PTSD Patrol: Are your hazard lights on?

PTSD Patrol

Kathie Costos

July 8, 2020

Yesterday we talked about how you actually send off signals, like the lights on the vehicle you drive, and people see all kinds of signs regarding the mood you are in. There is one that we did not discuss and that is one of the big ones...your hazard lights. When you read about the times you should use them, keep in mind that using them, lets people know your vehicle is in trouble!

When you should use your hazard lights

Consider using your car’s hazard lights when:
👮Getting pulled over. If law enforcement signals you to pull over, turning on your hazard lights can show the officer that you acknowledge their signal and are following the request. Slow down, turn on your hazard lights, and stop your car in a safe location. 

👮Changing a tire on the side of the road. Use your hazard lights when your vehicle becomes a potential hazard for other road users. If you’re parked on the side of the road changing a tire, it’s generally okay to have your hazards on. 

👮Your car has broken down and you’re waiting for a tow. 

👮 Your car has become a temporary hazard and you’re waiting for assistance. Warn other drivers of your presence, especially if you are not able to move your car out of traffic.

👮 Driving in a funeral procession. Funeral processions are an exception to most hazard light guidelines. It’s customary for vehicles in a funeral procession to drive with their hazard lights on, even when it is otherwise prohibited by law.

You may be operating with your hazard lights flashing without knowing it. This happens when you are not in control of your reactions to others. #BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD

PTSD Patrol: What signals are you giving out?

PTSD Patrol

Kathie Costos

July 7, 2020

If you had lights on your body, like you vehicle has, then you would automatically let people know what mood you're in.

Red lights: stop, do not approach, stay away

Yellow lights: OK with talking but proceed with caution

Regular lights: Normal conditions

High Beams: Upbeat mood

What if your forehead had lights like your dashboard does? It would let people know you needed service to be done and a mechanic. Your battery is running low. You are unbalanced. Your fuel is low or you have a full tank.

There are all kinds of signals you actually give. The trick is, noticing what signals you are giving so you can explain it to them. It will also help you understand what you are seeing in others.

Your vehicle has plenty of lights to notify others what you are doing and what you need to know as about what your vehicle needs. So do you.

Learn what signals you are already giving and let those around you understand what those signals mean. #BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYouLife from #PTSD

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

PTSD Patrol: Time to plug into power of forgiving

PTSD Patrol

Kathie Costos

July 5, 2020

The question you need to ask yourself is why you should forgive and stop letting negative emotions keep you stuck. Refusing to forgive is like only using the negative port of your battery. Time to plug into the positive power of forgiving! 

#BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD

PTSD Patrol, daily messages to help you get out of your garage

PTSD Patrol

Kathie Costos

July 5, 2020

We have been spending time with family and friends the last few days, practicing social distancing...which is extremely hard on a hugger like me. I was telling a relative why I switched to working with anyone with PTSD, instead of just focusing on veterans. With over 8 million people living with PTSD, plus everything else going on, those numbers are expected to grow. Then the question came up about why I do most of the videos in my garage.

A long time ago, there was a veteran I was having a hard time explaining what PTSD was and why it did what it did. He was running out of hope and so was I. We were near my car when it dawned on me that he understood his car better than he understood himself.

That was when I used "vehicle" as a metaphor for how to get from one place to another. It is easier to understand that we determine where we go, how to get there and how fast we travel, than it is to understand that the "vehicle" you live in, is really not that much different from the vehicle you drive. Basically, we're all in the garage.

The vehicles we live in (our bodies) face the same conditions the vehicles we drive do. There are road blocks, traffic jams, detours, other drivers, breakdowns and accidents. There are parts of our engines (our minds) that need to be serviced after diagnostic testing to see what needs to be repaired by a mechanic (mental health professional) who is trained to repair it. 

As for the journey itself, (our spirits) we need to be able to find the right road to get us where we want to get to (a happier life) with the vehicle we control. 

The logo is of a snowplow because no one get anywhere in a snow storm until the plows go out to clear the road, and that is my job. 

I survived things that could have killed me, statistically proven to cause PTSD, over 10 times. I had all the symptoms of post-traumatic-shock, which can develop into Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Some factors that increase risk for PTSD include:

• Living through dangerous events and traumas
• Getting hurt
• Seeing another person hurt, or seeing a dead body
• Childhood trauma
• Feeling horror, helplessness, or extreme fear
• Having little or no social support after the event
• Dealing with extra stress after the event, such as loss of a loved one, pain and injury, or loss of a job or home
• Having a history of mental illness or substance abuse

****There are other causes that you may have experienced, but not on the list. ****

This is where #breakthesilence comes in!

• Some factors that may promote recovery after trauma include:

• Seeking out support from other people, such as friends and family
• Finding a support group after a traumatic event
• Learning to feel good about one’s own actions in the face of danger
• Having a positive coping strategy, or a way of getting through the bad event and learning from it
• Being able to act and respond effectively despite feeling fear
• You can heal if you know how to get there. Step by step, like following your GPS, you will get there on the easiest roads!

Everyday, until I run out of things to say, there will be daily messages to help you get out of your garage and back on the road to recovery so that you can #takebackyourlife from #PTSD