Can you and how can I help somebody with PTSD get better and what exactly is it?

Question

My mom has it from Iraq and it totally destroyed who she was. She has nightmares and I hate to see her suffer. she just hides in the basement/her room all day and rarely goes outside. can i help her get well and help her become who she once was?

Answer 1

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat.

Encourage your mom to get counselling, and to see a doctor. There are medications that, while they will not get rid of the memories and the experiences, they may help reduce the amount of fear and pain she is feeling-medications may be able to help her sleep and to help her anxiety/depression. Counselling, especially with a therapist who is skilled in working with Gulf War veterans, is also very important to help her work through what she saw and experienced over in Iraq.

I have PTSD from non-military issues, and it can be a very scary disorder to live with. Memories of the trauma can come back unnpredictably and sometimes the strangest things can trigger the memories-a certain smell or day on the calendar.

I also know it can get better-and while some people can get past PTSD on their own, most need help from a doctor, therapist and possibly a psychiatrist. Your mom will probably need help from all three, given the severity of her symptoms.

The links below desribe PTSD a bit more and give tips on how to help. Don't forget to also take care of yourself and be gentle with yourself during this time-you may also want to explore counselling to give you a safe outlet to express some of your feelings over what your mom is going through.

Answer 2

Yes they can get better but sometimes they need professional help to work through all their feelings and thoughts.

I wonder, does she talk about things that have happened or does keep it to herself?

It would help if she was able to say some of the horrors she witnessed.

Sometimes the brain blocks off talking about horrific things and it's hard then to go through it in a rational way.

Shock of this kind can overwhelm people and they are not able to make any sense of it....there are no words, the brain doesn't know where to begin.

A trained counsellor would know this and much more and be very skilled at helping your mum through this.

When you go through counsel ling it does stir up very vivid images and it's like reliving the whole thing again...the same powerful emotions and the temptation is to stop the treatment because it's too painful. It is important to persevere with it though as these emotions and thoughts gradually come down the more they are expressed. A good counselor will take things at your mother's pace so she feels in control.

I sincerely hope that your mother will heal soon.

Best wishes.

Answer 3

As already mentioned it was thought to be a state induced by fear from combat, and it was called different things in different wars. Shell Shock in WW I, Battle Fatigue in WW II. The fact is that, as some of your previous friends mentioned here, it is now much more understood, and it is realized that it can happen from non-military circumstances too. More and more research from the VA has shown that it frequently triggered when the camaraderie that can only be appreciated in a military-like situation occurs. Military people will tell you they did not fight for their country, or for some lofty ideals. They fought to help their buddies survive. The fact that they lived, and many of these buddies did not is frequently the trigger that begins the process that eventually becomes Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Now they have seen this syndrome occur in a civilian scenario too. Say where the survivor of an airplane crash begins to wonder, "Why did the people sitting near me die and I did not." They feel guilty that they may not have done something that might have lead to the survival of the others, even if they were not particularly close to these dead individuals. This feeling of guilt seems to become more and more disabling, and time is the purveyor of worsening symptoms. Finally it has been shown in recent VA research that there is a true physical component to this syndrome making it a real disorder. Detailed scans of the brain have shown that the Amygdala of the brain, which is the pleasure center of the brain that processes pleasant thoughts, and allows the individual to experience joy. Eventually, over time, this brain component shrinks to half the size of a normal uneffected person. The statistics show that about 30% of all troops male and female, that have been exposed to serious combat eventually develop this disorder. Time is of the essence, and therapy is the key. Eventually most people can be shown that it was not their fault, but simply fate that chose who lived or died. Please try to impress on your loved one that she is loved and truly appreciated, and that she must get help as soon as possible so as not to let this syndrome become a truly disabling disorder. Good Luck as all America's soliders deserve so much more then this as their legacy.

Answer 4

This condition used to be called being "shell shocked" and was very common among soldiers. I know exactly what your mom is going through. The most important thing is to see a therapist. At the moment, I'm sure she feels alone, like no one understands what she's been through (except other soldiers), and is dealing with having to leave friends back in the middle east. A therapist will show her that she is not alone and that many, many others know what's happening to her and can help her.

Once she makes that first step, there is medication and group therapy that can help her deal with her feelings.

Please don't force her to do anything, but let her know that you're there for her. When she's ready, you can give her some suggestions.

Regards: A brother in arms.

Answer 5

My partner has PTSD from an abusive childhood.

It can take years to recover from, sometimes with years of remission, but it can then be triggered again into a more active phase with another "traumatic" incident. It may not be traumatic for other people, but if it reminds the person of the original events, it can have dramatic effects, preventing them from functioning, having "flashbacks", anxiety, feeling scared, etc.

Counselling, particularly with an expert in working with PTSD survivors can be of immense help, tho it can take a long time to recover.

Know that it is not your fault. You may be able to offer support as your mum needs it, but you also need to look after yourself - PTSD sufferers are often unable to look after you, and can deplete your resources. Know your limits of what you can and can't do, and make sure you still have time for rest and relaxation yourself.

It can be extremely stressful living with/spending a lot of time with someone with PTSD, so you may also also benefit by seeing a counsellor experienced in working with loved ones of PTSD sufferers.

Good luck. I feel for you

Answer 6

I see many have given you the definitions so I won't bother you about that. It is what it is....another diagnosis. She would probably also be diagnosed with agoraphobia. I say this because I am. I will give you the simple definition: fear of leaving your comfortable place" for her, It is basement.
I would asses what types of medication she was on if any. TOO many medications do more damage than good and who wants to live dependent on a pill for the rest of their life? I didn't.
I am 28 years old and have been diagnosed with both mentioned and a list of others.
I have been treated with quite the variety of medication, psychiatrist, psychologists, counselors and even in-patient treatment.
the result was not what i wanted.
I still had all the same problems. Sure I may have felt good for a short time but the reality is, it's time for her to heal herself.
Your love and devotion to her is very admirable and I applaud you for that. So many are quick to judge and assume that it is something you can just "GET OVER". It doesn't work that way.
Our brains work better than computers but are a lot like them. the difference is...we never lose our memory.
OK, please don't think I am some sort of nut. I am a 38 year old divorced mom that has lived in hell on earth most my life.
I gave advice similar to this earlier and I am sorry if I sound like a broken record but I just cannot emphasize enough how much CONTROL WE each have of how we feel and how we chose (subconsciously of course) to let our past be our present.
A month ago, I had hit a place in my life that suicide was looking all too good. I was so tired of living in pain, fear, the feeling of no self worth...etc.
Before I go on let me tell you that I am not much for reading. I have always been a writer. I am not trying to sell anything for anyone. A friend of mine sent me this link http://drphilstore.com/selmatpaped.html
It's a book. My friend after hearing me say,"That sounds like something I should try." Bought the book and had it mailed to me. I was going to check myself into a hospital (Psych ward) as a last attempt next, take my life it it did me no good. I was So depressed, scared and all the other bad emotions raveled into one big mess! I planned to go into the hospital on Monday and this book arrived on the Saturday before.
I was excited and immediately started reading. This isn't an ordinary book by far. It makes you write things down and in detail. It has been very very emotional for me. A lot of the feelings I have resurfaced, I didn't even know existed in my already complicated world. As I have went through and did more lessons, learning to literally peel back layers of life.
I can honestly say that in facing and understanding the horrible things in my life that I know that there is a person just covered in 38 years of BS. I am about to and already have in many ways, taking control back. We don't realize how much we give up.
I said it before and I will never stop. This book has been my BEST decision EVER!
I feel human again. I am not done with the lessons not the book but it's so hard to explain but I know, without a doubt, I am going to be my self. The person I was 'Born' to be as soon as I am ready.
It is a lot of work, a lot of emotional stuff will surface, like I said but the end result...AMAZING!
Just in where I am in the lessons, I have something I don't remember ever having..CONFIDENCE!
I am happy that someone finally found away for me to heal to the core without meds, counseling etc. (meds are a cover up) In some ways they can be helpful, many in fact. But for the most part they only camouflage a much deeper problem.
Please, buy your mom this book. If I were finished, I would put mine in the mail right now for you! It's amazing to me what this book is.
OK, I sound like a babbling idiot but my heart aches for your mother. I KNOW this book will help her and you will see her SHINE!
Message me anytime and Hug your Mom from a friend,
~T~

Answer 7

Sorry to hear about your mom,.. PTSD is really something you can try to help her get better with getting her some therepy and medication, I too suffer from it for diffrent reasons, therepy AND medication not one alone. good luck

Answer 8

Go here, it should be able to help!

Good luck!