PTSD Patrol "But the fighter still remains"

PTSD Patrol

Kathie Costos

September 20, 2020

(Still sick so no video from me today....but you probably need a break from seeing me.)

Simon and Garfunkel THE BOXER is an iconic song of survival! "In the clearing stands a boxer, And a fighter by his trade, And he carries the reminders, Of every glove that laid him down, Or cut him 'til he cried out, In his anger and his shame, 'I am leaving, I am leaving,' But the fighter still remains"

If you have PTSD, then you are a fighter too, not by "trade" or by choice, but by will to live. To not give into something because fighting it is hard. You fight a good match but sometimes you need a tag team to take this opponent on. The thing is, no one ever won anything by themselves. No wars were ever fought by one person. No discoveries were ever made by one person with no one to help them or support them. Inspirations never came from thin air. 

Having a team to help you does not mean they have to have all the answers or even know how to find them. It means they do the best they can to help you learn what you need to, find what you are searching for, and stand by you until the fighter that still remains is strong enough to take on this match too!

#BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD

The Boxer

I am just a poor boy

Though my story's seldom told

I have squandered my resistance

For a pocket full of mumbles

Such are promises

All lies and jests

Still a man hears what he wants to hear

And disregards the rest

When I left my home and my family

I was no more than a boy

In the company of strangers

In the quiet of the railway station

Running scared

Laying low, seeking out the poorer quarters

Where the ragged people go

Looking for the places

Only they would know

Lie la lie, lie la la la lie la lie, lie la lie

Lie la la la lie la lie, la la la la lie

Asking only workman's wages

I come looking for a job

But I get no offers

Just a come-on from the whores

On Seventh Avenue

I do declare

There were times when I was so lonesome

I took some comfort there

La la la la la la la

Lie la lie, lie la la la lie la lie, lie la lie

Lie la la la lie la lie, la la la la lie

Then I'm laying out my winter clothes

And wishing I was gone

Going home

Where the New York City winters

Aren't bleeding me

Leading me

Going home

In the clearing stands a boxer

And a fighter by his trade

And he carries the reminders

Of every glove that laid him down

Or cut him 'til he cried out

In his anger and his shame

"I am leaving, I am leaving"

But the fighter still remains

Lie la lie, lie la la la lie la lie, lie la lie....... 

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Paul Simon

The Boxer lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group 

James Taylor and Alison Krauss pay tribute to Paul Simon at the 2002 Kennedy Centre Honours tribute to Paul Simon.

PTSD Patrol where everyone knows your name

PTSD Patrol

Kathie Costos

September 3, 2020

The theme song from Cheers is a special one to me because it addresses how important it is to have friends and support in life.

Sometimes you wanna go

Where everybody knows your name

And they're always glad you came

You wanna be where you can see (ah-ah)

Our troubles are all the same (ah-ah)

When you are trying to heal PTSD, having a support group, especially when you are alone, is a miracle maker. 

The best support group to find is one in your area, and one that is focused on the same cause of PTSD that caused yours. While support from any group is good, when you are all survivors of the same type of event, it is better.

You can witness some who have become stronger at the same time you find hope within their stories, you can also see others who need more help than you may need and then, try to inspire them.

#BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD

Making your way in the world today

Takes everything you've got

Taking a break from all your worries

Sure would help a lot

Wouldn't you like to get away?

All those nights when you've got no lights

The check is in the mail

And your little angel

Hung the cat up by it's tail

And your third fiance didn't show

Sometimes you wanna go

Where everybody knows your name

And they're always glad you came

You wanna be where you can see (ah-ah)

Our troubles are all the same (ah-ah)

You wanna be where everybody knows your name

Roll out of bed, Mr. Coffee's dead

The morning's looking bright (the morning's looking bright)

And your shrink ran off to Europe

And didn't even write

And your husband wants to be a girl

Be glad there's one place in the world

Where everybody knows your name

And they're always glad you came

You wanna go where people know

People are all the same

You wanna go where everybody knows your name

Where everybody knows your name (where everybody knows your name)

And they're always glad you came

Where everybody knows your name (where everybody knows your name)

And they're always glad you came

Where everybody knows your name (where everybody knows your name)

And they're always glad you came

Where everybody knows your name (where everybody knows your name)

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Portnoy Gary / Angelo Judy Hart

Cheers Theme (Original Demo) lyrics © Addax Music Co. Inc.

PTSD Patrol lean on me

PTSD Patrol

Kathie Costos

September 1, 2020

The feature video is Lean On Me because it is about asking for help when you need it and being there when someone else needs help too. The featured video on ptsdpatrol.com is when "Bill Withers, Stevie Wonder, John Legend perform "Lean On Me" at the 2015 Induction Ceremony" The lyrics explain what can happen when you #BreakTheSilence ask for help to #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD

Bill Withers, Stevie Wonder, John Legend perform "Lean On Me" at the 2015 Induction Ceremony

Sometimes in our lives we all have pain

We all have sorrow

But if we are wise

We know that there's always tomorrow

Lean on me, when you're not strong

And I'll be your friend

I'll help you carry on

For it won't be long

'Til I'm gonna need

Somebody to lean on

Please swallow your pride

If I have things you need to borrow

For no one can fill those of your needs

That you won't let show

You just call on me brother, when you need a hand

We all need somebody to lean on

I just might have a problem that you'll understand

We all need somebody to lean on

Lean on me, when you're not strong

And I'll be your friend

I'll help you carry on

For it won't be long

'Til I'm gonna need

Somebody to lean on

You just call on me brother, when you need a hand

We all need somebody to lean on

I just might have a problem that you'll understand

We all need somebody to lean on

If there is a load you have to bear

That you can't carry

I'm right up the road

I'll share your load

If you just call me (call me)

If you need a friend (call me) call me uh huh (call me) if you need a friend (call me)

If you ever need a friend (call me)

Call me (call me) call me (call me) call me

(Call me) call me (call me) if you need a friend

(Call me) call me (call me) call me (call me) call me (call me) call me (call me)

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Bill Withers

Lean on Me lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group 

PTSD Patrol You've Got A Friend For The Road

PTSD Patrol 

Kathie Costos

August 25, 2020

When things are going wrong, and days seem impossible to get through, it is easy to feel alone. People you thought were you friends can turn their backs on you because they do not understand what PTSD is. But you're not really alone.  There are over 8 million more Americans who know exactly how you feel. Most of them are reaching out to help others....just like you.

Search online and you'll find them.

For today's feature video, it is James Taylor singing You've Got A Friend....because you do!

PTSD Patrol: Time to change your tires?

Your tires keep you safe on the road until they wear out and need to be replaced. Some people don't understand what is going on with you and they are not able to give you the support you need. 

You should not replace your family, but try to get them to understand. If not, then try to find people who can help you stay safe on the road to healing. 

#BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD

Veterans inspired to make miracles in the world!

Miracles after attempted suicides prevented

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
May 17, 2020

Stories collected from Wounded Times

In 2007, Owen Wilson attempted suicide and it was big news, and spread around the world. At the same time, we were facing 948 attempted active duty suicides, along with 99 who lost their lives. It was also the year when many survivors faced charges. A female reservists was facing charges after she survived. She tired again, and again, she survived. The charges against her were dropped and her story showed that her mental health crisis had been pushed aside by her superiors.

"I Sat around numerous times with a .44 in my mouth. But for some reason, I just couldn't pull the trigger. I don't know why." said a 57 year old veteran who had attempted it three more times.

Not long afterwards reports of veterans attempted suicides had grown more than "patient count" in the VA. The eyeopener in this piece of news was the age groups who topped the numbers from 2000-2007. 20-24 year old attempts went from 11 to 47 per year. 55-59 year old attempts also went up from 19 to 117.

By April of 2008, the reports on attempted suicides were increased to 1,000 per month in the VA system.

And then something amazing started to happen. Veterans were talking about their own pain so that others would understand it is not all doom and gloom. 

Two years later, veterans were trying to do whatever they could to change the outcome and encourage veterans to seek healing instead of suffering. That is what Jeremiah Workman did as the recipient of the Navy Cross.

He went on to write "Shadow of the Sword: A Marine's Journey of War, Heroism, and Redemption"

Chaplains were talking about their own struggles so that others would discover that asking for help is part of healing and part of their faith. After all, Jesus was preaching healing and not going it alone. Not to mention He kept asking for help. If the Son of God was not above asking for help...no one should have a problem with it.

Generals were talking about their own struggles with PTSD.

Medal of Honor recipients did a PSA on seeking help to heal PTSD.

Servicemembers were also doing whatever it took to save anyone in trouble. A sailor on the USS Carl Vinson was driving across a bridge when he saved a suicidal man...on his 60th birthday.

Dakota Meyer received the Medal of Honor, but after being home, he tried to commit suicide because he felt as if he had become a burden to his family. He broke his silent suffering knowing he could keep saving lives even back home.

Andrew O'Brien decided to end his silence on YouTube after the tried to commit suicide, knowing others may choose to live.

A Navy Captain decided talking about his own attempt at committing suicide would prevent someone from trying it too.

A female veteran, Mary Dague, lost both of her arms serving as a bomb tech in Iraq, but managed to save the life of another veteran across the country.

Within all the bad news out there, we should all do more than take comfort because of all the people trying to make a difference. We need to share their stories so that others are inspired to make miracles in the world!

Healers and protectors in isolation right now need to help each other

When you know your work is not worthless

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
March 25, 2020

During this time of isolation, it has been really hard to fight depression, especially when my life has been about helping veterans and their families. My husband and I are both over 60 and have health problems. Being out with people is dangerous for me, but more so for him. It is also dangerous for all others. Knowing that isolation is very hard on veterans, especially when they have PTSD, rips at my soul!

I just put up a video for the leaders in Point Man International Ministries, knowing that if I am going through all of this, they must be too. Sharing pain is often healing for us and gives comfort to others going through the same thing. Knowing you are not alone is empowering!

None of us can stand very long on our own. Sure, we gain strength from our faith and reliance on God, but we gain more by following our own advice. We tell veterans to share their pain with others and support each other. We need to follow that same advice but all too often, we fear letting others know just how human we are. We fear asking for help because we are supposed to be full of the Holy Spirit and faith enough to not be afraid of anything. Still not sure how we got that idea or the notion that we are any better than the people were have dedicated our lives to helping, but we did. 

We are just as human as everyone else and most of us are not ashamed to admit that. Even Jesus was not afraid to ask for help, yet we have a problem with that?

After I recorded this video I was thinking about all the others who are healers and protectors in isolation right now because they were exposed to COVID-19 on the job, or prevented from doing their work for other reasons. It hits us even harder because our mission on this earth is to help other people. When we cannot do it, it crushes our soul.

Please keep in mind that right now, the best thing we can do is help each other get through this time so that we will be there, rested and restored to help all the others who will need us, when we get back to whatever normal is again.

Not being able to work with other veterans is hard during this time of isolation for any of us. Take comfort knowing you are not alone, just as we give comfort to others with that same message. My heart and prayer are with all of you.

UPDATE from Hong Kong

Steven Chau: Who will heal the healers? The psychological aftermath of covid-19

On top of these stressors, healthcare workers tend to be more reluctant to seek help for mental health problems due to worries about confidentiality, stigma, and the fear of losing their medical licenses. A study on disaster preparedness in Hong Kong conducted in 2015 found that 75% of healthcare workers were unlikely to seek help from mental health professionals for psychological distress secondary to their handling of a disaster. It is therefore critical to plan stringent, proactive psychological support measures early on to facilitate distressed workers in seeking help and to prevent unintended secondary injury being inflicted upon them. The prevention of further psychological harm should be a major consideration in any post-pandemic policies that follow and which are related to healthcare workers.

This world needs more angels like you on this earth!

Veterans rise again tomorrow with hope

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
March 9, 2020

With the knowledge that suicide awareness has not worked, it is time to change the conversation to what does save lives...the truth!

Suicide awareness groups have raised billions over the years, while the evidence has proven the spread of hopelessness. It is time to spread something to hope for...a life that can be so much better than it is today.

"I saw the angel in the marble
and carved until I set him free."

Michelangelo

It is time for you to carve away the hardness trapping you and be set free from the misery. If you were willing to risk your life for the sake of someone else, this world needs more angels like you on this earth!

Stop trying to conceal the pain you feel. Stop trying to run from it and honor it, so you can release it. If you want to cry, then cry. If you want to scream, then scream. There is no shame in anyone needing to release it. If that pain was caused because you put others ahead of your own life, then there is even more need to honor the pain because it all joined forces against you.

"What is now proved was once only imagined."

William Blake

There was a time when veterans thought there was no hope for them. The scares carried home were beyond healing. Back in the 70's, one veteran after another imagined a time would come when the bonds to others would help break away the painful memories. 

Side by side, they broke their own silence when they saw one of their own suffering. They healed PTSD together.

That is still going on today. You will not find them, if you do not look for them. They cannot help you if they do not know where you are. 

As Michelangelo carved the marble to free the angel, he needed to do more than see it in his own mind. He had to plan how to make the block of marble look like he thought it could become. He had to do the work to create it. He did it!

If you decided to rise up this morning to hope, thank you for being an inspiration of what is possible, because that is exactly what you will become when you help others heal by standing by their side.

Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.

Michelangelo

You should not be willing to die because you will not ask for help

Nothing wrong with needing help now

"Lean On Me"

Bill Withers Lyrics

Sometimes in our lives we all have pain, we all have sorrow.

But if we are wise,

we know that there's always tomorrow.

All of you who serve, putting your lives on the line for the sake of someone else, are all still just human. You have the same emotions as everyone else. 

What makes you different, is you willingly subject yourself to things others run away from. While you have more courage than most people, you also have more compassion than others, or you would not have taken on the job you did.

You spent everyday trying to make a difference. Sometimes you felt as if you failed when things went wrong. The thing you missed is that you did make a difference because if you were not there, it could have been a lot worse.

Lean on me when you're not strong

I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on

For it won't be long

'Til I'm gonna need somebody to lean on.

Even you had limits to what you could do and sometimes, when you feel as if your strength is wearing out, that does not mean you are weak. It just means that you need to find support to regain your strength. 

The others you served with, honestly, probably go through the same struggles. Maybe they are looking to you for support, but are afraid to ask, because you have not shown you ever needed help.

All of you missed the fact that everyone you were with, were there, to save others, and that included you, as you would have for them.

You depended on the others to watch over you, as you did for them. So why is it so hard to depend on them to listen to you, as you would listen to them?

Please swallow your pride

If I have things you need to borrow

For no one can fill those of your needs

That you won't let show.

It is time to #BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife because now it is in your hands to set an example that taking care of others, was something you were willing do die for. You should not be willing to die because you will not ask for help.

You just call on me, brother, (or sister) when you need a hand

We all need somebody to lean on.

I just might have a problem that you'll understand,

We all need somebody to lean on.

Who else will understand you better than them?

If there is a load

You have to bear

That you can't carry

I'm right up the road

I'll share your load

If you just call me.

Call me if you need a friend

Police and PTSD

Vetunite.org "Mike Damon" aka (GodFather) veteran and PTSD

KTVN Channel 2 - Reno Tahoe Sparks News, Weather, Video

Got Gunk?

PTSD Patrol Clean gunk out of your engine

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
March 24, 2019

What is gunk in your engine? Well, if it is the engine is in the vehicle you drive, then it is usually oil. If it is in the engine that is in the "you" vehicle you live in, then it is anything negative that is clogging your way toward healing.

If you keep letting your past dictate all the reasons to not get up in the morning, then you are clogging up the imagination you need to fuel healing.

5 Symptoms of Oil Deposits
How Stuff Works
BY AKWELI PARKER
...We know that a sloppy diet and too little exercise cause sticky deposits called cholesterol to block our arteries. But what's the culprit behind oil gumming up our engine -- isn't oil one of the good guys when it comes to car engine health?

Well, yes, it is. But when oil is subjected to a high enough temperature, it can solidify and become baked onto the surface of whatever is close by, like for instance, a narrow engine oil passageway or critical engine parts themselves. It can also lose its viscosity and become a tar-like goop that makes life hard for your vehicle's engine.

When enough of these deposits collect, the possibility of a vehicle engine underperforming or even dying, go up dramatically. Thick or solid oil can have the reverse effect that clean, normal oil has. Instead of cleaning, lubricating and cooling your engine, it can pollute, hinder and contribute to overheating.

This article lists five of the most common clues that your vehicle is harboring oil deposits. Notice them too late and you could be facing a steep repair bill. But catch them early enough, and you could save yourself an engine and many greenbacks, not to mention peace of mind.
read more here

When you tell yourself that there is no hope...that is gunk in your engine. When you tell yourself that you survived what set off PTSD in the first place, that is getting rid of the clog so you can move forward. 

There is so much you need to learn about the vehicle you live in, and once you get rid of the gunk, you'll begin to see a lot more power put back into your engine and less going into an engine that does not need to over heat!

Stop driving your life away so you can stay!

Who are you driving away?

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
March 17, 2019

Today is St. Patrick's Day. Tradition says that he drove snakes out of Ireland. That got me thinking about driving other things away, like the people in your life. 

So who are you driving away? Are you pushing people away so they do not see you as being vulnerable? Weaker than they thought you were? 

What is it that keeps you from seeing that you would feel terrible if someone needed you, but pushed you away instead.

St. Patrick

St. Patrick, (flourished 5th century, Britain and Ireland; feast day March 17), patron saint and national apostle of Ireland, credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland and probably responsible in part for the Christianization of the Picts and Anglo-Saxons. He is known only from two short works, the Confessio, a spiritual autobiography, and his Letter to Coroticus, a denunciation of British mistreatment of Irish Christians.

Healing takes a triple play like the trinity. Mind-body and spirit. Leave one out and you will not heal as well as you would by taking care of all the things that make you...you.

Before the end of the 7th century, Patrick had become a legendary figure, and the legends have continued to grow. One of these would have it that he drove the snakes of Ireland into the sea to their destruction. Patrick himself wrote that he raised people from the dead, and a 12th-century hagiography places this number at 33 men, some of whom are said to have been deceased for many years. He also reportedly prayed for the provision of food for hungry sailors traveling by land through a desolate area, and a herd of swine miraculously appeared. Another legend, probably the most popular, is that of the shamrock, which has him explain the concept of the Holy Trinity, three persons in one God, to an unbeliever by showing him the three-leaved plant with one stalk. Traditionally, Irishmen have worn shamrocks, the national flower of Ireland, in their lapels on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17.

St. Patrick took care of poor sailors..what if they were too proud to accept his help? 

Well, that happens all the time...especially when you were the one who made it your job to save other people. Bet you didn't stop to see that it was the same career choice everyone you serve with made too. 

Would you help them if they needed you? Then what's stopping you from asking them for help to stay instead of pushing them away?

Don't give me the stigma crap. If you spent a fraction of the time you use to cover up the pain, on learning what is causing it, the stigma would be proven to be a grim fairy tale. It would not even exist.

You can take what you fear to talk about and defeat it by talking about it. The only thing you have to fear is what you think of yourself, so change it with gaining some knowledge. Begin with the fact that the only way to get PTSD is after surviving something that could have killed you. 

Learn what it is so you can enjoy your life again by knowing what it is not!

Stop driving your life away and find the better day!

PTSD Patrol: Asking for help is better than suffering in silence

You are not driving an empty bus

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
February 10, 2019

Last week on PTSD Patrol Change the Road You Are On I used a video of the road, filmed at 5:00 am, showing how lonely the road can be when there are only a few people on it.

That is the way it can seem when you have PTSD.  You can feel as if you are alone, but the truth is, everyone you know is tied to you in one way or another.

I used the road film because my ego took over. I have been in a lot of pain again because of my back. I didn't want anyone to see me in pain, so, I used that video. Ashamed of myself ever since. Not because of being in pain, but because I wanted to hide it from everyone.

Yes, imagine that! The one who is constantly preaching on letting people know you are hurting, did a lot of work to hide it. No one ever said I was the brightest bulb in the box.

So, yesterday, the pain is actually worse than last week. I apologized for my stupid decision, and then went on to talk about how if you do not #BreakTheSilence, no one can help you because you will not give them the chance.

If you think that deciding to leave the pain by committing suicide, you need to be aware of a so many things, it would take a year to post! 

The first thing is, picture yourself as a bus driver. They do not have empty busses for very long. More and more people travel where the driver takes them. That is the way your life is. 

More and more people are connected to you. Family, friends, people you work with, are all obvious connections, but there are many more. Add to the list of passengers your family members' friends. Your friends' families. Your coworkers' families and friends. See where I'm going with this?

Now, you may think that leaving is best for everyone, but it will hit everyone hard and that pain never leaves them.

It was 19 years ago my husband's nephew, also a Vietnam veteran, decided to leave. When he committed suicide, it was like a dagger in my heart. Again, I felt as if it was my fault because I could not get him to listen to me. Yes, even I could not find the words he needed to hear to give him what he needed to want to fight to heal.

So, I do know what I am talking about with leaving behind a lot of pain. On the flip side, I also know what I am talking about when you are made aware of the fact you can heal and life can get better.

What if he just suffered in silence instead of asking for help? I learned what I know because he told me what was going on...and what he thought I could not understand. I had been through so many times when my life was on the line, it was something I knew all too well. I also knew why I healed.

Aside from all the veterans and families I have worked with over the decades, it is personal to me because of my own husband. We were talking last night about how I was only 23 and he was 30 when we started this ride together. 

There were times it seemed impossible but day by day we made it past all pain and into the winning struggle for an oh-so-much better life together.

You can do it too! Just remember that if you feel like a burden to your family now, leaving them instead of fighting to #TakeBackYourLife will leave them with questions that cannot be answered.

Vietnam Veterans and PTSD

Turn the Page from 2009

Vietnam veterans were sent there by themselves. They went into units as strangers. They came out as brothers and fought for all generations of veterans. You can turn the page of your past and into a better future. Like all memories, they do not end your story. They add to it.
This is from a ride to the Wall in Washington with the Nam Knights.

When I say that I learned from the best teachers, Sammy is one of them. In this video he talked about "tools" and how to move forward. Not by forgetting, but by making peace with the memories.

Vietnam Medal of Honor Sammy Davis has a message to all the troops coming home. Talk about it! Don't try to forget it but you can make peace with it. Dixie Davis has a message for the spouses too. Help them to talk about it with you or with someone else.

Vietnam veterans said they would never leave one generation behind. They fought for each other and for all generations but have been forgotten. 

Reporters just don't have time for them or reminding anyone that they waited longer, suffered longer, are the majority of the suicides, attempted suicides and those waiting for claims to be honored by the VA.

Had it not been for them, nothing would have been done on PTSD. 

When you watch this video, you'll see that they deserve just as much attention as the newer veterans. The problem is, none of our veterans get enough of anything!

Another video from 2006

When you ask a veteran when they were in combat, some will tell you it was last night. That is how strong the memories are. None of this is new. It goes back generations yet for all the awareness being talked about, they now know less than they knew before.

Forever Young
My wish for veterans in the New Year is that all of you know how much it means to be able to spend so much time with all of you.

"May God bless you and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder
To the stars
And climb on every rung
And may you stay
Forever young"

PTSD Patrol Empowerment Zone Extra

Suicide Prevention Month
PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
September 1, 2018

My buddy Sgt. Dave and I went to the Vietnam Memorial across from Lake Baldwin VA clinic on Thursday. Since Suicide Prevention Month was starting on today, we decided to do a couple of videos on the subject.

I called it Suicide Awareness Month because for me, the only way to prevent suicides is by raising awareness of how to do it. The slogan that has become an earworm traps out everything they need to hear.

"If you are one of the 92 percent of the population who regularly experience earworms—snippets of music that pop uninvited into your head and won't go away—you might wish there was a way to make them stop. Earworms are a generally benign form of rumination, the repetitive, intrusive thoughts associated with anxiety and depression."

The slogan of "22 a day" is an earworm and does absolutely nothing to offer hope. 

We need to replace that earworm with another "slogan" that will empower veterans to discover how powerful they still are. #TakeBackYourLife lets them know that they are in control over their healing.

They are survivors and need to be treated like it. Maybe then they will understand that they have nothing to be ashamed of as someone who risked their lives for others. The price they pay, is because of what they were willing to do.

They are not stuck where they are because they deserve to be, but empowered to use that same courage to take control over their lives again.

They need to be supported by those they risked their lives with. Peer support works better than anything else but fear of judgment from their peers traps them suffering in the silence. If you talk about a slogan, that is where you will leave them...and lose them.

  

Built in shock absorbers wear down over time

Shock Absorbers Surround You!
PTSD Patrol Sunday Morning Empowerment Zone
Kathie Costos
August 26, 2018

When we got the idea to turn PTSD Patrol into something related to vehicles, it was odd, to say the least. Once explained that people understand the vehicle they drive a lot more than the vehicle they live in, it only made sense to do it this way.

There are a lot of automotive parts that can be used to explain the vehicle you live in. Your body is your ride and we are all different but the stuff that makes it work can be linked to the stuff that goes into the vehicle you drive.

If you took a job to save others, you took on a lot more than most people have to deal with on a daily basis. That is why there are over 7 million citizens with PTSD, and you helped most of them survive.

If lives of strangers meant that much to you, then don't you think they matter to those you serve with? Ok, then why don't you get that your buddies would want to save you too?

Read about shock absorbers From Firestone

HOW DO STRUTS AND SHOCKS WORK?

The suspension on your car is made up of many components, including a set of springs that absorb bumps and road impact, a set of struts that support your springs, and a set of shocks (short for shock absorbers) that limit the bounce your car experiences by absorbing residual movement in suspension springs.

Without properly maintained struts and shocks an unexpected pothole, or even a gravel road, can actually cause the wheels of a vehicle to bounce off of the ground, which can easily lead to loss of control and collision.

REPLACE SHOCKS AND STRUTS ON YOUR VEHICLE

Since well-maintained shocks and struts critically contribute to the overall safety and stability of your vehicle's steering and suspension, we highly recommend having shocks and struts serviced regularly and well before there is an issue. That said, if you observe any of the following symptoms while you are in your vehicle or looking under the hood, it may mean it has time to bring your vehicle to your local Firestone Complete Auto Care center for service right away:

SHOCK AND STRUT REPLACEMENT SYMPTOMS OBSERVABLE WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE

• Excessive vehicle bouncing
• Nose of the vehicle dips down, especially when coming to a stop
• The vehicle sways and leans when turning corners or changing lanes
• Not enough bounce; the ride seems stiff
• Steering response is poor, or noise is heard when steering
• Feels very unstable at high speeds