tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56363306143277254552024-03-08T12:22:48.675-08:00Operation PTSDA Desert Storm Veterans views on the topic of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. A mission of healing and outreach.OperationPTSDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002024939238269254noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636330614327725455.post-51542955041646251782009-10-26T11:39:00.000-07:002009-10-26T11:40:56.780-07:00Beyond the StigmaFirst off, my inspiration for this blog post was initiated by reading another authors post about a relationship with a friend that passed away before her time, and the conversation that ensued between my wife and I. As I have stated before, I lost both of my parents to suicide. My Mom was first, I lost her at the age of 13. I have yet to completely wrap my head around that. I was told by my OperationPTSDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002024939238269254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636330614327725455.post-74264189992679586272009-10-12T11:50:00.000-07:002009-10-26T11:53:45.887-07:00Moved to a new locationDue to the overwhelming response and operational commitments I will be posting all further posts at http://www.operationptsd.com/ starting November 11th. Thank you so much for your interest in my opinions and perspective. It is a great privilege to be in a position to advocate and educate on the topic of PTSD. The website is up if you want to stop by and sign up as a member.OperationPTSDOperationPTSDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002024939238269254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636330614327725455.post-78638806834719858352009-10-07T10:36:00.000-07:002009-10-07T12:08:41.503-07:00Cadence.Recovery is not always a daily victory. I try to maintain a positive attitude to be a beacon of light for my fellow Veterans to follow. Today I was scheduled for a PTSD assessment for a VA rating. As excited as I am to be pushing forward in the battle against PTSD, this appointment totally wiped my energy reserves. My last post was about making a plan for each day and having the courage to OperationPTSDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002024939238269254noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636330614327725455.post-68085732704157407352009-10-05T09:01:00.000-07:002009-10-05T19:00:56.182-07:00The Enemy or is it The In me?After attending a VA group therapy session for PTSD Veterans from OIF and OEF. I realized what a lack of basic PTSD knowledge exists among the Veterans suffering from PTSD. Knowledge is key when attempting to engage any problem. A primary element in any military operation is intelligence. You must know the location, and scale of the enemy you intend to engage. I sat among 5 young men ranging in OperationPTSDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002024939238269254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636330614327725455.post-42385647076980772222009-09-29T16:25:00.000-07:002009-09-29T21:22:35.949-07:00Multiply the Joy, Divide the SorrowAs I sit here sorting through the thousands of thoughts that flood my mind when I begin to write a message to my fellow Veterans. I try to choose my words carefully and make sure that everything I say is kept within the boundaries of the highest respect. Not because I am afraid of insulting my brothers, we do that as a show of camaraderie. I do it because I want them to realize that I will not OperationPTSDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002024939238269254noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636330614327725455.post-59433223784748209212009-09-28T08:51:00.000-07:002009-10-05T11:50:11.102-07:00Nonprofit in the works.We are working on making OperationPTSD a nonprofit organization. My goals are to raise awareness about the effects of PTSD and the importance of seeking treatment. My partners and I are brainstorming about the possible scope of this organization to provide a referral service for treatment, housing for homeless Vets and education assistance for those who will start treatment and are ready to make OperationPTSDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002024939238269254noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636330614327725455.post-56083065537231320372009-09-15T19:28:00.000-07:002009-10-05T11:48:55.428-07:00No plan survives first contact.For anyone who has been in the heat of combat you know the best laid plans rarely maintain their relevancy far into the battle. Any combat scenario is a fluid and ever evolving environment. That is were a sound knowledge in theory of tactics comes into play. This is why we have leaders on the battlefield. They have the ability to assess the situation and make changes in tactical approach as OperationPTSDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002024939238269254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636330614327725455.post-9430609831274320682009-09-13T20:52:00.000-07:002009-09-13T22:13:30.368-07:00More than just a glimmer!!If you have read my previous entries then you know that I do not pull any punches. I have a message for you. A message of hope. I don't mean a distant shot at recovery, I mean an absolute reality that this illness we are fighting is not a life sentence with no possibility for parole. I have been living with PTSD since August of 1970. Just so happens that is the very beginning of my life.OperationPTSDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002024939238269254noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636330614327725455.post-55823131696104561622009-09-11T13:54:00.000-07:002009-09-11T15:24:03.524-07:00Do you feel like this?I want to give perspective on my own situation and the effects PTSD has had on my life. After years of walking around in a cloud of denial, I awoke in a world that I did not recognize nor desire to be in. Something had to change. I began asking people to give me feedback on my behavior. At first I was angry with the input and discounted it as weakness in those who would dare to tell me what IOperationPTSDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002024939238269254noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636330614327725455.post-74306552757168679212009-09-09T12:23:00.000-07:002009-09-10T22:04:37.859-07:00No Warrior Left BehindI would like to take this opportunity to share my feelings about my fellow warriors and my commitment to them. For those of us who served we all know that we don't leave a fellow wounded soldier on the battlefield. Right now, at this very moment there are men and women in many theatres of combat defending us, our country, our values and our way of life. Most of us are well aware of the wars in OperationPTSDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002024939238269254noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636330614327725455.post-70018157880527090792009-09-07T23:17:00.000-07:002009-09-09T12:22:38.828-07:00A new beginning to an old problem.I will assume that you are reading this because of an interest in PTSD. Whether you suffer from PTSD or know someone that does chances are that you will have more questions than answers. I am a Desert Storm Vet diagnosed with PTSD in 2003. Yes it took 11 years for someone at the VA to realize I was dealing with some major issues. Getting a diagnosis, I was one of the fortunate ones. My father aOperationPTSDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01002024939238269254noreply@blogger.com0