Veterans Need to Reframe Their PTSD

I have had multiple clients into my office who have been struggling with what is going on in society. So many people in the United States has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from one cause or another. There are an estimated 8 million of Americans who have PTSD. Wayne’s story about his upbringing and how he had dealt with the situation was interesting. Wayne was raised by an alcoholic and lived in fear of his father most of his childhood. Wayne had a gun to his head multiple time as a teenager. He decided to go into the US Army because he felt he need to get out of his situation. Wayne was in Vietnam during the TET offensive and saw heavy combat while there. Client did not realize how his horrific background and what his father did to him would pay off in the future.

As we discussed his situation and his upbringing, I offered a possible positive out of the negative upbringing. I made the comment that his upbringing and living with his alcoholic father prepared him for Vietnam. I explained how his hypervigilance probably saved their hides in combat and on patrol in the jungle. People with PTSD are more aware of their surroundings than the average person. They are always looking for the dangers. Once I asked Wayne to think back of situations he was in and if his hypervigilance saved him and his people. Wayne went home and came back to session the next week with a different attitude. Wayne had discovered that he had spotted multiple trip wires and boobytraps because he was so hypervigilant. 

Since the conversation with Wayne I have had multiple discussions with others with combat and non-combat veterans with PTSD. I have even run the thought by civilians with PTSD. It appears that they had a revelation around the idea that their PTSD could be a good thing and not all bad. The idea of PTSD being looked at as a positive has been extremely helpful for some. In any instance where there are crowds someone with PTSD will be more aware of their surroundings. By being hypervigilant they can observe suspicious behaviors before others.  By having PTSD it allows the use of your PTSD to your advantage, helping make you and your family feel safe.

I know it is emotionally draining to be that hypervigilant all the time, but what happens is after a while your brain gets so used to looking for danger it becomes second nature and the hypervigilance runs in the background of your brain allowing you to enjoy the event. Look at it this way, you do not have to think when you drive your car… why because it is second nature and your brain does it automatically. You can train your brain to do the same thing in crowds over time.

I know this will not work for everyone, nothing does. But what it can allow is being able to try something different and go into situations and keep telling yourself… I am same my PTSD is keeping me safe. When I explained this to Wayne, he thought and said… you know I think it has already helped me and I did not even realize I was doing it. I even had another client call it a “Super Power” The ability to see danger before it happens.

For questions or comments, you can contact me at afterdutyvets@gmail.com or visit my website at www.afterdutyvets.com, and subscribe to my YouTube channel After Duty Vets or like us on Facebook at After Duty Vets.