You need someone to fuel that hope you do have left

Start fueling last glimmer of hope to heal

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
March 11, 2020

When you have the last glimmer of hope left, it does you no good to hear a slogan because someone supposedly cares about you. You do not need to be reminded about other veterans who lost their battle because someone extinguished all hope.

You need someone to fuel that hope you do have left so that you know tomorrow can be so much better than today. You need someone to stand by your side and show you the way to be happier.

Point Man has been doing since 1984.

We all know what the job of someone walking point is. This is from Foreign Policy

The point man is way out in front of the others. It is his responsibility to detect any signs of an enemy ambush… When a point man sees something that really worries him, he will merely drop down flat on the ground, and everyone behind him will do the same.

The strain on a point man is constant and he is usually exhausted by the end of the patrol. Always volunteers. There are some men, like Van Horn, who are great at it and feel obligated he offer their services often… It may sound phony, but — to me — being a good point man requires talent. It is a beautiful thing to watch a good one at work.

That is exactly what leaders in Point Man do, watch out for others and find the best way to keep them safe from the ambushes of PTSD.

Point Man started because a Vietnam veteran came home, took a job as a police officer and again, put his life on the line. He also pushed his pride aside. He had seen too many other veterans suffering and he knew they needed help. He met them in coffee shops at first. Then he expanded the efforts to reach more by setting up small groups called Out Posts. After realizing families also needed help, he started Home Fronts.

All the help Point Man offers is free of charge, continues to be operated in small groups so that no one feels lost and we stand by your side. Point Man leaders do not walk away!

After all these years, we found what works and it works because you are our priority. We are a Christian non-denominational group, and as such, our job is not to get you into a church. Our job is to help you rediscover the connection you have to God and honor your service. Because you were tugged to risk your life for the sake of others, you pay a higher price.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

You were willing to do that. Can you lay down your pride and ask for help now that you need it because of your job?

If you are looking to fuel that glimmer of hope you have left, find a Point Man group in your area. This is the link to Out Posts and Home Fronts. If there is not one in your area, you can contact headquarters online. There is also a prayer section for whatever you are going through, and you can also call 1-800-877-8387

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

A former police officer says not enough first responders are asking for help

Retired police officer attempted suicide twice, now urges mental health counseling for first responders

WTSP News
Author: Thuy Lan Nguyen
February 27, 2020

He says the stigma of seeking help for mental health counseling is one of the biggest issues. "Don't look down upon our brothers and sisters who have committed suicide. In my opinion, it's a line of duty death, just like if an officer responded to a bank robbery and unfortunately got shot. It's still a line of duty death," said DiBona.

TAMPA, Fla. — Mark DiBona has more than three decades of service in law enforcement under his belt. The stress of his job pushed him into a spiral.

"I went through some very difficult times where I attempted suicide twice on the same day. I felt really alone and didn't know how to seek help," said DiBona. He shares his story openly, hoping other first responders learn from his struggles. He's now a board member for an organization called Blue H.E.L.P.

read it here

Phoenix House, a transition home for homeless women veteran's and their children

Transition home helps homeless female veterans get on their feet

CBS 46 News
Bobeth Yates
Feb 10, 2020

GRIFFIN, Ga. (CBS46) When you think of Griffin, Georgia you may think small rural community, but a Griffin nonprofit is all but small and they are making major impacts for veterans.

On Friday about 100 people gathered to witness Way Point Veterans Service Center's latest milestone.

"You pray about doing the right thing and doing good by people," said Way Point's founder Sandra Brownlee.

After two years of planning, the organization opened Phoenix House, a transition home for homeless women veteran's and their children. The project was completed with the help of Home Depot, multiple organizations and community stake holders. The house is renovated to serve five female veterans.

"Because there is no VA service centers in these rural community areas it’s just logical for me to service this area," added Brownlee.

The property for the transition home was donated by a church in Griffin, and even though the house is just for women and children, the nonprofit provides help for all veterans.
read it here