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Reboot-Refresh: Invisible Wounds Support Group

April 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

 

This month, Reboot-Refresh is taking a “field trip”.  We have found out that the documentary, Hell and Back Again, will be coming to Lexington, Kentucky, for one night only. Since the documentary is being presented at the same time we normally meet, we have decided to attend the showing of Hell and Back Again, and then meet afterwards to discuss the film.

We hope you will join us. Here are the details:

The movie is 90 minutes. It is being shown at LexArts, 161 N. Mill Street, Lexington, 40507.  It is free and open to the public. It is being presented by KET as part of the ITVS nationwide Community Cinema program.  We will meet in front of LexArts at 6:00 pm, Thursday, April 19.

Here is some information about our Invisible Wounds Care Group, Reboot-Refresh.   We meet on the third Thursday of each month.  We meet at Southland Christian Church, in Room B133.

Our focus is to support one another and learn to help one another through life after combat.  Many of us are playing a role of primary support for someone who has served in combat at some point in their past.

If you know your loved one is dealing with PTSD or a mild TBI, this group is for you.  If your loved one doesn’t have a diagnosis, but you know life is simply not the same anymore since their return from war, this group is for you.  Statistically, at least 20% of returning troops will have PTSD.  Realistically, everyone who serves will come back changed.

PTSD carries a stigma that we don’t speak of outside our homes. The symptomatic behaviors are often nothing to brag about and we prefer to keep problems to ourselves, hoping and praying that the situation will resolve itself in time. Thousands of veterans return home from war finding themselves unable to fit back into society. These men and women now face a battle on the homefront which can result in broken relationships, substance abuse, mental illness, homelessness, and suicide.

Even if your loved one is seeking treatment, there is much that we, as caregivers, need to learn so that we can help our loved one work towards health and healing.  Often times, our emotional reaction to what is happening will make the situation far worse.  You may even find that you are exhibiting symptoms of Secondary Traumatic Stress and you probably feel overwhelmed and at a loss as to how to get any help for yourself.

We are not experts, but we are survivors.  The purpose of this care group is to provide a safe atmosphere in which participants can share their hearts and their struggles. We have all experienced the spiritual, mental, and emotional battles that come with supporting and loving a combat veteran living with war’s invisible wounds.

We welcome anyone who has already walked this path in supporting a combat veteran.  You can show us some of the lessons and techniques you have learned and teach us to be a better support for our own combat veteran.

If you are a veteran who is willing to share your perspective about living with PTSD, we would welcome your participation and suggestions for helping family members learn to be a better support for their combat veteran.

If you are the parent, spouse, family member, or close friend to one of our nation’s veterans suffering with PTSD and TBI, we hope you will join us on the first and third Thursday nights of each month.  The group will meet monthly, on the third Thursday evening of the month from 6:30 – 8:00 pm.  Childcare is provided.  We will be meeting at Southland Christian Church, Room B133, located at 5001 Harrodsburg Rd., Nicholasville, KY For driving directions, click here.  For a building map, click here.

If you have any questions, please contact Beth at beth@military-missions.org.

Filed Under: Invisible Wounds, PTSD, TBI, Veteran Family Support Tagged With: , , , ,

Ask Dr Diaz about Secondary PTSD

April 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Military Missions and Voice of Warriors join together each Tuesday night at 7:00 pm to bring you VOW Talk Radio.

When men and women return from combat, family members step up to care for them.  With ten years of war, thousands are returning home with Post Traumatic Stress.  When PTSD is brought into the home, the family is going to be directly affected.  Many family members find themselves experiencing their own symptoms of what is known as Secondary PTSD.

Dr. Rolando Diaz  joins VOW Talk Radio on Tuesday, April 10, at 7:00 pm (EDT) to answer your questions about Secondary PTSD.  Dr. Diaz, a Give an Hour provider, and clinical psychologist with an independent practice in Arlington, Virginia, joins our show on the second Tuesday of each month to answer your questions about surviving life after combat.

Dr. Diaz will be clarifying the distinction between true PTSD, secondary experiences that are tied to the trauma that the service member experienced (e.g., a wife having nightmares of her husband’s accident), and the experiences that result from living with someone with PTSD.  All of these get labeled the same way but represent very different circumstances and need different treatment approaches.

Listen live by clicking here or calling the show at 424-258-9240. Don’t forget to join our live chat during the show.

Signs and symptoms that may indicate Secondary PTSD

  • The survivor may lose interest in family or intimate activities and may become emotionally isolated or detached.  Family members may feel hurt, alienated, frustrated and discouraged.
  • The survivor may exhibit behaviors that indicate he is irritable, tense, anxious, worried, distractible, startled, enraged, controlling, overprotective, and demanding. Family members may feel like they live in a war zone, often reacting in anger, or purposely distancing themselves from the trauma survivor.
  • Even if the trauma occurred decades ago, the survivor may act feel as if the trauma is still happening.  Family members may also feel as if their secondary trauma is still happening.  As time passes, the family may begin to avoid activities with others, and become isolated from friends outside the family.  They may feel that no one outside the family could possibly understand their situation.
  • The trauma survivor often feels there is no future for which to look forward. Family members may find it very difficult to have a cooperative discussion with the survivor about important plans and decisions for the future.
  • The survivor may have difficulty listening and concentrating. He may become easily distracted, tense, or anxious. He may become hyper vigilant, displaying angry and overly suspicious behavior toward family members. The trauma survivor may become fearful about problems becoming terrible catastrophes. As well, the family may find it difficult to discuss personal or family problems because the survivor may become controlling, demanding, overprotective, and anxious.
  • Family members may become over involved with the lives of healthy family members due to need for positive emotional feedback, or they may ignore the healthy members of the family giving all of their attention to the trauma survivor.
  • Family members may find their sleep disrupted by the survivor’s sleep problems (reluctance to sleep at night, restlessness, severe nightmares or episodes of violent sleepwalking).  Family members also often find themselves having terrifying nightmares, leading to a fear of going to sleep, or difficulty getting a restful night’s sleep.
  • Ordinary activities, such as shopping, driving or attending a movie may trigger traumatic memories and flashbacks throwing one into “survival mode” suddenly and without explanation.  The survivor may shut down emotionally, or leave abruptly leaving family members feeling stranded, helpless, and worried.
  • Trauma survivors with PTSD often struggle with intense anger or rage and often have difficulty coping with the impulse to lash out verbally or physically. Family members can easily feel frightened and betrayed by the survivor, despite feeling love and concern for their loved one.
  • Family members are also frequently exposed to emotional, financial, and domestic problems. Survivors experiencing PTSD may seek relief and escape with alcohol or other drugs.  Addictive behaviors such as gambling and eating disorders are common.  Addictions offer false hope to the survivor by seeming to help for a short time.  Soon these addictions increase the fear, anxiety, tension, anger and emotional numbness which go hand in hand with PTSD.
  • When suicide is a danger, family members face the unavoidable strains of worry, guilt, grief, fear, and anger.
Filed Under: Invisible Wounds, Military Families, Military Parents, Military Spouses, PTSD, Veterans, VOW Talk Radio Tagged With: , , ,

Warfighter Mindset

March 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Did you know that Military Missions Inc partners with Voice of Warriors each week to bring VOW Talk Radio to the airwaves?  Military Missions founder, Beth Pennington, joins Patti Katter, founder of Voice of Warriors and Christian Military Wives each Tuesday night to bring you VOW Talk Radio. The show airs via BlogTalk Radio so you can tune in each Tuesday evening at 7:00 pm (EDT) right from your computer or using your phone no matter where you live in the great USA!

We have a great show coming up tonight. Boone Cutler  and Shawn Gourley  will be joining VOW Talk Radio us. The warfighter mindset will be our focus as we discuss the role that education plays in the law enforcement community.  We are referring, of course, to education about Post Traumatic Stress experienced by our combat veterans.

Boone and Shawn will be sharing about their upcoming participation at the Western States Hostage Negotiation Association’s conference  in June.

Warfighter Boone Cutler is an author and Veteran’s Rights leader who has become the first nationally recognized on-air personality who is also a Warfighter from the current war. ‘Tipping Point with Boone Cutler’ airs Saturday mornings on Fox News Radio.

Shawn is the author of The War at Home: One Family’s Fight Against PTSD.   In her book, Shawn and her husband, Justin, share their personal experiences living life with Post Traumatic Stress. Best known for starting Military with PTSD on Facebook, Shawn leads a unique community of veterans and their family members who offer support to one another. Shawn joins the VOW team on the third Tuesday of each month to discuss issues relevant to families facing life after combat.

 

Filed Under: Invisible Wounds, PTSD, Veterans, VOW Talk Radio Tagged With: , ,

Our Military Kids: Building Dreams

November 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Have you heard of Our Military Kids?  Join Military Missions and Voice of Warriors on VOW Talk Radio and hear our interview with Greg O’Brien who will be sharing all about how the nonprofit helps dreams come true for the children of our National Guard and Military Reserve personnel deployed overseas, as well as the children of wounded warriors from all branches.

Our Military Kids awards grants to pay for participation in sports, fine arts, camps, tutoring programs, and a variety of other opportunities to nurture and sustain children while a parent is deployed or recovering from injury.

There are many psychological benefits to having a child enrolled in an activity. For wounded warriors, the family’s daily life almost always revolves around the injury and recovery process.  Grants provided by Our Military Kids allow children to be involved in something that is all about them.  Activities allow children to focus on a positive experience at a time when they may be dealing with a lot of negativity or an inability to understand why a parent has returned with injuries.

In the case of Traumatic Brain Injury and/or Post Traumatic Stress, the soldier may look the same, but act very differently.  Allowing a child an opportunity to focus on something positive, interesting, and just for them, is a great way to keep the child healthy through the challenging times the family will face during recovery.

If you or your loved one are serving in the National Guard or any branch of the Military Reserve, you are likely living a fair distance from a military base.  Because the family programs typically offered on a military base are not something in which you can take advantage, Our Military Kids can give you the opportunity to let your children live out their dreams too, by taking classes or being part of a team.

Find out how to apply for a grant, what types of activities are eligible, and what type of impact these grants have on the children who receive them. Click here to listen! The show airs at 8:00 pm on Monday, November 28. Listen live or download the show and listen after it airs.

Filed Under: Deployment, Invisible Wounds, Military Families, TBI, VOW Talk Radio Tagged With: , , ,

Please Don’t Leave Me Homeless

November 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

If you live in the Central Kentucky area, there is a very unique opportunity for you to attend an event and show your support for our homeless Veterans tonight.  An Evening of Giving Thanks to our Veterans will be held at the Lexington Opera House. Admission is free.

There is a good chance you don’t know anyone personally who is homeless, but these homeless Veterans have served our nation on your behalf and mine.  It may be difficult for you to understand why so many of our veterans are returning from military service only to find themselves living on the streets, but I’ve met many who have ended up without homes, and given their circumstances, it is easy to see why the numbers of homeless Veterans is growing every day.

From 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm, in the lobby of the Opera House, you can view the art exhibit, Please Don’t Leave Me Homeless.  The artwork has been created by Homeless Veterans of Lexington.  Come and meet the artists, hear their stories, and honor their service to our great nation.

Beginning at 8:00 pm, the original, acclaimed play, Please Don’t Call me Homeless….I Don’t Call You Homed, will be performed by men and women who have been homeless in Lexington.  Come and learn about the reality of what life is like for our Veterans who call the streets of Lexington home.

Appalachian Home holiday wreaths will be available to order. These gifts will brighten your home for the holiday and give a home to homeless Veterans.

This event is sponsored by the Catholic Action Center, Central KY Council for Peace and Justice, Christian Appalachian Project’s Appalachian Home, Divine Providence, Inc.’s Lexington Homeless Veteran’s Program, and Friends of Ending Homelessness for Veterans in our Community.

This is a rare opportunity we have here in Lexington to get to know these heroes.  It’s by the grace of God that you and I have a roof over our heads.  Let’s give thanks for what we have, and let’s come out and support this event. We can help our homeless Veterans to get back on their feet.  I think it is the least we can do after all they have done for us.

Filed Under: Invisible Wounds, PTSD, Updates, Veteran Family Support, Veterans Tagged With: , , , ,

Secondary PTSD discussed on VOW Talk Radio

November 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Have you heard of Secondary PTSD?  If you haven’t, it’s time that you did. If your Veteran has PTSD, there is a good chance that you may develop Secondary PTSD.  You may already have symptoms and not even realize that you do.  Secondary PTSD can affect spouses, children, parents, and any other significant person involved in the lives of our nation’s combat veterans.

Click here to listen to our latest VOW Talk Radio show airing tonight at 9:00 pm. Shawn Gourley, author of The War at Home: One Family’s Fight Against PTSD, talks about her book and how Secondary PTSD has affected her family. During the interview, VOW Radio hostess, Beth Pennington, will also be sharing about her own battle with Secondary PTSD.  If you think this is something that can only happen to someone else, you are wrong.

Click here to read more.

 

Filed Under: Invisible Wounds, PTSD, Updates, Veteran Family Support, VOW Talk Radio Tagged With: ,

Hidden Wounds are a burden to soldiers and their families

October 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Join Military Missions and Voice of Warriors for VOW Talk Radio on Monday, October 31, 2011. Author, Nate Brookshire, will be our special guest. Nate is calling us straight from his base overseas to share about the upcoming release of the book he cowrote with Marius Tecoanta, Hidden Wounds: A Soldier’s Burden, which is being released on November 15, 2011.

Hidden Wounds: A Soldier’s Burden, is “the story of two soldiers robbed of their happiness, yet both clinging fiercely to the Honor; and the stories of their wives, as strong in heart as any warrior.”

Carl Prine, military veteran and reporter for Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, states the following about the book.

“Because their first book sprawls across continents and generations, some readers might assume Captains Nathan Brookshire and Marius Tecoanta have written popular fiction. But their words really speak to men fresh from combat and returning for more. Rather than trying to understand “Hidden Wounds: A Soldier’s Burden” as a timeless study of pain, loss and regret, readers should think of it as a testament to an American military suffering through nearly a decade at war. There’s an abiding decency to this novel, which I suspect was animated by the authors’ shared strength of character and commitment to help others.”

Nate is currently serving as an active duty commissioned officer with the US Army. He has served for over 20 years with multiple deployments to numerous combat zones.  Marius is a commissioned officer with the Oregon National Guard. His has a diverse career in manufacturing and law enforcement, as well as the military.

You can listen live to our interview with Nate Brookshire on Monday, October 31, 2011 at 8:00 pm, or download the interview from our Blog Talk Radio page or directly from iTunes after the show has aired.

Filed Under: Invisible Wounds, PTSD, VOW Talk Radio Tagged With: , ,

Supporting our troops can sometimes mean taking a stand

October 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Please don’t mistake my disinterest in allowing another child to enter the Corps as a lack of support for our military. Our family will continue to serve and support our military, their families, and our veterans by giving our time and our talents to meet the needs here on the homefront.  We will fight this battle for those who can not stand alone and we will not stop until every veteran is back home and receiving the support and care needed to move forward and live a fulfilling life.

A letter to Sergeant Major, Marine Corps Recruiting Command

Michael A. Logan

Sergeant Major, United States Marine Corps

Sergeant Major, Marine Corps Recruiting Command

3280 Russell Road, 2nd Floor

Quantico, VA 22134-5103

 

Dear Sgt Maj Logan,

Today my youngest son, a 17 year old high school senior, received two more pieces of recruiting material in the mail.  You have been sending him mail since he was a sophomore, but I found receiving this mail even more appalling today because I completed the Military Recruitment Opt-Out Parent Form on August 4, 2011.  I will admit that it was a choice that felt strange and almost foreign to me, but there was no hesitation in my decision the day I signed my name on that form.

I feel that military service is one of the most honorable professions one can choose.  I am grateful for those who are willing to serve and sacrifice on my behalf so that I can continue to live in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.  I know that it is imperative that our nation have a strong military, and with no draft, we need people to step up and serve.

So why, you ask, did I sign the Opt-Out form?  Basically, I want to make a point.  I have already given one child to the Marine Corps.  He served three combat tours for our nation.  He gave his heart and soul to the United States Marine Corps.  He believed that Semper Fidelis meant ALWAYS faithful.  He believed that when the Marines say that they will never leave anyone behind, they keep that promise.

Unfortunately, some who wear the uniform of the United States Marine Corps did not follow through and they were not faithful to the end.  These men let my son down.  These men let our family down, and we all know that my son is not the only one of this path of rejection, despair, and deplorable health care.

First he was denied quality care by the Wounded Warrior Battalion, and now he has all but given up on the local VA Medical Center, as the employees are apparently too overburdened to have an ounce of care left in them to take care of our disabled combat veterans.

Until the military, and specifically those who wear the uniform of the United States Marine Corps, can take care of their own and live up to their promises, you are not welcome to send your recruiting materials to my home.  If you can’t take care of these men and women when they return home from war, broken and unable to serve, then do NOT come knocking at our doors to take our remaining children away.

Instead of promising teenage boys that they can be among the “greatest heroes this country has ever known, forever belonging to an elite brotherhood of specially trained warriors”, perhaps you should be promising our injured Marines that you will take care of them no matter the outcome.  Forever belonging is a term which is obviously used loosely.  Apparently it is only meant for those who dodge the bullets and the IED’s, and come home without living through anything remotely traumatic.

It is my opinion that you should not bring one more person into military service unless you can guarantee that you will take care of them once they return home from the war zone.  I would imagine that you expect every Marine to do his job to the best of his ability.  You, Sir, are a Marine, and you are not doing your job to the best of your ability if you and other Marine Corps leaders can not take care of each one recruited into the Corps assuring them the best possible care when they return home from combat with injuries.

As a member of the Corps leadership, you spent over a quarter of a million dollars training my son to be a part of Marine Corps Special Operations Command.  I would think you would be more careful with your investment and insist on quality health care and rehabilitation programs that have more to offer than drug cocktails and three month waits between appointments.

I would love for my youngest son to have an opportunity to take his place among the elite few who have come before him.  The first one he would stand beside would be his oldest brother, who served honorably for three combat tours. He would stand next to his brother who was chosen, who trained, and who served honorably in MARSOC.

We all bought the recruiter’s promise back in 2003.  I trusted you, a Corps leader, to take care of my boy.  I signed him over at the age of seventeen to the Delayed Entry Program because you said that the “self-discipline, self-confidence, and the respect my oldest son would receive would be more than worth the sacrifice of training and service.”  We caught a glimpse of that for a few short years until his injuries deemed him unfit for service and apparently, unfit for the Semper Fidelis package promised at Parris Island.

We gave you a child full of promise and potential, but what was returned home to our family was a wounded combat veteran for whom there is no system in place to provide quality care.

Thousands of troops come home physically wounded or suffering with the invisible wounds of Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress each year.  This war seems to have no end.  The numbers of injured are increasing and the health care system for our troops and veterans is already overwhelmed.  There are too many who need help and not enough services and providers who can treat them.

When sending out future recruiting materials, for every Marine you show pictured in his Dress Blues, perhaps you should also show a photo of the many homeless Marines living under the bridges across this country.  Give these teenagers an opportunity to look at both sides of the coin before they sign their lives away.

I have already given one son for the cause and I have watched the system, as it currently exists, do nothing but further destroy his life. Our family will Opt-Out of military service until the Department of Defense and the Veteran’s Administration are both willing to uphold their end of the bargain and take care of those who serve.

Please don’t mistake my disinterest in allowing another child to enter the Corps as a lack of support for our military. Our family will continue to serve and support our military, their families, and our veterans by giving our time and our talents to meet the needs here on the homefront.  We will fight this battle for those who can not stand alone and we will not stop until every veteran is back home and receiving the support and care needed to move forward and live a fulfilling life.

Respectfully submitted,

Beth Pennington

 

cc: Fayette County Public Schools

Filed Under: Invisible Wounds, Military Families, Military Support, PTSD, TBI, Updates, Veteran Family Support, Veterans Tagged With: , , , ,

There is a blessing in the pain

October 14, 2011 By 1 Comment

After searching and researching and asking questions of everyone and every entity I could find, in an effort to figure out how to live through the daily struggles I faced watching my son, a disabled combat veteran, learn to live with a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), I found that it all really came down to trusting God and walking in faith.

The most important thing that I’ve learned in the past year is that I just can’t do this by myself. I tried to do it that way until the day that I reached a crisis too big for anyone to handle. My wounded warrior was 600 miles away, suffering a life-threatening crisis, and I couldn’t do anything about it.  I’ve never been more scared in my life and I have never felt so hopeless.  It was, as always, at that point that I called on the Lord to step in and help.  This time, however, it was different.  I was relying on Him on a deeper level than ever before.  I can’t really explain how this felt. I’ve had plenty of experiences where I thought I was in THE most difficult place and there was NO way out, or at least that is what I thought……. until this day arrived.

I wasn’t just going through the motions of asking God to help me.  I was begging as if my every breath depended on His help.  There was NO WAY OUT, and yet, somehow, God did provide the open door.  It was at that moment that I realized that I had learned the difference between thinking God could help me and believing God would help me.  If you are confused by what I am saying, then you probably just THINK God can help you.  If you are chuckling to yourself and nodding your head in agreement, then you BELIEVE God can help you and you have lived through an experience that has taught you the difference.

The beauty of learning the difference between thinking God will help and KNOWING God will help is that when you figure it out, a burden so big is lifted that you will feel like a totally new person, even if your life still seems to be full of turmoil.  I’ve grown up going to church, and have heard the Bible stories about Paul for a lifetime. Paul tells us to rejoice in all circumstances, even the dark times.  I could never quite wrap my mind around anyone being joyful about living in prison, and to be honest, that would be a stretch for me, but I have learned to trust that God knows best. Paul’s teachings make a lot of sense to me now. God knows what I can handle.  He knows my limits.  I trust that He will never give me more than I can handle and with everything He allows to happen in my life, He will also allow me to learn a valuable lesson, if I am willing.

So each day, in all circumstances, I ask the Lord to show me the blessing in the situation and to show me what He wants me to learn.  It’s a true joy to see a blessing in the midst of a difficult experience.  In the past I had always focused on how badly things were going during a trying time.  Now that I’ve focused on finding the blessing, it is so much easier to get through a difficult situation when I know I’ve received a gift from the experience.

Asking God to teach me a lesson was pretty hard to take, at first, because it involved acknowledging my mistakes.  My natural reaction is always going to be to place blame anywhere but on myself. Once I realized that acknowledging my mistakes lifted a burden and spared me from doing the same stupid things over and over, I began to see the blessings multiply.  Wisdom is indeed a gift, one which I just recently discovered was mine for the taking if I was willing to see it for what it’s worth.

If you take nothing else from reading this today, remember, even if you find yourself living through the very worst situation you can imagine, God is there with you.  He will give you what you need to make it through the trial. He will teach you something valuable and He will bless you in a mighty way.

This article was first published at PACT PTSD. Used with permission.

Filed Under: Faith from Fort Livingroom, Invisible Wounds, Military Parents, PTSD Tagged With: , , , ,

Post Traumatic Stress – Learn More!

October 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Listen to the podcast below to learn more about the upcoming class sponsored by Military Missions, Inc. and NAMI Lexington.  This four week class on understanding and coping with Post Traumatic Stress is something you do not want to miss.

Join us and become educated on PTSD, learn communication skills, problem solving skills, empathy, and self care. Hear testimonies from veterans and family members who are dealing with life after combat.  We will also be viewing the HBO documentary, Wartorn 1861- 2010.

Classes will meet on October 14, 21, 28, and November 4 (Fridays) from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. We will be meeting at Participation Station, 869 Sparta Court, Lexington, KY 40504.

To register, call 859-272-7891 or send an email to beth@military-missions.org. 

Click here to view and print out the event flyer. Please forward this information to anyone who might be interested in participating.

If you are a veteran who has weathered the storm of PTSD and is willing to share your story, your expertise, or your support, please contact Beth at beth@military-missions.org.

 

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Filed Under: Invisible Wounds, Military Families, Military Parents, PTSD, Updates, Veteran Family Support Tagged With: , , ,
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