PTSD Patrol breaking the sound of silence

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
October 17, 2020

"Hello darkness my old friend" begins the song, the Sound of Silence, and that is why it is today's feature video. PTSD is like having a bad old friend. Sure you know it well enough but that does not mean you are supposed to be happy to see it.

"I've come to talk with you again" but not really. More like it came to talk to you again when you are having a bad day, or some trigger set off a flashback.

"Because a vision softly creeping left its seeds while I was sleeping, and the vision that was planted in my brain still remains" and you can become afraid to speak about it. Then you live "within the sound of silence."

This version is with Pentatonix. Powerful, beautiful voices. joining together, side by side. That is what healing is like. Using your powerful, beautiful voice to talk about it so that others can heal side-by-side, supporting one another and gaining strength from each other.

#BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD and then share your journey so others may find the power to end their own sound of silence to help others heal too!

[OFFICIAL VIDEO] The Sound of Silence - Pentatonix

Hello darkness, my old friend

I've come to talk with you again

Because a vision softly creeping

Left its seeds while I was sleeping

And the vision that was planted in my brain

Still remains

Within the sound of silence

In restless dreams I walked alone

Narrow streets of cobblestone

'Neath the halo of a street lamp

I turned my collar to the cold and damp

When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light

That split the night

And touched the sound of silence

And in the naked light I saw

Ten thousand people, maybe more

People talking without speaking

People hearing without listening

People writing songs that voices never share

And no one dared

Disturb the sound of silence

"Fools, " said I, "You do not know

Silence, like a cancer, grows

Hear my words that I might teach you

Take my arms that I might reach you"

But my words, like silent raindrops fell

And echoed in the wells, of silence

And the people bowed and prayed

To the neon god they made

And the sign flashed out its warning

In the words that it was forming

And the sign said, "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls

And tenement halls"

And whispered in the sounds of silence

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Paul Simon

The Sound of Silence lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group 

PTSD Patrol I Will Survive

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
October 16, 2020

If PTSD Patrol ever had a theme song, it would be Gloria Gaynor "I Will Survive" because that is exactly what we need to keep hearing, You are a survivor! 

PTSD is like being in a bad relationship. It can beat you down and just when you think you are taking your life back from the misery it inflicted, it pops its ugly head back into your life. That is a relapse that a lot of people go through. 

Like being in Alcoholics Anonymous, it can happen but when it does,  you go back to meetings and call your sponsor until you are strong enough again to get back on the road to recovery.

If you are having flashbacks again, there could be many reasons but the biggest one, is an anniversary date. Your internal clock remembers it, even is you are not aware of it. Flashbacks usually happen around the time IT happened. Once you are aware of it, then you can take the key away from it and change the lock!

#BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD

At first I was afraid, I was petrified

Kept thinking I could never live without you by my side

But then I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong

And I grew strong

And I learned how to get along

And so you're back

From outer space

I just walked in to find you here with that sad look upon your face

I should have changed that stupid lock, I should have made you leave your key

If I'd known for just one second you'd be back to bother me

Go on now, go, walk out the door

Just turn around now

'Cause you're not welcome anymore

Weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye?

You think I'd crumble?

You think I'd lay down and die?

Oh no, not I, I will survive

Oh, as long as I know how to love, I know I'll stay alive

I've got all my life to live

And I've got all my love to give and I'll survive

I will survive, hey, hey

It took all the strength I had not to fall apart

Kept trying hard to mend the pieces of my broken heart

And I spent oh-so many nights just feeling sorry for myself

I used to cry

But now I hold my head up high and you see me

Somebody new

I'm not that chained-up little person still in love with you

And so you felt like dropping in and just expect me to be free

Well, now I'm saving all my lovin' for someone who's loving me

Go on now, go, walk out the door

Just turn around now

'Cause you're not welcome anymore

Weren't you the one who tried to break me with goodbye?

You think I'd crumble?

You think I'd lay down and die?

Oh no, not I, I will survive

Oh, as long as I know how to love, I know I'll stay alive

I've got all my life to live

And I've got all my love to give and I'll survive

I will survive

Oh

Go on now, go, walk out the door

Just turn around now

'Cause you're not welcome anymore

Weren't you the one who tried to break me with goodbye?

You think I'd crumble?

You think I'd lay down and die?

Oh no, not I, I will survive

Oh, as long as I know how to love, I know I'll stay alive

I've got all my life to live

And I've got all my love to give and I'll survive

I will survive

I will survive

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Dino Fekaris / Frederick J. Perren

I Will Survive - Re-Recording (By Original Artist) lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

PTSD Patrol Ain't No Mountian High Enough

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
October 15, 2020

The feature video today is Diana Ross song about getting to someone no matter what is in the way. If you know someone who has always been the kind of person to put others first, rush to help them, then you need to know that they could need more help than they will ever ask for.

Over 8 million Americans have PTSD, and most of them were hit after one incident. For the helpers, they have multiple times piled onto their soul and it can crush them. They need to be reminded that there is nothing wrong with asking for help....since they always answered when someone else asked for it. Now it is their turn to ask for help themselves! #BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD

If you need me, call me

No matter where you are

No matter how far

Just call my name

I'll be there in a hurry

On that you can depend and never worry

You see, my love is alive

It's like a seed that only needs the thought of you

To grow

So if you feel the need for company

Please, my darling, let it be me

I may not be able to express

The depth of the love I feel for you

But a writer put it very nicely

When he was away from the one he loved

He sat down and wrote these words:

No wind, (no wind)

No rain, (no rain)

Nor winter's cold

Can stop me, babe

(Oh, babe) baby (baby)

If you're my goal

No wind, (no wind)

No rain, (no rain)

Can stop me, babe

If you wanna go

I know, I know you must follow the sun

Wherever it leads

But remember

If you should fall short of your desires

Remember life holds for you one guarantee

You'll always have me

And if you should miss my lovin'

One of these old days

If you should ever miss the arms

That used to hold you so close, or the lips

That used to touch yours so tenderly

Just remember what I told you

The day I set you free

Ain't no mountain high enough

Ain't no valley low enough

Ain't no river wild enough

To keep me from you

Ain't no mountain high enough

Ain't no valley low enough

(Say it again)

Ain't no river wild enough

To keep me from you

Ain't no mountain high enough

Nothing can keep me

Keep me from you

Ain't no mountain high enough (no)

Nothing can keep me

Keep me from you

Ain't no mountain high enough

Ain't no valley low enough

(Say it again)

Ain't no river wild enough

To keep me from you

Ain't no mountain high enough

Ain't no valley low enough

Ain't no river wild enough

To keep me from you

Nothing in this world

(Ain't no valley low eno

ugh)

Nothing in this world

Can keep me from you, baby

Just call my name

I'll be there in a hurry

Just call my name

I'll be there

Ain't no mountain high enough

Nothing can keep me, keep me from you

Ain't no mountain high enough

(Say it again)

Ain't no river wild enough

To keep me from you

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Valerie Simpson / Nickolas Ashford

Ain't No Mountain High Enough lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC 

PTSD Patrol getting past "Thunderdome"

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
October 14, 2020

"Out of the ruins...Out from the wreckage...All we want is life beyond the Thunderdome...Looking for something...We can rely on...There's got to be something better out there...Love and compassion" words from the movie Thunderdome. 

There are so many different parts of We Don't Need Another Hero that apply to recovering from PTSD. 

After surviving over 10 times, the worst for me was after my ex-husband tried to kill me, then stalked me for a long time. The sound of the muscle cars he always drove caused flashbacks and all that came with it. For me, that was the thunder in my dome...my head.

I never knew what kind of car he would be driving because he was an auto body mechanic. He would use customer's cars so that I wouldn't be able to call the police with the plate number of his car. I had a restraining order but it didn't do any good.

Many years after I move from Massachusetts to Florida, it still happened, even though it was "irrational" that was my reality. That didn't end until I got a copy of his obituary in the mail. That ended my dread of muscle cars because I knew he would never be able to hurt me again.

Your flashbacks may be irrational too but there are understandable irrationalities.

What I would like you to understand is that even within all those years of that terror, I was relatively happy. I worked to help other people understand what PTSD was and what it did, as well as try to help them know that they could overcome it, even if they could not cure it.

PTSD doesn't have to consume you or rob you of living a happier life. If I could do it, you can get out from under your "Thunderdome" too!

#BreakTheSilence and #TackBackYourLife from #PTSD

We Don’t Need Another Hero

Tina Turner

Out of the ruins 

Out from the wreckage

Can't make the same mistake this time

We are the children 

The last generation (the last generation)

We are the ones they left behind

And I wonder when we are ever gonna change it

Living under the fear 'til nothing else remains

We don't need another hero 

We don't need to know the way home 

All we want is life beyond the Thunderdome

Looking for something 

We can rely on 

There's got to be something better out there

Love and compassion 

Their day is coming (coming)

All else are castles built in the air

And I wonder when we are ever gonna change it 

Living under the fear 'til nothing else remains

All the children say

We don't need another hero 

We don't need to know the way home 

All we want is life beyond the Thunderdome

So what do we do with our lives?

We leave only a mark 

Will our story shine like a light

Or end in the dark?

Is it all or nothing?

We don't need another hero 

We don't need to know the way home 

All we want is life beyond the Thunderdome

All the children say

We don't need another hero (we don't need another hero)

We don't need to know the way home 

All we want is life beyond the Thunderdome

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Graham Hamilton Lyle / Terry Britten

We Don’t Need Another Hero lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., BMG Rights Management 

PTSD Patrol feeling stronger everyday

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
October 13, 2020

"Feeling stronger everyday" by Chicago is one of my favorite songs. What can be better for someone healing than to feel stronger everyday?

That is the goal of healing from anything. When you are healing as a survivor, little by little you are able to understand what that means by trying it, doing it, failing and trying again until you achieve it! When you get there, then it becomes your mission to help others get to that point in their lives too!

It doesn't mean that you are going to be happy everyday. Yesterday was an example of that from me. Doing these videos everyday, there are times when I won't be as happy as I usually am. Some days I may be angry, or depressed or have a meltdown, but I am human and those emotions are all part of life. So are the good ones and I hope that you are at a point when you are feeling those good ones more than the bad days.

#BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD

I do believe in you

And I know you believe in me

Oh yeah, oh yeah

But now we realize

Love's not all that it's supposed to be

Oh yeah, oh yeah

And knowing that you would have wanted it this way

I do believe I'm feelin' stronger every day

I know we really tried

Together we had love inside

Oh yeah, oh yeah

So now the time has come

For both of us to live on the run

Oh yeah, oh yeah

And knowing that you would have wanted it this way

I do believe I'm feelin' stronger every day

Yeah, yeah, yeah

Yeah, yeah, yeah

After what you've meant to me

Ooh, baby now

I can make it easily

Yeah, yeah, yeah

I know that we both agree

Best thing to happen to you

The best thing that happened to me

Yeah, yeah, yeah

Feelin' stronger every day 

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Peter Cetera / James Pankow

Feelin' Stronger Everyday lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Spirit Music Group, BMG Rights Management