By Janet J. Seahorn

When is it time to seek outside help?

This is pretty easy to answer: You will know if it is time to seek outside help when the behavior of the serviceperson becomes abnormally un-normal.  When life becomes a teeter-totter of ups and downs that can’t seem to be controlled no matter how hard you try. When your surroundings and relationships seem unstable and unsafe and you aren’t sure why, get help.

When my husband began experiencing PTSD, neither one of us had a clue what was going on at the time. There was no such thing as Post-Traumatic Stress. War was something that a person went to, came home from and tried to move on. It wasn’t discussed. It wasn’t thought about (or so we once thought and wanted to believe).

No one considered how the events of combat could impact an individual for the rest of his life. If you came home somewhat physically whole, that was a gift. You healed physically, and you lived as if all the horror from battle never happened. The past was the past and it should not impact one’s future. What an absurd assumption. 

Now we understand that nothing in our past is ever fully in the past. The good and the difficult follow us wherever we go. We are part of our experiences. With understanding, courage, and information we may gain strength and wisdom to move forward. Getting outside help can guide us in forming the wisdom and understanding needed for healing.

What are some good resources for help with PTSD or TBI?

There are many resources available to our military service men and women. Check with your local Veteran’s Administration Center if you suspect you need support. You may need to be referred to a Veteran Hospital for further testing and diagnosis, especially if you suspect a traumatic brain injury. Every state has several local centers that have been established to help veterans find the appropriate placement and support needed to get the services they may require. (VA Centers are listed in our book)

Don’t stop at NO if you are convinced you have something wrong that necessitates some form of treatment. Sometimes all you need is that one special person who can take your situation seriously enough to get help. Our family personally saw this happen with my brother.  He was extremely wary of anyone associated with the government. As a Vietnam vet, his mistrust of a broken, ineffective system made him reluctant to seek help from a military or veteran organization of any kind. Once he decided to seek services he ran into several brick walls. Yet, he kept trying, until he finally found a former army sergeant who took his situation seriously and made things happen.

It only took one person to make a difference. Don’t’ give up or give in to frustration. Keep going. Help is available, but sometimes you may have to fight for it just like you did in battle.  If you did it then, you can do it now.

In ending, we want to thank you and your loved ones for your service and sacrifice. You have made a difference that few will understand, or perhaps fully appreciate. Nevertheless, please recognize the depth of your courage, strength and warrior spirit. These are the attributes that sustained you through combat, and now they will do so again in moving you towards healing and a better life.

Several weeks ago we were ask to respond to a set of questions regarding Post-Traumatic Stress and combat vets.  These responses will be used in a short pamphlet/flip book that will be distributed through another organization.  We thought many of our readers might find the questions and our feedback useful.  Today’s blog is the first of our five part series. (Part 1 of 5)

•1.      How do I know if my serviceperson might be suffering from PTSD?  (Symptoms, possibly)

This is a great question with a not so simple answer. Not every person who returns from serving in a war zone ends up with Post-Traumatic Stress. A great deal depends on the amount of time the person spent serving under combat conditions, as well as how many traumatic events occurred during his/her deployment. Most doctors and researchers agree that the more time spent away form home, and the more distressing events experienced during each deployment, the greater the likelihood the person may experience some form of PTSD. If the individual was already predisposed to stressful home or environmental factors before joining the military, PTSD may become even more prevalent. There is no simple formula for why one person develops PTSD while others seem OK.  But one thing is certain; it has nothing to do with a lack of strength, courage, or character.  Sometimes it is simply the hazard of war due to exposure to unspeakable traumatic events, often in life and death situations.

So what signs might you look for when suspecting someone has PTSD? Since the brain is restructured by every act it experiences, it is sensitive to many good and not so good events.  Love, hate, prejudice, kindness, and violence are just a few life experiences. Yet, when the life-threatening events occur over and over again for a long duration of time, or even during one incredibly horrifying event, the mind/brain is seared with the image and emotional feelings become imprinted.

Signs/Characteristics of PTSD:

• ð Hyperarousal and abnormal startle responses
• ð Irritability and/or jumpiness; constantly on guard
• ð Hypervigilance
• ð Nightmares, insomnia, and night sweats
• ð Recurrent traumatic memories or flashbacks
• ð Overwhelming waves of emotions
• ð Survivor guilt
• ð Feeling detached and/or emotionally withdrawn from others
• ð Fragmented sense of self and identity
• ð Panic attacks
• ð Shame
• ð Despair
• ð Lethargic or lack of motivation/interest in life, work, and family
• ð Avoidance of common places, activities
• ð Memory and concentration problems
• ð Sadness and hopelessness about the future

The key here is that a person generally does not have ALL of these symptoms at once.  Some come more often than others.  One person may have numerous panic attacks, while another may want to isolate himself and not take part in normal daily and family activities.  It is the severity and frequency of the symptoms that would suggest a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress.

by Janet J. Seahorn

OK, here is something to ponder; can Brain Trauma cause Soul Trauma? 

By “brain trauma”, I mean a traumatic brain injury, a verifiable medical condition caused by some insult to the brain, i.e., car accident, falling, hitting one’s head, being in or close to an IED explosion, shaken baby syndrome, stroke… and the list goes on. 

Every year over 1.5 million Americans experience some type of traumatic brain injury (TBI). 

Personally, I believe the number is higher, as many incidents never get reported because no one knows or realizes that such a trauma has occurred.  Which is why all of the information on TBI makes me muse over what actually goes on in the brain/mind, body, and soul when it has been injured?

I think about the mind and wonder how such a magnificent organ can be in command of so much in a person: body, emotions, perceptions…

I think about the soul and wonder how such an invisible concept can make such a difference in one’s life; a difference that gives one strength, courage, and hope to make it through some truly desperate times.

I think about how anyone who experiences a restructuring of the brain after some internal or external trauma can move forward in ways that are nothing short of miraculous.  A healing that leaves the brain changed, but the person still functioning.

I think about how the soul and spirit must somehow be part of the healing that takes place in the organ called the brain.  How the soul/spirit may give some kind of divine direction to the mind that allows it to mend.  In many cases it may not mend itself back to its original state but reorganizes in such a manner that perhaps enhances the individual with greater compassion, humility, and fearlessness.

I’d like to believe that angels watch over us and it is this entity that connects the mind, soul, and heart.  Noah benShea thoughtfully noted, “Faith sees around corners”.  Maybe these celestial beings are also within the corners of our battered minds, soothing, comforting, and mending.

Most days, though, I am just immensely appreciative that something more powerful than I can ever imagine is taking some charge over all of our well-being, perhaps from that place we call Heaven.

Last blog we focused on Traumatic Brain Injuries and how similar they can be to the symptoms of Post-traumatic Brain Disorders. To help demonstrate these similarities I have created a chart of Similarities and Differences.

Much of the information is taken from our book, “Tears of a Warrior: A Family’s Story of Combat and Living with PTSD” and soon to be released new book  by Laura Whittemore and Mary Ann Keatley, PhD, CCC, “Recovering from Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI): A Handbook of Hope for Our Military Warriors and Their Families”.

The Whittemore/Keatley book will give some helpful information on MTBIs including numerous questionnaires to assist individuals in recognizing if they need to seek medical services.

Note: Differences will be highlighted in Yellow (MTBIs) and Green (PTSD)

As you can readily see when you review the chart, the similarities are numerous which is why getting the most accurate diagnosis is critical. Treatment will differ by therapy options as well as prescribed medications. Improper identification can result in serious setbacks which may compound the individual’s ability to heal and recover from his/her injuries.

It weighs barely three pounds, but it impacts everything that we do and much of who and what we are in life. The brain is a remarkable and sensitive body organ.

 This small, jelly-like form is made up of billions of neurons and their electrical/chemical connections that impact our emotions, our ability to remember new things, movement, and our interpretations of information from all the body senses (sight, sound, touch, taste…).  When our brain is functioning well, we are able to do amazing things. Think about carrying out even the smallest tasks such as breathing, eating, watching a movie, or simply listening to music. The brain filters out unnecessary stimulus, thereby permitting us to transmit these basic, unconscious acts without much, if any effort. However, if we experience trauma to the brain, the entire system can be impacted in ways even the most knowledgeable neuroscientist doesn’t fully understand.

Now the simple tasks become much more complicated. The brain may not be able to filter out some things that allow us to focus on what is heard or seen. Or it may no longer be capable at breathing easily, or seeing accurately due to problems with concentration. 

The notable piece of information to be aware of is the injury can be so cleverly disguised inside the brain that it can be difficult to diagnosis. A person does not have to pass out or get a knock on the noggin to acquire a brain injury. A huge blast, like those from an IED (improvised, explosive device), an unexpected fall, or rear-end car accident can jiggle the brain back and forth inside the skull causing internal bleeding and swelling. If and when this occurs, the normal functioning organ is no longer capable of doing what it once did so effortlessly. There is no such thing as a “perfect” brain.  However, there is such a thing as a brain which has been damage.

Now, here’s the kicker in all of these particulars regarding the brain - the symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Mild Traumatic Brain injuries are very similar making identification of either problem tricky. Many individuals who have been involved in combat situations may have both PTSD and TBI to contend with as they cross the threshold to civilian life.

Therefore, it is critical that people who have either/both problems get medical services as soon as possible. The sooner the situation is attended to the better the results. Waiting only compounds the problem(s). If you suspect you have a problem, see a medical specialist and ask for a SPECT or an fMRI scan.  SPECT scans must use machines that are at least a three - preferably four - angle apparatus. These give clearer pictures of the brain and what is happening when a person is doing particular tasks such as reading, thinking, or doing some specific task. CAT scans and regular MRIs don’t always pick up a slow bleed in the brain which is why SPECTS or fMRIs are needed for an accurate diagnosis.

Next blog, we will give some of the physical, emotional, and cognitive symptoms of TBIs and PTSD.