Healing the Wounds of War: Hope and Restoration for PTSD

In today’s episode: –        Art Therapy, what is it? –        Finding healthy ways to express the darkness –        Some ideas… –        Words –        Photography –        Is it a good fit? Art Therapy, what is it? Just at the mention of the word therapy some people want to change the subject.  In the past when I […]

Unresolved guilt and shame can quietly suck the life out of us.  It can be a silent killer of our hope, relationships, and even life itself. Until this point in our series we have mostly dealt with the trauma of the actions others have had on us.  The injuries we endured.  But there can be […]

In today’s episode: Don’t Give Up! EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) Don’t Give Up! No matter what you have done.  No matter what others have done to you.  Don’t give up!  Good can come from bad.  But we need to keep going until we see it happen.  If we give up we may never […]

We may never directly change the course of human events.  However, we can change someone’s world.  We can impact the individuals that are in our lives.  We can influence our coworkers, neighbors, friends, family members, and even strangers we meet. In this episode: What is influence? How can I influence others? How does this relate […]

The Impact of PTSD on the Family In this episode we discuss: Secondary traumatization Ways families respond to stress (and Post-Traumatic Stress) Two key areas of stress for the family Resources for the family The family’s response to increased stress: (In part based on Kerr & Bowen, 1988) Grow distant from each other One will […]

Sleep is extremely important for the whole body.  The brain is no exception.  When we are recovering from PTSD we need are brains firing on all cylinders. PTSD introduces some difficult barriers to sound sleep.  Hyper-vigilance and nightmares are two obstacles that those with PTSD face. However, a good night’s rest starts with the same […]

Sometimes when we think of unintended consequences we get a negative picture in mind.  In this case it is all positive. Food and exercise will not by themselves fix PTSD.  Nevertheless, they can be powerful allies in the battle. In March 2014 I set out on a campaign to defeat diabetes.  I made significant changes […]

In this episode we discuss the role of sugar, our brain and recovery… Last week we learn about how running can be a tool for helping us deal with difficult memories.  One of the ways running helps is by increasing a key brain protein, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). The sweet white powder we call sugar […]

Hay, I found an instant, quick fix to post-traumatic stress… Not really.  But there are many tools we can use to grow and work toward—and achieve—success over PTSD. One of the coping mechanisms in PTS is to avoid memories.  At times this may be necessary.  But at some point we will need to deal with our past.  We can […]

Does how we see and perceive the world impact our ability to move forward in our recovery?  Our mind is a powerful tool.  We can convince ourselves of a lot of things.  In this episode we explore the possibilities of how our perspective might impact our present and future actions. “To change ourselves effectively, we first had to change […]

Does the “Disorder” word/idea get in the way of service members seeking help?  How do potential employers see service members when they are labeled with a disorder?  Does the stigma of being labeled with a “disorder” really impacted those dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress?  In today’s episode we will discuss:             […]

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”  Martin Luther King, Jr.* “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” Mahatma Gandhi** Many offences in life can and should be easily dismissed.  Today, however, we are talking about the deep […]

The concept of forgiveness runs deep at the core of any society.  If we cannot find a way to forgive then vengeance is all that will be left in the end.  But is it always possible to forgive?  Are some actions unforgivable?  What does forgiveness look like? Today we remember the genocide in Rwanda that […]

It may be important to understand barriers; but we do not need to focus on them.  Instead, we can focus on positive actions we can take to overcome the barrios. In this episode we will discuss: (Note: topics are not necessarily in this order.) Barriers to healing Tips to overcome these barriers My 7 Day […]

There are many parts and paths involved in any healing process.  Post-Traumatic Stress is no different.  We have to address physical, psychological and spiritual need.  Some aspects of these needs we all share in common.  Other aspects may be unique each of us. The ideas of grace, mercy, repentance, reconciliation and forgiveness are part of […]

  The benefits of encouragement and the need for criticism.  It is easy task to balance negative reactions and positive actions toward our family, friends, coworkers and especially those facing a difficult recovery. Our relationships would benefit from more positive and encouraging interactions.  This also seems to be true when dealing the Post-Traumatic Stress.  Our minds tend […]

You can make a difference!  You do not have to be a doctor, psychologist, clergy or other professional to make a difference in the life of someone with PTSD. We are not helpless when it come to helping ourselves of helping others dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.  We do not have to face our own […]

Are you ready to take back control?  Anger, Stress, Anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress response can all involve the Fight/Flight response.  We do not have to let this response take, or keep, control of our actions.  In this episode we will discuss: Physical manifestation (symptoms) of acute “stress” and escalating anger. The Autonomic Nervous System (ANA or aka. […]

Last week in “Anger!!! What Lies Beneath” we discussed the fuel underneath anger.  It seems to be largely connected to fear and its friends: shame, guilt, etc.  This week we continue on our path toward growth and victory. Out of control anger does not only affect our relationship; but it also physically affects our hearts—and […]

Anger affects more than just people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  Some people just seem to be wired to be more volatile.  All of our life circumstances and experiences help us cope with the “stuff” that we encounter.  We can learn new ways of dealing with whatever we experience or feel. People dealing with PTSD […]

Throughout the world and throughout time music has been part of celebrations, calls to battle (action) and dealing with loss.  Even when the style, instruments and language are unfamiliar there is something recognizable about the message being conveyed in music.  It aids us in expressing our joys and pleasures.  It can pull tears even out […]

What desires do you want to achieve in 2014?  Growth in getting a handle on PTSD?  Healing a relationship?  Starting a business?  Overcoming a fear that has been holding you back?  Dealing with a difficult work or home relationship?  Whatever it is, there is a set of goals and tools that can help you achieve […]

In this episode we will discuss: A report on 21 days of my gratitude exercise from episode 007 – Can Gratitude Save Your Life? Cannabis: Curse or Cure (or something in between) for PTSD 21 Days of Gratitude Consistency was difficult Helpful or not? Medical Cannabis (Marijuana) Curse of Cure? (List of topics and terms.  […]

In this episode we will discuss: Substance Use/abuse and PTSD. 3 Signs Substance Use has become Substance Abuse 3 Strategies for dealing with Substance Use/Abuse Substance Use/Abuse and PTSD Both civilian and military suffers of PTSD are more likely to also deal with Substance Use Disorder (SUD), according the U.S. VA Self-medication Why?  Deal with […]

What role does helping others play in our own recovery process? We will start out with an update of our 21 day gratitude experiment from last week’s episode: Can Gratitude Save Your Life?   3 Reasons to Reach out: The Power of Outreach [Note: You do not have to be a veteran and suffering from […]

“90% your long-term happiness is predicted not by the external world, but by the way your brain processes the world.”  Dr. Shawn Achor, “The Happy Secret to Better Work” TEDx 2011 In today’s episode we: Explore the power of gratitude Consider what we can do to make use of gratitude Discuss how science is trying […]

Can a seemingly devastating event lead to positive transformation?  Life will throw us many difficulties.  We can build a solid foundation to face whatever may come.  We can also build with whatever we have experienced. In this episode we will discuss: Devastating events I share a little of my own Iraq story. We look at […]

If you believe someone is considering suicide, is it OK to ask: “Are you thinking about committing suicide?” or other direct questions? This is one of the questions addressed in this episode. Hopelessness seems to be overtaking an increasing number of people–veterans and civilians alike.  This is showing up in an ever increasing suicide rate.  […]

In today’s episode we will: 1. We will explore the struggle that can arise in faith as a result of trauma.  We will consider the question: Is it OK to question God?  If so, how?   2. We will take a look at light…  Does light really have the power to change our brains? Impact […]

In today’s episode we will:  Give a community update  Discuss in more detail the Recognize part of the RESTORE process  Talk about a potentially exciting treatment for the most server PTSD More people connecting… – We have over 275 people that have connected with us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HopeAndRestorationTeam – Twitter: @PadreDavid – Of course our […]

I am David Fell, your host for this podcast where we are building a community Hope and Restoration for all those dealing the Stress, Anxiety, Post Traumatic Stress and much more. Each week we seek to inform, educate and yes, perhaps even entertain as we learn together how to live lives of victory! In today’s […]