Your Veteran and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

It may not be until you’re providing round-the-clock care for your elderly loved one, a military veteran, that you realize he is living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Many veterans who develop PTSD from serving in high-stress environments tend to hide it from their families and communities. They may avoid triggers or avoid discussing their experiences entirely.

That’s where community based care providers can make a difference, offering tailored support to address their unique needs in a compassionate and understanding environment.

If your loved one has recently moved in with you due to age or health concerns, or if you’re more involved in their daily care, you might begin to notice long-standing PTSD symptoms that have gone untreated for years.

Recognizing these signs is the first step toward helping him get the support he deserves.

PTSD Symptoms

Each person can have completely different triggers that set off their PTSD symptoms. While your loved one may have learned to manage or avoid specific triggers, there are times when unforeseen or unavoidable situations can still occur. This is where community based care becomes vital, offering support systems and tailored approaches to help individuals navigate these challenges and improve their overall well-being.

PTSD triggers are broken into four types of symptoms.

#1 Negative thinking or moods

• Negative feelings of self-worth
• Feeling he can’t be saved or redeemed from his past
• Negative feelings toward other people or people groups
• Distrust in any authority
• Consistent feelings of anger and wrath
• Not being able to find joy in things that used to bring him joy
• Not being able to relax and enjoy the little things

#2 Intrusive thoughts

Intrusive thoughts or reexperiencing past circumstances are some of the most common symptoms of PTSD, and they can manifest in various ways. For individuals dealing with these challenges, community based care offers a supportive approach, providing tailored resources and services to help them through their recovery journey.

• Upsetting nightmares or realistic dreams that he’s back in that prior situation.
• Unwanted memories that keep appearing in his head, and an inability to change his focus to something else.
• Having flashbacks or reliving the trauma in his everyday life. These flashbacks can be brought on by triggers such as a particular smell or sound.
• Reacting extremely emotionally to an event that reminds him of his trauma, such as watching a movie about it.

#3 Avoidance Behavior

Your loved one may work hard to maintain a “regular” life by relying on avoidance behaviors to cope with PTSD symptoms. Community based care can provide the support and resources they need to address these challenges in a compassionate and understanding environment.

• Avoiding places or activities that remind him of the event. Possibly avoiding people as well.
• Distracting himself with hobbies or activities that don’t let his mind go to those darker places.
• Using drugs or alcohol to numb his feelings or memories.

#4 Physical or Emotional Reactions

Called arousal symptoms, you might notice these signs when spending more time with your loved one, especially if they are receiving community based care.

• Always being hypervigilant and on guard for threats.
• Is easily startled by loud noises.
• Cannot sleep at night, has insomnia.
• Has self-destructive behaviors.

Getting Help with PTSD

Even if your loved one served decades ago, he can still benefit from getting professional help with his PTSD. The VA offers community based care options that he can use in his community when a trip to a brick-and-mortar VA hospital is not an option. With community based care providers, he can find help with mental health care services, specialty services, and extended care services.

The PTSD road that he has been on for so many years can take another path that’s less intrusive and damaging if he takes some time to work with the community based care options available to him.

If you or an aging loved one is considering Community Based Care in Felicity, OH, please contact the caring staff at Freedom Home Care today at (513) 461-2780

Freedom Home Care Serves Veterans in Clermont County, Batavia, Amelia, Milford, New Richmond, Goshen, Bethel, Williamsburg, Loveland, Withamsville, Brown County, Felicity, Georgetown, Mount Orab, Ripley, Hamersville, Sardinia, and surrounding areas.