the power you do have to make a difference

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
February 19, 2021

These are Godawful days right now. A pandemic of illness and anger sweeping over the country. So many people hurting and suffering, wondering how they can get through this day. The people of Texas are going through so much right now, they are wondering how to stay alive today on top of everything else. Human nature has many sitting around, getting angry and frustrated, wanting to get justice from those in charge. The thing is, no regular citizen has the power to change the causes of any of it today. We only have the power to change what we can.

I only know a tiny bit of what they are going through in Texas. I lived in Florida and we had a lot of hurricanes when I was there. I remember when Hurricane Charlie came through Central Florida. It was terrible. No power, streets destroyed and empty stores, if we were lucky enough to find one with power on. We did what we could, searching for water, food and operating gas stations. We were lucky that we had our power back in a matter of hours, and had little damage to our house. Some of our neighbors were not so lucky.

Still I remember how relieved we were to see the National Guard trucks bringing in water, supplies, helping to clean up and get power restored to other neighborhoods. We were even more grateful because we knew, they left their own homes and families to come and take care of the rest of us.

When you are going through these horrible days, you need to take care of you and your family to make it through today. Think about the power you do have to make a difference. If you can, try to help in whatever way you do have the power to do. Even making a tiny difference can seem like a miracle.

Remember other days when you didn't think you could get through them, but you did and better days came afterwards. That is why the featured video today is One Republic Better Days.

Each really sucky day ended up becoming better days because you got through the shitty ones, especially if you are dealing with PTSD. Doing something productive, and positively, can change the way today is. Use what power you do have until you can hold people accountable, because that is also in your power, but just not very useful to you right now.

Make a difference as much as you can, where you can, so you will help someone else have a better day too.

Remember, it is your life...get in and drive it!

#BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD

Better Days

One Republic 

Oh, I know that there'll be better days

Oh, that sunshine 'bout to come my way

May we never ever shed another tear for today

'Cause oh, I know that there'll be better days

Wakin' up in California

But these clouds they won't go away

Everyday is like another storm, yeah

I'm just tryin' not to go insane

Yeah, and the city shinin' so bright

So many dark nights, so many dark days

But any time I feel the paranoia

I close my eyes and I pray

Oh, I know that there'll be better days

Oh, that sunshine 'bout to come my way

May we never ever shed another tear for today

'Cause oh, I know that there'll be better days

Been wakin' up to a new year

Got the past million miles away

I'm waking up with a new fear (new fear)

But I know it'll wash away

Whatever you do, don't worry 'bout me

I'm thinkin' 'bout you, don't worry 'bout us

'Cause in the morning everything can change, yeah

And time will tell you it does

Oh, I know that there'll be better days

Oh, that sunshine 'bout to come my way

May we never ever shed another tear for today

'Cause oh, I know that there'll be better days

Better days

Better days

Better days

Better days

May we never ever shed another tear for today

'Cause oh, I know that there'll be better days

May we never ever shed another tear for today

'Cause oh, I know that there'll be better days

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Brent Michael Kutzle / John Nathaniel / Ryan B Tedder

Better Days lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing 

Bonus video 

You Raise Me Up

Celtic Women 

Do What You Can
Bon Jovi

forget yesterday, own tomorrow

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
February 18, 2021

"I just want to go back to the way I was." How many times have you wished you could? How many times have you tried to figure out a way to do that?

That is something that everyone with PTSD wishes they could do, but no one can go back to yesterday. The best way to deal with that fact is to understand the power that you do have over tomorrow. You get to define every moment as a survivor.

Life is all about changes. One day you lived your "normal" life but something happened to you. You went from the way you were before, into being a victim of whatever caused your PTSD. In the blink of an eye, you then became a survivor of it. Since you understand that PTSD was caused by changes that happened to you, now you can understand that the rest of you tomorrows are in your control.

This is why today the featured video is The Beatles, Yesterday.

The best way to move on from longing for yesterday, is to grieve for it being gone. Let out the pain you feel so that you can get that lousy feeling out of the way, and good feelings can move in. In other words, make some room for a better tomorrow by honoring what you left behind you.

Remember, it is your life...get in and drive it!

#BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD

Yesterday

The Beatles 

All my troubles seemed so far away

Now it looks as though they're here to stay

Oh, I believe in yesterday

Suddenly

I'm not half the man I used to be

There's a shadow hangin' over me

Oh, yesterday came suddenly

Why she had to go, I don't know, she wouldn't say

I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday

Yesterday

Love was such an easy game to play

Now I need a place to hide away

Oh, I believe in yesterday

Why she had to go, I don't know, she wouldn't say

I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday

Yesterday

Love was such an easy game to play

Now I need a place to hide away

Oh, I believe in yesterday

Mm mm mm mm mm mm mm

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: John Lennon / Paul McCartney

Yesterday lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC 

everybody hurts...not everybody helps when you do

PTSD Patrol 

Kathie Costos 

February 17, 2021

Everybody struggles with something they need help with. When you have PTSD, you are struggling with a a lot of things, but feeling like you cannot find someone to trust makes it worse.

When you are hurting and surrounded by people enjoying themselves, it can change your mood. That does not always happen in a good way. Most of the time, you can push back your pain so that no one sees it. Sometimes you can't. Sometimes you have to just walk away before you cry in front of them.

Why? Why be so afraid to show you are struggling with something? Sometimes it goes back to when you were a kid and got hurt. If you had people around you, letting you lean on them when you needed to, or being there to do what you couldn't do, remember those times. Tap into that trust again as an adult.

But what if others told you to just suck it up...get over it...stop crying...grow up? You are tapping into those memories keeping you from trusting anyone with your pain now.

Stop! Stop judging people you know now based on the people in your past. Your world is no longer a tiny group of people. As much as you may have encountered some who do rebuff you when you try to ask for help, there are others that tapped into their own pain enough to feel yours.

This is why today the featured video is R.E.M. Everybody Hurst.

If you reach out to one, and do not find the support you need, reach out to someone else. Keep doing it because sooner or later, you'll find others who not only know what you are going through, those willing to help you remember what it was like when no one would help them. They also know what it was like when they found someone who did and they want to be that person for you. 

Remember, it is your life...get in and drive it!

#BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD

Everybody Hurts

R.E.M.

When your day is long

And the night, the night is yours alone

When you're sure you've had enough

Of this life, well hang on

Don't let yourself go

'Cause everybody cries

Everybody hurts sometimes

Sometimes everything is wrong

Now it's time to sing along

When your day is night alone (hold on, hold on)

If you feel like letting go (hold on)

If you think you've had too much

Of this life, well hang on

'Cause everybody hurts

Take comfort in your friends

Everybody hurts

Don't throw your hand, oh no

Don't throw your hand

If you feel like you're alone

No, no, no, you are not alone

If you're on your own in this life

The days and nights are long

When you think you've had too much

Of this life to hang on

Well, everybody hurts sometimes

Everybody cries

Everybody hurts, sometimes

And everybody hurts sometimes

So hold on, hold on

Hold on, hold on, hold on

Hold on, hold on, hold on

Everybody hurts

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Mills / Berry / Buck / Stipe

Everybody Hurts lyrics © Night Garden Music 

Thank you for being a friend!

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
February 16, 2021

PTSD Patrol has over 78,000 page views and I owe it all to friends like you! The work is reaching a lot more people now, which also means, you are a friend to a lot of strangers too. The more you share this, the more people with PTSD discover their lives do not have to be all doom and gloom. You are helping them find hope, information, encouragement and support, along with letting them know someone does care about them!

You also let me know that my life's work matters and have been a blessing.

Thank you for passing this on to people you know!

That is why this post is for you because I want to thank you for being a friend of PTSD Patrol~

Thank You For Being A Friend

Andrew Gold

Thank you for being a friend

Traveled down a road and back again

Your heart is true, you're a pal and a confidant

I'm not ashamed to say

I hope it always will stay this way

My hat is off, won't you stand up and take a bow

And if you threw a party

Invited everyone you knew

Well, you would see the biggest gift would be from me

And the card attached would say

Thank you for being a friend 

Thank you for being a friend 

Thank you for being a friend 

Thank you for being a friend

If it's a car you lack

I'd surely buy you a Cadillac

Whatever you need any time of the day or night

I'm not ashamed to say

I hope it always will stay this way

My hat is off, won't you stand up and take a bow

And when we both get older

With walking canes and hair of gray

Have no fear even though it's hard to hear

I will stand here close and say

Thank you for being a friend (I wanna thank you)

Thank you for being a friend (I wanna thank you)

Thank you for being a friend (I wanna thank you)

Thank you for being a friend (I wanna thank you)

Let me tell you about a friend (I wanna thank you)

Thank you for being a friend (I wanna thank you)

Thank you for being a friend (I wanna thank you)

Thank you for being a friend (I wanna thank you)

And when we die and float away

Into the night the Milky Way

You'll hear me call as we ascend

I'll say your name then once again

Thank you for being a

Thank you for being a friend (I want to thank you)

Thank you for being a friend (I want to thank you)

Thank you for being a friend (I want to thank you)

Thank you for being a friend

People, let me tell you about a friend (I wanna thank you)

Thank you for being a friend (I wanna thank you)

Thank you for being a friend (I wanna thank you)

Thank you for being a friend

Whoa, tell you about a friend (thank you right now, for being a friend)

Thank you for being a friend (I wanna tell you right now, and tell you again)

Thank you for being a friend (I wanna thank you, thank you, for being a friend)

Thank you for being a friend

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Andrew M Gold

Thank You for Being a Friend lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., BMG Rights Management 

Did you let yourself know you matter in your own life?

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
February 15, 2021

Yesterday was Valentine's Day. We let those we love know how we feel about them. Was there someone you forgot about?

When we are born, the first love we have is for our mothers. After all, we know them inside...and out. Soon we love our fathers. We grow to love brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins. As we get older, we grow to love our friends. We learn to trust and share our lives. We do not always share our hearts.

Did you ever learn to love yourself? Did you let yourself know you matter in your own life?

I thought a lot about love songs yesterday. The one that kept popping into my brain was The Carpenters Only Yesterday. There are a lot of people who are lonely. You may feel there is nothing lovable about you, especially if you have had bad relationships in the past. It could have come as betrayal from a friend, or family member, or someone you gave your heart to. 

Did you ever give your heart to yourself? After all, you know you inside and out. You know all your flaws as well as you know all your qualities. You know what you went through, maybe even still going through, but you also know what remains inside of you that feeds hope of a brighter day.

Isn't it time you sang this song to yourself about yourself? Who else can know you better? Who else can show you how to "leave the past and all its tears behind" you?

When you have PTSD, the feeling of not being worthy of someone loving you, is a hard one to stop if the people you had in your life, pushed you away. Take a good look at the way the relationship was. Did you push them away first? Did you give them a chance to know what pain you were going through? Did you give them a chance to help you?

Did you end up hurting them because they didn't know what changed in you? Forgive them and forgive yourself.

Love yourself enough to believe you deserve to be happier. Love yourself enough to do more than hope for someone to come into your life to make you feel loved. You are already in your life and that should be where you begin to feed love so you have enough inside of you to give away to someone else.

Remember, it is your life...get in and drive it!

#BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD

Only Yesterday

The Carpenters 

After long enough of being alone

Everyone must face their share of loneliness

In my own time, nobody knew

The pain I was goin' through

And waitin' was all my heart could do

Hope was all I had until you came

Maybe you can't see how much you mean to me

You were the dawn breaking the night

The promise of mornin' light

Filling the world surroundin' me

When I hold you

Baby, baby, feels like maybe

Things will be all right

Baby, baby, your love's made me

Free as a song, singin' forever

Only yesterday when I was sad and I was lonely

You showed me the way to leave the past and all its tears behind me

Tomorrow maybe even brighter than today

Since I threw my sadness away

Only yesterday

I have found my home here in your arms
Nowhere else on earth I'd really rather be

Life waits for us, share it with me

The best is about to be

And so much is left for us to see

When I hold you

Baby, baby, feels like maybe

Things will be all right

Baby, baby, your love's made me

Free as a song, singin' forever

Only yesterday when I was sad and I was lonely

You showed me the way to leave the past and all its tears behind me

Tomorrow maybe even brighter than today

Since I threw my sadness away

Only yesterday (only yesterday, only yesterday)

Only yesterday when I was sad and I was lonely

You showed me the way to leave the past and all its tears behind me

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: John Bettis / Richard Carpenter

Only Yesterday lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group