What is your reason to fight?

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
May 5, 2021

What is your reason to fight for something? Are you willing to fight for a cause you believe in? How much do you believe in it? Do you give it all of your free time or do you just do it once in a while? Are you invested in the cause enough to learn everything you can about it? Does that include what others have done, what they did that worked along with what didn't work they knew enough to drop?

The thing is, when you have a reason to fight for something, then you do give it everything you have. All the time you have to spare is committed to it. How about you decide to be committed to fighting for yourself? Aren't you worth fighting for?

There are PTSD advocates fighting for other people to get help, but they never fought for themselves. It isn't that they don't care about other people. It is more about them being the type of person everyone goes to for help, that prevents them from asking for it from themselves. It is almost as if they admit they need help, it will make them look weaker in the eyes of everyone else.

There are PTSD advocates who are fighting, not just because they care, but because they also had the same pain in their lives. The best advocates are those who have all that in their lives, but also know what it is like to need help, ask for it, and receive it. Then they can honestly share their lives with those they are trying to help. They are an example of what is possible to those who feel as lost as they did before.

I am in that category. The reason why people like me do it is because we remember what life was like when we were just suffering. We remember what it was like when we were healing and someone helped us do it. The biggest blessing comes is when we healed and helped others get through the hell so they could be happier. Watching them pass on that healing, being an example of not being afraid to ask for help, is a gift beyond words. We know it does not stop with them, but moves on from them and spreads out. We will never know how many lives changed because we did. I hope those who helped me so long ago know that too because even I do not know how many lives changed because they helped me first!

This is why the featured video today is Disturbed, A Reason To Fight.

Don't let it take your soul

Look at me take control

When knowing to fight this war

This is nothing worth dying for

Are you ready to begin?

Are you ready to begin? Do you finally believe you are worth fighting for too? Then become the example of what you want others to do by doing it for yourself.

Remember, it is your life...get in and drive it!

#BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD

A Reason to Fight

Disturbed

The image in your eyes

Reflecting the pain that has taken you

I hear it in your voice, so ridden with shame

From what's hailing you

I won't give up so don't give in

You've fallen down but you can rise again

So don't give up

When the demon that's inside you is ready to begin

And it feels like it's a battle that you will never win

When you're aching for the fire and begging for your sin

When there's nothing left inside, there's still a reason to fight

Lost in your world of lies

I find it so hard to believe in you

Can it be real this time?

Or just a part of this game that we're playing through

I won't give up so don't give in

You've fallen down but you will rise again

I won't give up

When the demon that's inside you is ready to begin

And it feels like it's a battle that you will never win

When you're aching for the fire and begging for your sin

When there's nothing left inside, there's still a reason to fight

Don't let it take your soul

Look at me take control

When knowing to fight this war

This is nothing worth dying for

Are you ready to begin?

This is a battle that we are gonna win

When you're aching for the fire and begging for your sin

When there's nothing left inside, there's still a reason

When the demon that's inside you is ready to begin

And it feels like it's a battle that you will never win

When you're aching for the fire and begging for your sin

When there's nothing left inside, there's still a reason to fight

I'll be your reason to fight

Give you a reason to fight

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Dan J Donegan / David Michael Draiman / Kevin Gregory Churko / Michael Wengren

A Reason to Fight lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Yes, I have faith in you that you will ask for help because you have invested too much of your heart in getting others to do it. #BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD
Bonus video from Disturbed If I Ever Lose My Faith

This is Mental Health Awareness Month. When it comes to PTSD, it was because Vietnam veterans fought for all the reseach and funding on what trauma does. If you are a veteran...consider what you have to fight for, after you fought for those you served with.

Don't lose that number

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
April 21, 2021

When your life is falling apart, you know you need help. What if you have no one to ask to help you? Maybe you've had past experience with asking people to help you but they didn't. If you don't know anyone you know will help, then it is easy to think you don't deserve any. I've felt that way about a million times. It isn't that people I know won't help me, but they don't know how to help me.

When you have PTSD, most of the time people do care but they have no idea how to help. Most people have a hard time knowing how to just listen and let you talk. Most of the time, they have no idea how helpful it is to just get the words out of our mouths.

But if you've run out of people to call, tired of getting drunk, tired of crying and struggling to just get from one day to the next, you need someone you can call who does care and does know how to help!

Some people will remind you that you are not alone, but it doesn't help if you have your head in your hands sitting alone and don't know where to turn. It does help when people prove you are not alone and know how to help you get through the rough days a lot of people have. Don't lose those numbers! They are there to listen and help you through it!

Trust me because I know what it feels like to want to just give up. I know what it is like to be alone and don't know where to turn. I also know what it is like when I do find the help I need, when I need it, and from people who not only want to help me, they are trained to do it properly.

Your life can turn around too and you can pass it on when you feel better and you know, you are not alone at all.

Lifeline National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. We can all help prevent suicide. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress.

This is why today the featured video is Rikki Don't Lose That Number!

Remember, it is your life...get in and drive it!

#BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD

Rikki Don't Lose That Number

Steely Dan 

We hear you're leavin', that's okay

I thought our little wild time had just begun

I guessed you kind of scared yourself, you turn and run

But if you have a change of heart

Rikki, don't lose that number

You don't wanna call nobody else

Send it off in a letter to yourself

Rikki, don't lose that number

It's the only one you own

You might use it if you feel better

When you get home

I have a friend in town, he's heard your name

We can go out driving on Slow Hand Row

We could stay inside and play games, I don't know

And you could have a change of heart

Rikki, don't lose that number

You don't wanna call nobody else

Send it off in a letter to yourself

Rikki, don't lose that number

It's the only one you own

You might use it if you feel better

When you get home

You tell yourself you're not my kind

But you don't even know your mind

And you could have a change of heart

Rikki, don't lose that number

You don't wanna call nobody else

Send it off in a letter to yourself

Rikki, don't lose that number

It's the only one you own

You might use it if you feel better

When you get home

Rikki, don't lose that number

Rikki, don't lose that number

Rikki, don't lose that number

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Becker Walter Carl / Fagen Donald Jay

Rikki Don't Lose That Number lyrics © American Broadcasting Music, Inc. 

Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
March 1, 2021

If you are lucky, you have someone who cares about you. They see how you are changing, even they don't know the cause. They just know enough to try to convince you to do something about it.

Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?

Listen to their advice and know they are doing it because they care about you.

Today I am not feeling well, and that will happen from time to time. To make up for it, there is a special Desperado video that I did not know existed until today. Don Henley was on the Howard Stern Show and he talked about recording the iconic song...and then he sang it his way.

Stop pushing people out of your life because you are afraid they will see you are not made of stone. Knowing you need help, like everyone else, especially if you help others, makes you human. It is a lot better than leaving them to think you are a jerk they don't really want to know anymore.

Remember, it is your life...get in and drive it!

#BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD

"Desperado"

Eagles 

Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?

You've been out ridin' fences for so long now

Oh, you're a hard one

I know that you got your reasons

These things that are pleasin' you

Can hurt you somehow 

Don't you draw the queen of diamonds, boy

She'll beat you if she's able

You know the queen of hearts is always your best bet

Now it seems to me, some fine things

Have been laid upon your table

But you only want the ones that you can't get 

Desperado, oh, you ain't gettin' no younger

Your pain and your hunger, they're drivin' you home

And freedom, oh freedom well, that's just some people talkin'

Your prison is walking through this world all alone 

Don't your feet get cold in the winter time?

The sky won't snow and the sun won't shine

It's hard to tell the night time from the day

You're losin' all your highs and lows

Ain't it funny how the feeling goes away? 

Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?

Come down from your fences, open the gate

It may be rainin', but there's a rainbow above you

You better let somebody love you

(Let somebody love you)

You better let somebody love you before it's too late

AZ Lyrics 

Don Henley recalled for Howard Stern how members of the London Philharmonic were actually playing chess behind him while he was trying to record his vocals for the Eagles hit “Desperado.”

forget yesterday, own tomorrow

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
February 18, 2021

"I just want to go back to the way I was." How many times have you wished you could? How many times have you tried to figure out a way to do that?

That is something that everyone with PTSD wishes they could do, but no one can go back to yesterday. The best way to deal with that fact is to understand the power that you do have over tomorrow. You get to define every moment as a survivor.

Life is all about changes. One day you lived your "normal" life but something happened to you. You went from the way you were before, into being a victim of whatever caused your PTSD. In the blink of an eye, you then became a survivor of it. Since you understand that PTSD was caused by changes that happened to you, now you can understand that the rest of you tomorrows are in your control.

This is why today the featured video is The Beatles, Yesterday.

The best way to move on from longing for yesterday, is to grieve for it being gone. Let out the pain you feel so that you can get that lousy feeling out of the way, and good feelings can move in. In other words, make some room for a better tomorrow by honoring what you left behind you.

Remember, it is your life...get in and drive it!

#BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD

Yesterday

The Beatles 

All my troubles seemed so far away

Now it looks as though they're here to stay

Oh, I believe in yesterday

Suddenly

I'm not half the man I used to be

There's a shadow hangin' over me

Oh, yesterday came suddenly

Why she had to go, I don't know, she wouldn't say

I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday

Yesterday

Love was such an easy game to play

Now I need a place to hide away

Oh, I believe in yesterday

Why she had to go, I don't know, she wouldn't say

I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday

Yesterday

Love was such an easy game to play

Now I need a place to hide away

Oh, I believe in yesterday

Mm mm mm mm mm mm mm

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: John Lennon / Paul McCartney

Yesterday lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC 

Healing makes having PTSD easier but "It Don't Come Easy"

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
February 13, 2021

Today I had to go to the car wash. My car was covered with road salt because we've been getting a lot of snow lately. While sitting in the car, watching all the machines take away all the salt, I thought about someone I know going through a hard time. Then I thought how great it would be if all we had to do was get onto a belt, put our body into neutral and have all our struggles washed away.

It don't come that easily. Nothing really comes easy for everyone all the time. That is why today the featured video  is Ringo Starr It Don't Come easy.

When I was in school, some of my classmates seemed to learn everything easily. The wiz kids who usually got straight A's sooner or later, discovered that something would not come easy to them. Some had a hard time in gym. Some had a hard time in art class. For others, subjects were easy but they couldn't hold a conversation.

Having PTSD is not easy. Healing isn't easy either. The thing is, healing makes it easier to have PTSD. Sure, it can be hard at first, but it makes your life easier doing it. Then you can tutor someone having a hard time with this and make it easier on them too.

Remember, it is your life...get in and drive it!

#BreakTheSilence and#TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD

It Don't Come Easy

Ringo Starr 

It don't come easy

You know it don't come easy

It don't come easy

You know it don't come easy

Got to pay your dues if you wanna sing the blues

And you know it don't come easy

You don't have to shout or leap about

You can even play them easy

Forget about the past and all your sorrows

The future won't last

It will soon be your tomorrow

I don't ask for much, I only want trust

And you know it don't come easy

And this love of mine keeps growin' all the time

And you know it just ain't easy

Open up your heart, let's come together

Use a little love

And we will make it work out better

Got to pay your dues if you wanna sing the blues

And you know it don't come easy

You don't have to shout or leap about

You can even play them easy

Please, remember peace is how we make it

Here within your reach

If you're big enough to take it

I don't ask for much, I only want trust

And you know it don't come easy

And this love of mine keeps growin' all the time

And you know it don't come easy

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Richard Starkey

It Don’t Come Easy lyrics © Startling Music Ltd. 

PTSD Patrol Don't Stop Me Now

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
November 26, 2020

Happy Thanksgiving! That may not sound so good if you are spending today alone, or feeling as if there is little in your life to be thankful for. Maybe it is time you changed, not just what you focus on, but how you see what it is. If you have PTSD, and are suffering, you may view what followed surviving as punishment. You got sadder, more depressed and pulled away from the people you cared about. That's hard. Try to change how you see surviving as another chance to change. After all, that is what PTSD is. It was change from what you perceived as "normal" into trauma, and then back out as a survivor. It changed how you see things in your life.

There have been stories about people who died, and were brought back to life, reporting how they saw things. Bright lights, images of their life, replays of events and surrounded by warmth. For others, it was not such a pleasant exprience. It was almost like the story of Scrooge for them. Those who saw the horrific were also changed but for some of them, even that did not get them to change their ways. They went deeper into thinking only about themselves. Those who had the good experience between death and re-life changed for the better. Kinder, more thoughtful, wanting to be a better person, they made the best out of their extra time.

When you change how you view things, it makes a huge difference in how you see everything, little by little. If you wish you could have had the traditional celebration this year, know that you did the right thing by staying away from others because there is a raging pandemic out there. You are not contributing to it, but helping those you care about stay alive. In other words, preventing the need to regret a selfish decision. 

Now you can focus on next year. How much better will it be when you are healing even more and are happier? That is why today the feature video is Queen Don't Stop Me Now. You can be having a good time when things are better, because you will be better. Your outlook will be better and those you care about will know, you did this work on yourself for their sake. Think about that gift you will give them next year on Thanksgiving!

Remember it is your life...get in and drive it! #BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD

Tonight, I'm gonna have myself a real good time

I feel alive and the world I'll turn it inside out, yeah

And floating around in ecstasy

So don't stop me now don't stop me

'Cause I'm having a good time, having a good time

I'm a shooting star, leaping through the sky

Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity

I'm a racing car, passing by like Lady Godiva

I'm gonna go, go, go

There's no stopping me

I'm burnin' through the sky, yeah

Two hundred degrees

That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit

I'm traveling at the speed of light

I wanna make a supersonic man out of you

Don't stop me now, I'm having such a good time

I'm having a ball

Don't stop me now

If you wanna have a good time, just give me a call

Don't stop me now ('cause I'm having a good time)

Don't stop me now (yes, I'm havin' a good time)

I don't want to stop at all

Yeah, I'm a rocket ship on my way to Mars

On a collision course

I am a satellite, I'm out of control

I am a sex machine, ready to reload

Like an atom bomb about to

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh explode

I'm burnin' through the sky, yeah

Two hundred degrees

That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit

I'm traveling at the speed of light

I wanna make a supersonic woman of you

Don't stop me, don't stop me

Don't stop me, hey, hey, hey

Don't stop me, don't stop me

Ooh ooh ooh, I like it

Don't stop me, don't stop me

Have a good time, good time

Don't stop me, don't stop me, ah

Oh yeah

Alright

Oh, I'm burnin' through the sky, yeah

Two hundred degrees

That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit

I'm traveling at the speed of light

I wanna make a supersonic man out of you

Don't stop me now, I'm having such a good time

I'm having a ball

Don't stop me now

If you wanna have a good time (wooh)

Just give me a call (alright)

Don't stop me now ('cause I'm having a good time, yeah yeah)

Don't stop me now (yes, I'm havin' a good time)

I don't want to stop at all

La da da da daah

Da da da haa

Ha da da ha ha haaa

Ha da daa ha da da aaa

Ooh ooh ooh

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Freddie Mercury

Don't Stop Me Now lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC 

PTSD Patrol Do You Want To Stay Together?

PTSD Patrol 

Kathie Costos 

November 25, 2020

Today the video is up early make up for yesterday. My husband had minor surgery and was supposed to come home but they decided to keep him overnight. This morning when I was driving to pick him up, I heard a song on the radio and started to chair dance. 

It got me thinking about all the things we've been through and how glad I was that I decided to stay with him when things were not so good. The way I see it, I knew him when things were better. I knew his character and his heart. I knew he'd be worth whatever I needed to do to help him be happier.

The song is Al Green's Let's Stay Together.

This is for anyone who loves someone with PTSD. You need to figure out if you want to stay together in bad times as well as the good. Having PTSD isn't easy on them. It is hard on you, but especially hard on them since they lose hope as they see you pulling away from them. When they need you the most, they push you away so that you won't see how much pain they are in. That may not make sense to you, but there isn't much that does make sense when they are living on a rollercoaster with their emotions all over the place.

They feel the don't deserve anything one moment and the next, they are entitled to everything. They have overblown reactions to simple things and paranoia starts to take over too. They try to hide their pain so that you don't feel sorry for them or think they are crazy, and that leaves you not knowing what it going on.

There is no way we could have stayed together all these years if I didn't have a full understanding of what PTSD was and knew that things could get better with a lot of work and a lot of patience. Faith, well, needless to say, played a huge part in keeping me together too.

Listen to the lyrics and then ask yourself, do you want to stay together or walk away? My guess is that you love them enough to fight for them, the same way you'd hope they'd fight for you if you were the survivor who needed them!

"Let's Stay Together" 

Let's stay together 

I'm, I'm so in love with you

Whatever you want to do

Is alright with me

'Cause you make me feel so brand new

And I want to spend my life with you 

 Let me say that since, baby

Since we've been together

Loving you forever

Is what I need

Let me be the one you come running to

I'll never be untrue 

Oh, baby, let's, let's stay together

Loving you whether, whether

Times are good or bad, happy or sad

Whether times are good or bad, happy or sad

Why, somebody, why people break-up

Oh, turn around and make-up

I just can't see

You'd never do that to me

Would you, baby?

Just being around you is all I see

Here's what I want us to do 

Let's, we ought to stay together

Loving you whether, whether

Times are good or bad, happy or sad

Come on 

Let's, let's stay together

Loving you whether, whether

Times are good or bad, happy or sad

AZLyrics 

Wounded Minds is one of the first videos I did in 2006. It is about staying together....