Advocating for Sgt Bowe Bergdahl, US Army - POW!

June 30th marks the end of three years captivity for Sgt Bowe Bergdahl, US Army!

Today is the first day of The Week of Action and Prayer to remember Bowe as we count down to the anniversary of his 3rd year of captivity in just 6 days.

We have a request for those who are praying for Bowe and his family. Please pray that those who are working extra hard this week to get the word out about Bowe, as well as those who are contacting government, would have courage and boldness in their work. Give them the right words to say and open the ears and hearts of those who are hearing those words. Please pray that through the work of those across the nation who support Bowe, thousands more will come to actively join us all in the effort that is being undertaken to bring him home. And, as always, please pray that blessings would be poured out on Bowe and his family and that their reunion would not be delayed a minute more. And for those who don't do much praying, please take time to visualize these things as real.

Along with our prayers this week, there are many things happening around the country for Bowe. (We'll keep everyone posted as the week progresses.) The primary goals this week are 1) to contact those in government to remind them that Bowe's rescue must remain a top level priority. Let's push hard this week to call, write and email so that our Members of Congress and others in government would receive a flood of contacts form Bowe's Supporters. 2) we want to raise awareness about Bowe's situation. Get the word out, tell his story- so many have yet to hear it. Help to guide these people who are just learning about him so they will know how to translate their awareness into action. 3) Pray. Prayer is the fuel to our fire. It is the thing that will move the ordinary into realm of extraordinary. Prayer is what transforms that which is limited by our human abilities into that which is infinite with possibilities.

Please continue to invite others to join us this week to remember Bowe. Please pass this post along to your friends. We're also including some links below to some very useful info.

Are You ready? So let's do what we all do best this week- come together as a force to be reckoned with and show the world that we are standing strong for Bowe.

USEFUL LINKS:
JOIN the Week of Action & Prayer and INVITE your friends (remember that this an "anywhere you are" event so it's easy for nearly everyone to be part of): https://www.facebook.com/events/161867847243827/

INFO about how to Contact you elected officials: http://supportbowe.org/contact-elected-officials/

A DOWNLOADABLE BROCHURE you can use to get the word out:

http://supportbowe.org/bowe_bergdahl_brochure/

MAKE YOUR OWN SIGN with this template to show your support:

http://supportbowe.org/bowe-support-sign/

GREAT IDEAS- What others are doing to raise awareness about Bowe: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.302700829818923.74928.186446128111061&type=3

HELP to get Bowe's name into the Twitter feed (this is where we've had a lot of luck getting the attention of celebrities, politicians and the media- it's amazing who'll actually reply personally to a tweet that they receive about Bowe): https://www.facebook.com/photo.php fbid=281340658621607&set=a.196725307083143.51330.186446128111061&type=3

PTSD/TRAUMA IN THE AFTERMATH OF ABUSE

Recovering from NPD abuse, or any form of domestic violence.

When recovering from NPD abuse, or any form of domestic violence, what many therapists miss is the fact that PTSD is a very debilitating symptom that accompanies the aftermath. Unfortunately, many misdiagnose our symptoms for bi-polar and sometimes even borderline personality disorder, amongst other things. This is detrimental and harmful to our recovery, as while some other mental illnesses may accompany the injury we've suffered - or may have existed prior to the relationship - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is REAL and there are various treatments available to help with symptoms.

It is important to find a skilled therapist that understands NPD abuse, as well as one who is skilled in PTSD and/or C-PTSD as an UNskilled therapist can actually do MORE damage.

I am not the trained professional, but my "title" as Narc Raider Educator finds me in a position of always wanting to live up to my name; therefore, I am humble enough to know that I cannot be a master of anything other than allowing members to vent, and maybe helping in putting some of this in perspective since I've walked the walk - SO since I am not planning a thesis on PTSD but I believe I've gotten myself under control...I shall provide a few links that will help members better understand what they're up against to the best of my ability. Please do share, discuss and ask questions as if I don't have the answer or can't find it - I remain hopeful that those who have walked this walk might be able to share some of their experiences in an effort to help those recently injured make some sense of all of it.

Ultimately the decison in terms of treatment rests with the victim; however, without knowledge it is difficult to take a front row seat in your recovery. At best, a therapist as a facilitator in your recovery is there to listen and help you find your own answers - they don't hold any magic key other than a script for some meds that will help take the edge off if that is the route you elect to go. The responsibility lies on the victim to advocate in their own best interests. The only way to do that is to be armed with a general knowledge so that one can make informed decisons about their treatment plan.

To keep things simple, I think it best to break this down into a few discussion threads keeping in mind that in the early stages, it is hard to focus and concentrate. I acknowledge I am long winded at times, so I will try to keep it short and digestible. With that in mind, here is a link which describes symptoms of PTSD in a very simple fashion. You can access that link HERE. (*Note: there is no religious agenda at Narc Raiders and while I realize that this particular link did have a religious affiliation, I am simply endorsing the list - should you desire to explore that site further it will be at your own discretion, the link was simply provided as a means of providing members a simple to digest thumbnail sketch of PTSD) I will be sure to include other sources of information, but if you can identify some of these symptoms, it might be possible you are suffering some from of trauma, and might wish to investigate the subject further. Remember, the key to healing is learning enough about NPD to own that you do not deserve to own any blame in what has happened to you, or feel shame, but if we're going to get obsessed about anything, it should not be every detail of NPD but rather, obsess about healing from debilitating after effects. Recovery IS possible...

Source: http://narcraiders.ning.com/forum/topics/ptsd-trauma

12 Steps To PTSD, by Randy J. Hartman, Ph.D

THE TWELVE STEPS TO THE FORMATION OF A PTSD

The formation of a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) starts with the event developing. The event(s) can be positive or negative in content. The event may start out initially as a traumatic occurrence, but this is not an absolute requirement. The event may start out as pleasant, but conclude as traumatic.

First we need to understand what constitutes trauma. The definition of “trauma” that I offer is; When an event occurs that causes us physical and emotional pain that goes beyond our control. The events can be initiated by our environment, people and us.

In these traumatic events we receive pain from two sources. Physical pain is the most obvious source. This occurs from an impact to our physical self and results in bruising, bleeding, cuts, fracture sand tears to our body parts. The emotional pain can also be horrific pain. This comes to our emotions from being told negative information, being threatened, demeaning and derogatory words to describe us lead us to believe we are a bad person. As a result of this pain our memory implants this information as well as our Skelton-muscular system becomes imprinted with memory. All of the body’s resources are affected.

There are buttons that become pushed because of things that are imprinted in our visual, auditory and old factory sensors. The senses stimulate the fight or flight response. Perhaps just the smell of an order or the sounds of something happening or maybe the sight of something can be the catalyses for negative reaction by the client that may send them into an uncontrollable panic attack.

The trauma may be real or imagined, the pain/symptoms the individual is experiencing is very real to them. For that fact we must respect their “Model of the World”. The client alone owns their reality, otherwise known as their “Model of the World”. If we attempt to deny them their reality then strong walls of resistance will develop and impede any attempt at a meaningful intervention.

Until proven wrong, I contend that people who have had a lobotomy or lost use of their frontal cortex and have no capacity for emotions are incapable of experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in its true form per the DSM Four, TR. To add an additional thought, I also assert that those individual who are Antisocial Personality Disorders are also impervious to the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Per the DSM Four, TR, page 647, the Antisocial Personality Disorder (301.7) states the following; that the client frequently lack empathy and tend to be callous, cynical, and contemptuous of the feelings, rights, and sufferings of others. The description continues to go on to suggest that this client operates at a level devoid of human feelings.

There are two problematic areas in dealing with PTSD as a clinical hypnotherapist. First, is that the majority of people suffering with PTSD is being treated with medications for anxiety, sleep loss and nightmares/terrors. My experience has taught me that a good many PTSD patients do not want to stop or wean-off the psychotropic drugs. The pleasant feelings that the drugs creates is a depressed “buzz” that is legal and insurance companies pay for it.

Secondly, there is the issue mainly clinicians in the field avoid talking about; secondary gains. Patients will use their PTSD diagnosis to elicit sympathy and pity. There can also be a nice cash reward in the form of a permanent disability check every month amounting to hundreds, if not a thousand plus dollars. Unfortunately our society does not offer any real incentives for a person to improve or be cured. It takes a highly motivated person to seek and complete treatment.

Clinical hypnotherapy has proven itself in treating patients with “flashbacks” and intrusive repetitive thoughts. The NLP application of the Swish pattern and fast phobia cure has been very successful. Reframing of the crisis events is also extremely helpful. The mainstay of treatment for PTSD is still “talk therapy”, otherwise known as cognitive behavioral therapy. This has also been referred to as exposure therapy. The more a patient is repetitively exposed to the crisis; the impact of the crisis diminishes.

Another issue not to be overlooked in the treatment of PTSD is suicide. There are a significant number of suicide gestures and attempts in this population. The patients are not only overwhelmed by their situation, they are also usually under the influence of legal or illegal drugs that cloud their judgment.

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10 Things You Can Do to Help Veterans with PTSD

Another lead up to PTSD Awareness Day, June 27.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is one of the signature medical issues for returning combat veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. So, it’s important that the civilian community from employers to educators understand and know how to help those living with PTSD.

Vietnam veterans have been instrumental in pushing for PTSD awareness among the military hierarchy, government officials and civilian communities. For veterans, understanding the symptoms and seeking early treatment is critical for successfully living with the disorder. But, civilians can help too.

10 Ways community members can help:

1. Understand that anyone can experience trauma, such as accidents, assault, war, or disasters.
2. Think broadly. When trauma happens, the survivor’s family, friends,coworkers, and community are affected.
3. Learn about common reactions to trauma and readjustment to life outside a war zone.
4. Be aware of where get help for trauma survivors, Veterans, and people with PTSD.
5. Expand your understanding of how PTSD is identified and treated.
6. Know that treatment for PTSD works.
7. Ask a Veteran or trauma survivor if talking would help, but do not push if someone is not ready to discuss things.
8. Realize that stigma is a barrier to getting treatment. Getting people to talk orseek help is not always easy. Your encouragement matters.
9. Know the facts. More than half of US adults will experience trauma in their lifetime. About 7% of adults will deal with PTSD at some point. For Veteransand male and female sexual assault survivors, the figure is higher.
10. Connect with self-help resources, apps, and videos about PTSD.

The list is courtesy of the VA National Center for PTSD. You can stay informed about PTSD through the PTSD Monthly Update.

If you feel you have symptoms of PTSD and are looking for help the Veteran's Crisis Line is always open. You are never alone, call 1-800-273-8255 to talk to someone who knows what you are going through and can help you get the treatment you need.

The Crisis Line is available to anyone who needs help 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. There is always an understanding and caring voice on the other end of the phone who will help you with questions, concerns, treatment options and talk as long as you need to. 

Please do not hesitate to call at anytime for any reason, you are important to a lot of people and getting help with your PTSD is what your loved ones want for you, you are not alone!

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