Night Fits?

[mgkusmc]

I've had very few bad dreams about Iraq, few that I can remember. But I've had mornings where my wife has told me that I seemed to have a nightmare, I've woken her up because of me kind of thrashing in my sleep, not to the point where its violent thrashing but still thrashing none the less. Since I havent really had all that many dreams about Iraq should I see someone about this, I mean it is possible I've done this all my life but still the episodes are far and few between but I still have them and it concerns me a little.

[SlingerDun]

I've had mornings where my wife has told me that I seemed to have a nightmare, I've woken her up because of me kind of thrashing in my sleep...You could start confronting this problem by asking your wife to wake you when it happens again. Write it down or draw it best you can directly before it fades. Later in the day study and try too make sense of it. Save and date your notes. If dreams are similar or consistent you will have a data base albeit puzzling to work with.

Good Luck

--->Dave

[bigalholmes165]

I've had very few bad dreams about Iraq, few that I can remember. But I've had mornings where my wife has told me that I seemed to have a nightmare, I've woken her up because of me kind of thrashing in my sleep, not to the point where its violent thrashing but still thrashing none the less. Since I havent really had all that many dreams about Iraq should I see someone about this, I mean it is possible I've done this all my life but still the episodes are far and few between but I still have them and it concerns me a little.

Shoulda been in the RVN - It's the same!! - We all have them.

[ggyoung]

MGK=======You need to go see a doctor. They can and will help. Do it now. Don't let it go. I had the dreams for 40 years before I got help. Still have some but not as offten as before I went to the VA. I don't know how they treat this on active duty but you should find out. I beleve you owe it to your wife to do so. Good Luck.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

It's worth seeing a doc about to at least get it documented.

Sometimes, the dreams will go away..other times, they won't. Mine eventually went away, but I found out the hard way on 9/11, they WILL come back. They are never really gone.

[mgkusmc]

Alright, I will schedual an appointment with the VA

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Again, that way, it gets put on paper. Might come in handy one day.

[mgkusmc]

Yea it probably will. But one thing I think I have to my advantage is that I can talk to my buddies that were there with me about it, and it does help over time. Its not like Vietnam where people were rotating in and out on an individual basis, my dad had a buddy that he hadnt seen since his first tour in vietnam and the guy had been having really bad night fits ever since leaving and just by a simple chance here a couple years ago he got in touch with my dad and the mans wife said his night fits have gotten alot better since then. So I guess I have that to my advantage as well.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Yep. And KEEP talking about it. To your buddies, and to anyone else that will listen and understand. It does help, believe me.

[mgkusmc]

Thanks :-D

[Seeley]

I know what you are going through. I wake up in sweat a lot in the middle of the night. Make sure you get it documented to cover your ass later. The Corps tried telling me that I didn't have PTSD enough to count for anything even though I was scanning roof tops and avoiding garbage in the road and such. The VA thought otherwise.

[mgkusmc]

Got most of it documented last week with the va. Avoiding garbage in the road i've done that a couple times and i've caught myself looking at roof tops and upper windows not in like a nervous sense but just force of habit

[o311marine]

yeah... I flinch every time I pass a bag or a box on the side of the hiway... not fun.

[ttracker65]

I agree about not waiting to see some one. I refused to and got to where i thought it was normal behavoior to sit on the hill behind my house doing an LP
26 years later I was forced to retire because of it...Do Not Wait. what can it hurt besides to get some profesionel ideas on how to cope with it

[2ndCEBSupply]

I have a similar problem the first week i got back from iraq in 2005 i was having real bad sleeping problems . I didnt see much combat and i dont want to go into details but when i came back i wasnt able to sleep for 4 days. My roomate would tell me that i would always talk in my sleep and move around alot he said i made him nervous at night. Its 2008 and now a clean cut civilan. This became serious when my girlfriend told me that i choked her one night during my sleep. I didnt belive her at first because i dont remember anything when i wake up but now she video tapes me at night when i act weird so im becoming worried about what might happen in the future and if i need help. If anyone has any type of information PLEASE let me know. I would rather stay away from the VA Hospital i get treated with no respect there.

[ttracker65]

The VA is the only place that is realy geared for combat stress or military related PTSD and they are good at it. You should give them a shot, also I would give your county VSO a call. His job is to get you through the hurdles.

[2ndCEBSupply]

ive tried talking t othe vso she never answers the phone and when i do talk to her she says she will call me back and never does.

[ttracker65]

Could you finish filling out your profile please

[E5NAMKROW]

Uh, Go To A Regular Doctor Then. Accidently Choking Your Woman In Your Sleep Is A Serious Problem. This Is What I Did To Get Sound Sleep. Go Around And Check All The Windows To Make Sure They Are Locked, Double Check The Doors, Scan The Perimeter And Get Your Fields Of Fire. Have A Plan Set In Your Mind For Any Such Emergency And It Will Give You Some Ease Of Mind Enough To Sleep. Worked For Me. Oorah

[zx6rdr]

I too have been having a lot of the same problems that have been metioned in this thread (especially the sleeping troubles) I have thought about going to the VA about this problem, But out of fear of loosing my right to own firearms among other things I have not. I just have heard so many horror stories about getting diagnosed with PTSD and having a lot of rights and privilages taken away.

Has anybody experienced any of these problems? Do I have a justified fear of this? Or am I just being paranoid?

Thanks for you help!

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Quite frankly, it's going to depend on what state you live in and how severe the diagnosis is, or may be. A healthy distrust of 'the gummint who is here to help you' is a good thing overall, but I would still talk to someone, VA or not.

As far as doing all the standard 'movie type' stuff of checking perimeters securing windows etc....well, if you are at that point, then I'd suggest going to the VA regardless, because you need to talk to someone sooner rather than later.

[ttracker65]

OK her it goes. I am 70% disabled and 100% un-employable. Te VA put me on meds that I can not work with. But to lose your right to own a firearm you have to have Been put away more than 6 months and be declaired mentaly un fit. PTSD it's self does not make you un fit not doing any thing about it does. Since I have Been on DIVALPROEX, QUETIAPINE and CITALOPRM My NightMares have become Bad dreams and I do not wake up running through the house or running into a door. I actualy sleep at night instead of have a nightmare for half an hour wake up sit my sweat for fifteen miniutes then do it all over again until I was having flashbacks at work. Do not wait till that happens! You do not have to. There is help but first you have to help yourself by getting down to the VA and get checked out. I waisted 27 years of my life because I fought it and did not want to be known that I was weak. Looking back that flash back at work was a ray of hope because I cpould not hide it any more. By the way all I did was pick an employee up and move him to safety only problem was there was no danger it was in my head that he was about to be shrapped. Good luck to you and if you ever wish to pm me on this subject I will be here some where. Sorry for the bad spelling this topic always hits a nerve with me

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Good on ya. Glad you got some assistance. The "looking weak" part is what ALWAYS causes us, and those like us, to delay in getting help until we are literally drowning or worse. It's not the 'macho' element, it's the 'can't let our buddies down' element that comes into play with that 99 percent of the time, and the other 1 percent is the "I'm strong enough to beat this..." element.

[ttracker65]

One of the advantages to the VA is the Groups that are made available to you. These are peers of the men/ women that you have served with that are going through the same thing as you and DO know what you are going through. And It Does Help. They are easier to talk to and you do not have to worrie about the Dicclosure rules because they do not apply.

[ENGR1371]

You all have good Topics! Thanks & Semper Fi!
For years, I thought it was normal to wake up in the middle of the night with my Ka-Bar and / or AR-15 & start "Swooping!" I was ready to "Have at it!" I was wrong! For yrs. I did this & almost killed my wife & neighbors! If someone drove to close to my bumper I snapped, you name it! I went to the VA & got help! They diagnosed me w/PTSD from Desert Storm! I'm ashamed to admit it! I take Citalopram/Xanax/ & other drugs to keep me from going overboard!
The bottom line is, don't be afraid to go for HELP!
Semper Fi!

[jeff0311]

3 yrs later and I still scan roof tops

[HNDoyle]

PTSD is a complicated thing, theres no test to see if you have it, the only way to tell is by what your experiencing, and i suggest if you have trouble functioning on a Daily basis or you fear for your safety or that of your family go to a Doctor right away as was said before theres alot of good meds out there available to you guys, my buddy who was a Doc with 1/7 deployed twice and a year later he hit the ground when some movers dropped a steel plate. by the way i am currently stationed at NNMC and i deal with the wounded Marines coming back everyday.

[sgt tony]

Here in Oklahoma the Viet Nam vets got a veterans counseling going and they are just guys that come to gather and talk about how we cope with PTSD they are open to all veterans from at time of wars. They are not part of the VA but they are well liked and the information you give them will not be used unless you tell them and they can help in your problem. I think they have them in other states also.

[Camper51]

HNDoyle,

I appreciate your comments but please fill out your profile and be sure to include your FMF assignments. The Marines on this site will tend to ignore anyone who hasn't filled out the profile. We heartily welcome all fleet docs with open arms...

[Blackheart1]

If you live near Pittsburgh, Western Psychiatric Hospital (downtown Pittsburgh, Oakland Area) has a great sleep study program. That is how they find out for sure if you have it.

Or may be you could call and see if there is a program near you. The guy in charge of it is Abdul Hakim. He is a former Army Medic. He's a great guy. They have been experimenting and finding success with blood pressure medication.
The best part is they can not share any information with any one, but they will help you with the VA if you approve.

If you want, I will dig up a number or what ever you need.

Best of Luck Devil Dog.

Semper Fi

[Savageknight]

If that female VSO doesn't get back to when she is supposed to, you need to report her. She isn't doing her job, and that is to help you and others.

May God continue to be with You, Brother!

[Sterge]

Through private means or the VA, the sooner PTSD symptoms are treated the sooner life can begin to be as close to normal as possible. In Buffalo, New York, where I live, there are psychologists and psychiatrists no longer with the VA who treat combat veterans in private practice. It's not free, but almost all accept some form of private health insurance. If you have a VA near you and want to avoid "the system", call around. Many VA doctors and therapists leave the VA and begin their own practice, so you get the benefit of their knowledge and experience without the bureaucracy. We also have a very good PTSD program in Batavia, both on an in-patient and out-patient basis, as well as groups that are run by counselors with combat experience for those with combat-related symptoms. These groups are clustered around VA hospitals.

One form of therapy for PTSD and its symptoms is called EMDR. You can learn more about it here: http://www.emdr.com/ A good place to look for research on PTSD and the various treatment options is here: http://www.oqp.med.va.gov/cpg/PTSD/PTSD_cpg/frameset.htm

If you want to go through the VA, there are some things you should know: PSTD Claims: You date of eligibility for benefits is the date of filing, not the date of onset of symptoms. File early, and file for each and every claim that may be remotely service connected. alcohol and drug abuse are secondary service-connected injuries, file for those too if appropriate.

The VA has the legal obligation not only to provide benefits, but to tell you what you need to prove your claim and help you get the evidence they need. That being said, don't count on them doing all the footwork for you. If you have problems with your military record, you can file a DD 149 to correct your military record. If you need help with your discharge status, file a DD 293. To get a copy of your DD214 (if you don't have one on hand), file an SF 180. Testimony of your war buddies, your own testimony, any newspaper clippings, medals, copies of orders, letters home and to you, etc. are all evidence. if the VA thinks that there is a 50/50 percent likelihood your injuries are service-connected, they MUST rule in your favor. IF THEY DO NOT, appeal to the Board. IF that doesn't go your way, appeal to the US Court of Veterans Claims. Don't give up. It may take time, but you will get your benefits retroactive to the date of initial filing.

Thank you for your service, your sacrifice, and your dedication.