Every so often I believe it is a good idea to go back and review beginnings, definitions, and useful links.  Sometimes a resource is lost or forgotten.  Or newly diagnosed and wanting to know basics.  Lived with PTSD or CPTSD for awhile and seeing how far you have come is refreshing reminder that progress does occur.  I believe one of the big challenges with PTSD is progress is often measured in months and years instead of days and weeks.

United States National Institute of Mental Health NIMH – Overview of PTSD https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml

NIMH – Definition of PTSD https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd.shtml

Better Help – Facts and fiction of PTSD statistics https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/ptsd/the-facts-and-fictions-of-ptsd-statistics/

US Department of Veteran Affairs – PTSD Definition – https://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/ptsd-overview/basics/what-is-ptsd.asp

Australian Government Crisis lines – http://www.mentalhealthcommission.gov.au/get-help.aspx

PTSD and adding to this CPTSD is starting to be recognized as a World problem.  The symptoms existed for hundreds of years, only in the last 100 years or so is it starting to be made aware that studying about it and finding answers is possible.  CPTSD didn’t exist 15 years ago when I was diagnosed.

Definition of CPTSD – http://outofthefog.website/toolbox-1/2015/11/17/complex-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-c-ptsd

Identifying the problems involved is just the beginning to a journey, that I believe is worth traveling.  I’m not alone in this journey.  Many others are also facing a battle for their life.  An often spoken lament, “I want my life back.”

I knew something was wrong with me many years before I had a diagnosis to look up.  Along this journey, I met and continue to meet others wanting to find answers and live the life they deserve.

One of the things that helped me before I started counseling was a copy of this on tape:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyOl0-qbDSU  Part 1 of several parts.  I believe if you put all the pieces together you have about an hour of amazing information.  I listened to the tape I had so many times that I still have sections of the tape memorized.

Recently I saw a Facebook post on the Living with PTSD group.  They asked, “Where do I start?”  My answer, “Right where you are with a desire to move forward.”