#ptsdawareness

There has been a bit of discussion with secondary PTSD. I was put in contact with Dr Steffany Fredman by a former guest, Dr Carmen. Dr Fredman’s interest is in the intersection between individual mental health and couple functioning. Her focus is on those with PTSD. Dr Fredman is really interested in how PTSD affects couples’ relationships. Dr Fredman is passionate about developing, testing, and (most importantly) disseminating couple base therapy. 

This was such an insightful conversation. The concept of approaching PTSD as a team just makes sense to me. Historically for me, if I wanted to improve myself then I would always tell my close friends and family so they can hold me accountable. Whether it was making a bet I wasn’t going to drink for a year or else my buddy Chris gets to tase me at any moment he wanted. Even something as simple as wanting to go to the gym more and getting a workout buddy so it wasn’t just me letting myself down but also that person. Eventually I would get that discipline back and could return the favor when that workout partner started to struggle with consistency. Back to the couple therapy; in addition to being held accountable you both are becoming more informed about PTSD. I find that having a better understanding of what PTSD is beneficial for both individuals in a relationship. That person that cares about you will likely do anything in the world to help. Knowing what will help is important so we don’t find ourselves facilitating bad habits or making the situation worse. 

Resources Mentioned:
Book: Cognitive-Behavioral Conjoint Therapy for PTSD by Dance M. Monson and Steffany J. Fredman https://www.guilford.com/books/Cognitive-Behavioral-Conjoint-Therapy-for-PTSD/Monson-Fredman/9781462505531 https://patriot.uthscsa.edu/strongstar/pinfo/051/
https://cdmrp.army.mil/dmrdp/research_highlights/20fredman_highlight
https://www.ptsd.va.gov/
https://cdmrp.army.mil/dmrdp/research_highlights/20fredman_highlight  https://patriot.uthscsa.edu/strongstar/pinfo/051/
https://news.psu.edu/story/629394/2020/08/24/research/study-shows-promise-two-day-therapy-treat-ptsd-improve
https://news4sanantonio.com/news/trouble-shooters/new-form-of-ptsd-therapy-could-be-game-changer-for-military-coupleshttps://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/austin/in-focus/2020/09/27/two-day-therapy-retreat-helps-treat-ptsd-and-improve-relationships

Mission Statement:

Semper Fi and American’s Fund cares for our nation’s critically wounded, ill, and injured service members, veterans and the military families. Supporting all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, we provide one-on-one case management, connection, and lifetime support. Today, Tomorrow and Together. 

Jasper is a Former Marine and Veteran that shares his experience in the military, how he found his way to Semper Fi and America’s Fund (The Fund). This is a great example of how first impressions can change your life. Jasper was so inspired by The Fund that he got out of the military and joined their cause. 

When I asked him why, he said “I didn’t want to spend a day doing something I didn’t love.” 

I hope you enjoy Jasper’s journey from Marine to the Veteran 2 Veteran program as much as I did. Seeing someone take action once they were able to see a purposeful direction forward for their life really hit home with me.  Jasper speaking from his personal experiences with PTSD helped me see new aspects to my process. He spoke about not being honest with himself and not doing the things he was telling others to do. This is something I saw in myself too. Once I was real with myself and consistently did the things I knew would help, my life changed for the better.

Referenced Resources:
Semper Fi and America’s Fund (https://thefund.org)
Stories and testimonials on The Funds Website
Veteran to Veteran support program
5 Well beings (Physical, Mental, Social, Occupational and Financial)
Mindfulness and Meditation
PTSD focused Therapy
Be a good patient (be honest with the doctor/Therapist)
Gratitude practices
Having a routine and schedule
Daily Gratitude Journal 

Please share and like on IG, FB, Youtube and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have battled PTSD. Additionally if you support,  provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.

If you are looking for an awesome social media management team I’d highly recommend: https://adoredigitalmarketing.com

Danny and I met during a virtual VA program called iVET. It was a new but short prolonged exposure (PE) therapy course. Very Interesting class that was recommended by my therapist to explore for new programs provided by the VA in Hawai’i. This course was a combination of therapy, group chat and physical health all rolled in one. Danny and I really connected in the group chat. I saw a lot of similarities between her and myself. So I asked her to join me on the podcast. She shares how she identified there were some issues and ways she coped with her trauma. 

Talking with Danny reminded me how my journey started. Her talking about the positive impact of the routine of the iVet program. Healthy routines have had a huge positive impact in my life. We all know deep down the impacts of our day to day choices. We can pick the healthy choices and routine or the unhealthy ones. Then Danny spoke to the awesomeness of seeing completely different veterans with completely different stories of what caused the trauma dealing with the impacts of that trauma in very similar ways. This helped her not feel so alone, or isolated and helped her open up a bit about herself and situation more. 

Resources Mentioned:
https://www.ptsd.va.gov
PE Coach https://www.ptsd.va.gov/appvid/mobile/index.asp
Good support structure 
Therapy

Please share and like on IG, FB, Youtube and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have battled PTSD. Additionally if you support,  provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.