PTSD....

Do you know someone or have you met someone with PTSD but never really knew what it meant. Most of us associate this disorder with combat. I have PTSD but I have never been to War. The definition to PTSD as listed on Psychology Today is:

"Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that may develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which severe physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or unnatural disasters, accidents, or military combat."

The thing about being a "civilian" with this is you are basically labeled a mental case. No one really knows what to do except pump you full of meds and call it a day. I agree that medicine is needed to a point, but you have to do more to help.We need more alternatives. Things that can help us cope and not feel like we are doped up on a ton of meds. 

I've been down the road where you are so medicated that you are basically a zombie. It's not fun. We discussed this topic in group and that is why I bring it up today on my post. We tend to be labeled and then tossed aside and forgotten. I am lucky that this time around I have a therapist and people who listen to me and do classify me. Not everyone is that lucky. My wish is that one day we will all be healthy and happy and not have to worry about things like this.

Until then I know that one day I will over come this and that it will just be another obstacle I took down.

Here is another article on PTSD over at NYDailyNews.

"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do." ~~Eleanor Roosevelt