrates what a great place Expo is

To answer your question, she received 2 traffic tickets which she pleaded guilty to because I was showing up to the traffic court hearing. Every hearing her lawyer had it continued until the judge finally said no more and she needed to plea one way or the other and if it was going to innocent ten she had to appear which she had no interest in seeing me so she plead guilty

one of my former cycling partners and a great guy was the City Attorney General who came to my room in the Hospital with an Irish Ale and gave me the lawyer he would use had it been him so I got a good settlement

 

[Rexsname]

I received a letter from my wife today. In it she encouraged me to see about seeing a doctor for a physical and for me to ask about some mental health counseling/help. We have a long road in front of us and our lives will be very different when this situation is done. I have had a very weepy day and will likely have very many more tears tonight and on and on. Those of you who have been praying for me, Thank You


REX

 

[Streakerfreak]

I received a letter from my wife today. In it she encouraged me to see about seeing a doctor for a physical and for me to ask about some mental health counseling/help. We have a long road in front of us and our lives will be very different when this situation is done. I have had a very weepy day and will likely have very many more tears tonight and on and on. Those of you who have been praying for me, Thank You


REX

Good luck man and try to keep your head above water:REExeSwimmingHL:

If you need to vent to anyone go right ahead. We will listen with our ears open.

 

[Mc Taco]

Kelleymoe, thank you for your service to our community. I am so glad to hear that you asked for and are getting help with things. If you had a broken leg you would seek medical help. There is no difference. Get better and I hope to meet you on the trail or a meet and greet soon.

Rex, please seek out someone to help you out. Are you still doing the Faires this summer? I'm hoping to get out to meet up sometime soon.

 

[Dave Bennett]

As Lifeguards we are often the first on scene, but we get to pass things on to ALS. But as you know all these calls/events/images are stored somewhere in the back of our mind. We deal with the events with dark humor, sarcasim and other various methods, waiting for that one call that pushes your system into overload and everything comes rushing back at you. We are asked to deal, and cope with things any regular person could not handle on a daily basis.

Robb, this fits me and my guys to the T.

This affects LOTS of people I know and I myself am probably borderline... I tend to be pretty tight lipped about it and just "John Wayne" may way through things. Go figure.

Facing the prospect of a third tour in Iraq or Afghanistan next year has me wound tight, and I have not been myself lately for sure as some of my friends here may have noted... :smilies27

 

[Dances with trees]

Well allow me to throw in my 0.02 worth.
I am a trained Post Traumatic Incident Stress debriefer, I was trained years ago while working at the local electrical utility when we has three deaths in one year, i got volentold I was taking the course. i am so glad i did too.
You are on the correct track, the best way to make your life better is to talk about how you feel, it takes the power away from the residual stress.
The more you talk about how it affects you the less effect it has, the human mind is a wonderful and nasty thing.
Having said that i am currently suffering from Clinical Depression, and have been off work for just a little over a year on disability.
My problem is I can't go back to my old job, can't even go in the building I tried and crashed violently, good thing we can't have guns up here in Canada, i might have splattered my brains all over the wall. That was just a week ago. I am going to have to find something new to do, tough at 50.
Last year I crashed bad when bullied on line, I know that trigger now so it has no or little effect.

I have recently applied what I learned in the PTSI training to depression, and guess what, it works fairly well.
So keep talking, the more you do helps you and might even help others who haven't started to heal.
Best of luck, and if you need someone to talk to just drop me a line, i listen really well.