An Introduction by

Michael J. Cain Presented to:

USSOCOM Care Coalition Recovery Program – Mentor Training Session

6-7 Nov, 2009

michaeljcain@gmail.com ©2009 Michael J. Cain

Michael Cain Father Author Citizen

Fatigue ● Nausea ● Chest pain ● Twitches, ticks ● Insomnia ● Nightmares ● Breathing problems ● Irritability ● Nervousness Muscle tremors ● Grinding teeth ● Constantly cold ● Uncontrollable shaking ● Profuse sweating ● Pounding heart ● Forgetfulness ● Never hungry ● Headaches/migraines ● Weight gain or loss ● Chronic pain

Pacing ● Restless ● Emotional Outbursts ● Social Phobia ● Suspicious Paranoia ● Inability to rest ● Inability to sleep ● Loss of interest in hobbies ● Increased alcohol/drug use ● Suicidal thoughts ● Cover-up/lying ● Compulsive ● Poor judgment ● Arrive late to gatherings (so no one can come up behind you) ● No trust in others ● Poor time management ● Continuous mission mode ● Driving erratically ● Obsessive ● Financial issues unstable ● Communication problems No organization ● No follow through ● Barricading yourself so no one can enter your comfort zone ● Fighting

Anxiety ● Panic ● Guilt ● Fear ● Confusion ● Denial ● Irritability ● Depression ● Intense anger ● Agitation ● Withdrawal ● Poor self-esteem ● Hyper-vigilance ● Feeling of being alone ● Feeling accused ● Difficulty concentrating ● Nightmares ● Flashbacks ● Phobias about unfamiliar people ● Survivor guilt ● Feeling a need to have pain to remember those fallen ● Apprehension

Medical and mental health professionals do not know why some people have PTSD reactions to traumatic situations and other people don’t. We do know that it does NOT say anything about the strength or character of the person suffering. Again, there is no relationship between how strong a person is and these symptoms; many people who are brave or strong end up with PTSD symptoms after going through a traumatic experience. -Blue Star Mothers of America

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) defines a trauma as:

The person has been exposed to a traumatic event in which both of the following were present:

• The person experienced, witnessed, or was confronted with an event or events that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others

• The person’s response involved intense fear, helplessness, or horror.

Journaling is a telling of events on paper, with the goal of being able to “look” at them

Journaling is a written expression of emotions Journaling is a tool that can help to reveal

valuable insights about yourself

Select a tool Bound book Loose leaf binder or spiral bound notebook (to

facilitate removal) Computer software

Find a private place to write where you won’t be interrupted

Choose a time that isn’t going to conflict with everyone around you, so they can leave you alone.

Just write, don’t worry about language, grammar or style

Don’t try to justify or explain your thoughts, just get them on paper

Don’t be afraid to go off on a tangent Focus on thoughts and feelings

Use all your senses—describe colors, sounds, odors, tastes, textures

Consider what may have changed in your life since the experience –or in the world around you

Write about what you have learned. Ask yourself: What in your life is more

important now than before? What is less important? What caused the changes?

Regularly Daily or weekly is not as important as

consistency Time of day should be what fit’s best into your

schedule and lifestyle; there is no “best” time There is no “bad” time either, write when you

feel the need, even if it’s outside your regular schedule

After PT – you’ll be clear headed with loads of endorphins flowing

After a road trip – Use the travel time to let your mind wander, then take time when you arrive to make notes in your journal

A journal will not judge you Journaling helps organize your thoughts to help you

understand not only how a thing happened, but why Expressing emotions, even on paper, helps with the

processing of memories Seeing the narrative description of an event can make

everything more clear Journal writing allows you to face up to difficult topics,

without the uncertainty and frustration associated with talking about it in the presence of others

This is private – only you should make the decision to share your work

Don’t expect immediate results – this is a process – positive results will follow as your comfort level increases

Remind yourself that you control the process If you feel compelled to share what you write, that

will affect how you write and perhaps reduce the effectiveness

If you’ve written something that you’re concerned about, don’t be afraid to destroy it and come back to it later – you’re not destroying the memory, just the written record of it Going beyond your comfort level can be harmful

and counter-productive This isn’t about making other people feel

better, it’s about making you feel better

Writing about a stressful event helps you to break down memories to component parts thereby enabling you to make better sense of them and making them more manageable

Writing allows you to gain control and understanding

Besides serving as a stress-coping mechanism, writing produces many physiological benefits. Research shows that it improves memory and sleep, and even speeds healing after surgery

If there is something that you’d like to tell a loved one, or a friend, but can’t because of risk of embarrassment or some other concern, express it on paper - then consider whether to share what you’ve written by: Handing it to them Reading it to them Talking about it with your journal as a guide

Write for yourself; there’s no need to share what you’ve written with anyone

Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are not important

Writing is beneficial, but it is not a substitute for action – work on a plan

And finally, bear in mind that this may be uncomfortable, even painful at times, but writing about your thoughts and feelings keeps you in control. Become a master of your thoughts, not a slave to them.

The people who love you may not understand what you’ve been through, but they do care about you – they want to help you – you can help them understand how they can do that by getting a better grip on it yourself