PTSD Patrol: Golden oldies crankshaft

PTSD Patrol: Cranky Shafted?
PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
September 23, 2018

This is for the majority of veterans in the US. Older, but unfortunately, not as wise as you should be when it comes to PTSD.

Veterans over the age of 50, are also the majority of veterans known to be committing suicide. Yep, that long after surviving combat, the battle to stay alive is lost all too often.

Most of it is because you thought you escaped all you went through while you were busy working, raising kids and doing what everyone does. Filling up time instead of relaxing.

Faced with retirement and other life changes, no longer too busy, time catches up with you. Suddenly it is as if you were hit by a sledgehammer when nightmares, flashbacks and mood swings take over. Not knowing what is going on, it is easy to get cranky.

AutoZone Crankshaft

"Your vehicle is a smoothly operating machine, unless of course your crankshaft and camshaft have gone bad. A faulty crankshaft inhibits the pistons from rotating properly while a damaged camshaft prevents correct opening and closing of the intake and exhaust valves- hindering your ability to drive altogether. The crankshaft and camshaft work together in-sync, so the valves don't contact the pistons, which are all controlled by the timing belt. Overtime, these parts become faulty from wear and tear, and inevitably need to be replaced within the lifetime of your vehicle."

If you had been hit by PTSD in younger years, then more than likely, you have already been to the VA, diagnosed and treated for PTSD. That is great because PTSD stops getting worse when you #TakeBackYourLife and fight to heal. 

If you managed to "stuff it" then you may have been under the delusion you escaped what others did not. It is a huge shocker to find out you did not, especially when you are ready for your "golden years" when you are supposed to be enjoying life.

PTSD symptoms later in life from the VA Many older Veterans find they have PTSD symptoms even 50 or more years after their wartime experience. Some symptoms of PTSD include having nightmares or feeling like you are reliving the event, avoiding situations that remind you of the event, being easily startled, and loss of interest in activities. There are a number of reasons why symptoms of PTSD may increase with age:

Having retired from work may make your symptoms feel worse, because you have more time to think and fewer things to distract you from your memories. 

Having medical problems and feeling like you are not as strong as you used to be also can increase symptoms. 

You may find that bad news on the television and scenes from current wars bring back bad memories. You may have tried in the past to cope with stress by using alcohol or other substances. Then if you stop drinking late in life, without another, healthier way of coping, this can make PTSD symptoms seem worse.

PTSD symptoms can occur soon after a traumatic experience, but this is not always the case. Here are some common symptom patterns:

Some Veterans begin to have PTSD symptoms soon after they return from war. These symptoms may last until older age.

Other Veterans don't have PTSD symptoms until later in life. 

For some Veterans, PTSD symptoms can be high right after their war experience, go down over the years, and then worsen again later in life.

Even with all that, there are many things you need to learn, beginning with the biggest piece of news you need to hear. You can still heal! That's right! It does not matter how many years it has been since you got out of the military. Your life can still get so much better when you work on your life instead of working your life away.


Yesterday I went out to Rock and Brews for a car show. Love to see all the old cars I grew up with. These old cars were selected to be lovingly restored instead of ending up in a junk yard.

You can be lovingly restored too! 

Got to love the sense of humor some people have!

Who said you were beyond repair?

PTSD Patrol Sunday Morning Empowerment Zone

Your ride may be getting old, but it is far from ready for the junk yard. Most people value antiques and if you are a senior veteran, that is a great way to look at what comes with age.

You have a lot of miles on your spare tires. Your shock absorbers may be a little worn out. You may need some body work. The truth is, you survived all of the events that put miles on your ride. A lot of them were bad but more of them were good times.

You may be thinking it is time to just trade your vehicle in but there is a lot to be said for something that survived that long.

That vehicle you live in is not ready for the junk yard! Just like when there is something wrong with the vehicle you drive, you take it to the repair shop, you need to take you to the repair shop too!

Friday at Lake Nona VA, they had a lot of experts ready to help you navigate the road from where you are to where you want to go. It was Suicide Prevention day.

It is not about what you may have heard but just like when some people were saying the world was flat and you were going to fall off if you went too far, it was not true. The VA is not your enemy!

Actually, personally, I blame CCC (Congress Caused Clusterfluke) and yes, you know what I mean right there.

There are a lot of things the VA is doing that you may not have even imaged. There is a Chapel that is open right near the Memorial walkway.

I know that as time goes by, it is easy to think that nothing is going to get better for you. It won't if you do absolutely nothing but sit there and complain about how bad it is.

Don't let stuff drive you crazy when you could be driving in the right direction. 

Getting directions to Hope

Whenever you want to go to a place you have never been before, you have to find out how to get there.

In my case, my daughter bought me a GPS after I got lost in Tiffin Ohio...for two hours circling corn fields. (Don't ask, long story) She said I get lost getting out of a paper bag!

Everyone can get lost but the folks who planned the road and loaded directions must have gotten lost too. 

When everything is going to hell, it is hard to believe in a place you have never been to. You are used to being stuck, most of the time feeling alone, and always being just too depressed to do much at all. 

But even though you may feel as if you are stuck, there is something inside of you trying to get you to notice you are the only one keeping you from getting to where it is so much better. You can live a better life if you look for directions how to find it.

This video is for anyone who is lost but refuses to pay attention to the easiest way to get to hope. No one is so lost they cannot be found and get your life turned around from grave to Hope Road.

Suicide Prevention from Iraq veteran survivor

This video is from 2010. I was speaking at a Point Man conference and had my camera so that I could record the band playing.

For a unique reason, if you know what I mean, I kept the camera rolling when they were done. That is why the footage is so shaky. My hands were shaking as I was listening to Paul speak about what changed his life.

When we had a break, I told him I had recorded it. I gave him a choice. I could give him the tape, destroy it, or, put it up on YouTube. It did not take more than a second before he said, "Get it up on Youtube. I'm tired of losing my men."

Iraq Vet talks about PTSD and his work with Point Man Ministries and how he didn't want to live. Paul's life was saved and he became a leader in Point Man to make sure others learned to live after war.

Part 2

Part two, Iraq vet talks about PTSD and his work with Point Man Ministries and how he put the gun in his mouth

PTSD Not God's Judgment

PTSD Not God's Judgment

There is suddenly a lot of talk about "moral injury" and combat PTSD. It is survivor's guilt adding to what is known as PTSD but unlike other causes of PTSD, this one is harder to heal from. The good news is, you were not judged by God but He has put what you need to heal already in your soul. It is our job to connect you to it again. Contact Point Man International Ministries to show you the way.

Healing PTSD since 1984. Vietnam veteran came home, became a Seattle Police Officer and knew the price being paid by others. It started with a simple cup of coffee and taking time to listen to what was the soul crushing silence.