PTSD

PTSD is not something you get while in the military. You get it from anything that's happened in your life. For me, there were many things which happened to me which chalked up to PTSD; some of which happened in the military. PTSD happens to everyone whether you realize it or not. It's when it surmounts into where you can't function anymore, that's when it becomes a problem. When I went off Paxil, my ability to function happened in October 2012. As I was withdrawing from Paxil, I began to feel things, remember things, experience feelings I kept in a deep dark place. Life became scary. While I continued to quiet my mind with meditation, it was after my practice that became scary.

From regret of things I didn't do as a mom to actions I did while in the military to car accidents, it was like a flood. This is where, along with meditation, neurofeedback helped me to be where I am today. I cannot stress how important these two items are to me.

Meditation is a personal choice. Finding one that works for you is a journey. My journey to find the one which worked for me was a sojourn I loved. I learned mindfulness, Tibetan, chakra, guided, music, etc. The one which worked the best for me is TM (www.tm.org). My TM teachers, Bob and Ali are fantastic. They continue to be life long friends. What I did find out is TM is the #1 meditation that works for folks like me who had severe PTSD. They offer TM for free for all active duty, retired, and disabled veterans through the David Lynch Foundation (http://www.davidlynchfoundation.org/military.html). David Lynch has made it his life to help veterans get their lives back through TM. It works. So if you're on a search for what works for you, try it all out and pick what you want.

Neurofeedback with Teri Hagen and Tom Fink is like Christmas to me. Like I said earlier, when I first started, it was hard and you leave trying to figure out "WTF did I just do?" "Is it working?" After the first time I did it, I slept without needing something to help me sleep. It's awesome. According to eeginfo.com, Neurofeedback is defined as,

• Neurofeedback is direct training of brain function, by which the brain learns to function more efficiently. We observe the brain in action from moment to moment. We show that information back to the person. And we reward the brain for changing its own activity to more appropriate patterns."

We are lucky to be in the world we live in today. Mental Health issues aren't looked at as taboo or something quietly spoken about between family members. It's out there and we all got our issues. No one has to hide in the dark when they feel sad, scared, etc. I can say honestly I had issues and I'm working on them. There is no such thing as being normal but I can tell you this, for the first time in my life, I feel I can lead a normal life. I am grateful for everyone from Bob and Ali to Tom and Teri who helped me achieve better mental health.

On a side note, Tom Fink developed a home unit to do your own neurofeedback in the comfort of your own home! Though it's works with only a PC (no MAC yet but in the works), this little baby can really help and you can do it as many times as you feel the need to (http://www.mindreflector.com/).

Live Big! Love Life!

Cindy