You hit the nail on the head. Thank you for addressing this. I found peace when I could face the man in the mirror and admit the issues I had. Thanks brother!
Thank You Keith, being a US Navy SeaBee in Vietnam, 67–68, attached to Third Marines, going through TET at the worst place and time,I am a combat Vet! The same Intel you are sharing now was what I got at the perfect time. It helped me understand myself and my family. The road wasn’t that long to receive what I needed to put me back on track. Thank you so much for broaching the subject.
Great Conversation starter, Keith. Your transparency in your messages and videos is helping men and women become more like the person God created them to be….themselves, and the best version of themselves, through their understanding and relationship with the Lord!
Keith I so much appreciate your candor and honesty on this subject. As a military veteran and veteran of more than 30 years in fire/ems I felt that stigma for years and it prevented me from seeking the help I needed. I finally received that help and like you, encourage any of our brothers and sisters dealing with ptsd to do the same. God bless you brother and your awesome ministry.
As a retired LEO, I know a little about this topic :) There are two types of Warriors: those without PTS and those will have some degree of PTS going down the road hunting for evil. PTS that "does not significantly interfere with occupational or interpersonal functions" (clinical terms from the DSM) likely makes for a better Warrior. Post Traumatic Stress is a normal human response to an abnornal event outside the domain of usual human experience. It is only a functional problem when you are "significantly impaired" ergo a Disorder. People do heal and overcome with a little help and that trip down the road is much more navigable. With God, you are never alone and He gets it!
I like your point. I think the word disorder doesn’t help the situation. The word disorder kind of makes people feel they are pigeonholed into a negative mental health category. Then they don’t get help because the stigma attached to that word. Good job Keith and great response Ron.
Thomas, I neglected to mention that after I retired, I became a licensed mental health provider in 3 states and 2 national certifications. PTSD is the most abused diagnosis out there as there is often money attached for compensation. I'm saying it doesn't exist, quite the contrary but there is a difference between real psychological trauma and whining over getting hot coffee spilled on you. It is a normal reaction to an abnormal event, outside the realm of usual human experience.
I am Army Combat Veteran with PTSD, and last year I believe I made my attempt to get my CCW with the San Bernardino county sheriff's department in California. Always going well but when they asked if there's anything I needed to tell them, and of course you can't lie to the sheriff's also make things worse. So I told him about my PTSD, as soon as they learn that they wanted me to get a psych eval, which of course would be more money out of my pocket which I could not afford. So I didn't go any further.
I’ve been dealing with this for almost 6 years. When I retired due to PTSD the dept. I worked for denied my application to carry because “PTSD is a mental illness” I wanted to fight it and them however I just didn’t have the energy or finances to do so.
I would rather serve with a person who has had some experience with managing an adrenaline rush in the past, like servicemen and women of our nation including,nurses,police officers,firefighters,emergency responders. Most of us have some sort of PTSD in our lives.
As a USCG Veteran of 10+ years and 20+ years of service in fire and EMS, it's been my observation that we fall under two categories, those with PTSD, and those who will have PTSD. We all see far too much trauma for it not to exact a toll, the trick is learning to recognize it, cope or get help if necessary, and sometimes, when necessary, walk away before it breaks you.
Do you know of any dptsd counselors that work on a sliding scale? I'm in Canada and everything is just so expensive or free but evil and woke. I'm up against a LOT of opposition but it's because of what I have on them. I don't have a choice but to fight back but I've been having to treat myself for almost a decade through this and I really started suffering after 2021. Now I'm stuck here again fading fast. I've been fasting this week and receiving wonderful things from it but this morning I snapped even before waking. I don't control my sleep, though. It's just happening and I can't stop it. It's getting too hard and I'm close to giving up. I CAN'T though! Four kids to protect through all this persecution and attack! Just had to bind actual demons in my narcissistic psychopath of an ex the other day! I'm thankful he came on a day when I had been in the Spirit worshipping all that day! If it had been today? I don't even want to think about what could've happened. He was revving up to an attack but abruptly stopped and left because I was praying hard against it. I can defend myself somewhat physically, too, but I try real hard to prevent that situation from arising. Zero support or protection. The cops protect him instead. I can't stick my neck out, either without the threats from government. I almost had to flee the country and decided against it but it meant I had to stop persuing exposing our courts and government! Fighting back was the only thing stopping them from succeeding. Now I'm in this position again but this time I want to do nothing. If I don't, though. I'll end up back in that psychward for them to finish the job while my kids get taken and trafficked. I know how it sounds but I've collected everything to prove it. And I know others who've had similar things happen to them. I had an ex legal aid lawyer who had to flee the country before me so, I know I'm not being paranoid. I look at evidence myself just to remind myself I'm not crazy. I was doing so well when I was seeing a psychologist but it was $180 per hour! That was before 2020! I can't imagine what it costs now and I'm hitting foodbanks constantly now. I WANT to fight. I NEED to fight. My testimony is a POWERFUL one if I can get past this and get back out there! I'm not afraid of dying or being arrested. I'm afraid I won't be taken seriously and I'm not able to stay calm and everything flies out of my head and suddenly I'm stupid! I can't even look at anything without getting triggered! I can't even talk to people right now. But I need to get back to a place where I can if I'm to get back out there! I'm in saskatchewan if that helps but zoom works better since there's no good counselors here. They're all in denial if you know what I mean. Canadian. My story involves "conspiracy theories" they still don't want to admit to or talk about. I need OPEN EYES! AWAKE people! I can't find ANY. PLEASE HELP!
Naval Officer here...I want to thank you so much for tackling this stigma. I've been deployed seven times.
2010: Counter Piracy/VBSS off Yemen and Somalia, 23 Pirates captured and delivered for elimination. Multiple Iranian interactions in the Straits of Hormuz. Medical rescues off commercial vessels. Drug interdictions in the Persian Gulf Cooperation with Jordanian and Israeli special forces teams.
201&-2016: Naval Special Warfare Unit THREE/Joint Special Operations Task Force - Arabian Peninsula at the time the largest SpecOps Command in CENTCOM. Worked the JOC, transported contracted 35 SEALs, 20 SWCC, 100+ Rangers and three Delta members in and out of multiple Gulf Cooperation Council countries where we trained Arab SpecOps teams. Was on the recovery team for our small boats that were captured by the Iranians in January 2016. When a SEAL and I would attend church on Fridays (the holy day) we went to a Christian gathering in the middle of a heavy Shi'a population. Pastor asked us to wand incoming congregants and check for bombs due to the number of attempts.
2016-2019: Four Strategic Nuclear Deterrence Submarine Patrols on a SSBN.
2022: Aviation detachment in support of multiple SpecOps missions in CENTCOM.
I say all that to say this...whenever I enter a church, I am looking for ways to protect congregants from disruptors and any possible gunmen. I look at entrances/exits and anything that can be used as a weapon inside the service. Have been diagnosed by the VA twice with severe PTSD. If anything, I think it makes us service members perfect options for church staff. When you've been through car bombs, gun fire, hostage situations, rescues, harassment by hostile countries near their borders, so many medical emergencies that I've lost count...then church security just seems like a natural fit.
God bless you for bringing attention to the stigma. This article helped me so much.
We’re here in San Antonio, military medical city. We’ve had PTSed combat medics on our team from time to time; great team members! Not only that, but we get to minister to them as well and we’re all better off for it. I can relate, 45+ LEO.
You hit the nail on the head. Thank you for addressing this. I found peace when I could face the man in the mirror and admit the issues I had. Thanks brother!
Thank You Keith, being a US Navy SeaBee in Vietnam, 67–68, attached to Third Marines, going through TET at the worst place and time,I am a combat Vet! The same Intel you are sharing now was what I got at the perfect time. It helped me understand myself and my family. The road wasn’t that long to receive what I needed to put me back on track. Thank you so much for broaching the subject.
You spoke with much wisdom brother 🤗🤗🤗 Got given wisdom. God bless you and your family brother
Great Conversation starter, Keith. Your transparency in your messages and videos is helping men and women become more like the person God created them to be….themselves, and the best version of themselves, through their understanding and relationship with the Lord!
Keith I so much appreciate your candor and honesty on this subject. As a military veteran and veteran of more than 30 years in fire/ems I felt that stigma for years and it prevented me from seeking the help I needed. I finally received that help and like you, encourage any of our brothers and sisters dealing with ptsd to do the same. God bless you brother and your awesome ministry.
As a retired LEO, I know a little about this topic :) There are two types of Warriors: those without PTS and those will have some degree of PTS going down the road hunting for evil. PTS that "does not significantly interfere with occupational or interpersonal functions" (clinical terms from the DSM) likely makes for a better Warrior. Post Traumatic Stress is a normal human response to an abnornal event outside the domain of usual human experience. It is only a functional problem when you are "significantly impaired" ergo a Disorder. People do heal and overcome with a little help and that trip down the road is much more navigable. With God, you are never alone and He gets it!
I like your point. I think the word disorder doesn’t help the situation. The word disorder kind of makes people feel they are pigeonholed into a negative mental health category. Then they don’t get help because the stigma attached to that word. Good job Keith and great response Ron.
Thomas, I neglected to mention that after I retired, I became a licensed mental health provider in 3 states and 2 national certifications. PTSD is the most abused diagnosis out there as there is often money attached for compensation. I'm saying it doesn't exist, quite the contrary but there is a difference between real psychological trauma and whining over getting hot coffee spilled on you. It is a normal reaction to an abnormal event, outside the realm of usual human experience.
Thank you for this!
I am Army Combat Veteran with PTSD, and last year I believe I made my attempt to get my CCW with the San Bernardino county sheriff's department in California. Always going well but when they asked if there's anything I needed to tell them, and of course you can't lie to the sheriff's also make things worse. So I told him about my PTSD, as soon as they learn that they wanted me to get a psych eval, which of course would be more money out of my pocket which I could not afford. So I didn't go any further.
That is something you don’t need to disclose. It is not a prohibiting factor. Half the officers there have PTSI.
Unfortunately for me, I didn't know that at the time.
Thank you Keith,
I’ve been dealing with this for almost 6 years. When I retired due to PTSD the dept. I worked for denied my application to carry because “PTSD is a mental illness” I wanted to fight it and them however I just didn’t have the energy or finances to do so.
I would rather serve with a person who has had some experience with managing an adrenaline rush in the past, like servicemen and women of our nation including,nurses,police officers,firefighters,emergency responders. Most of us have some sort of PTSD in our lives.
Thank you for this.
As a USCG Veteran of 10+ years and 20+ years of service in fire and EMS, it's been my observation that we fall under two categories, those with PTSD, and those who will have PTSD. We all see far too much trauma for it not to exact a toll, the trick is learning to recognize it, cope or get help if necessary, and sometimes, when necessary, walk away before it breaks you.
Can someone send me link / story to Keith’s treatment he did this past summer. Thant you n God Bless
My email steve@vegpacker.com For response
Do you know of any dptsd counselors that work on a sliding scale? I'm in Canada and everything is just so expensive or free but evil and woke. I'm up against a LOT of opposition but it's because of what I have on them. I don't have a choice but to fight back but I've been having to treat myself for almost a decade through this and I really started suffering after 2021. Now I'm stuck here again fading fast. I've been fasting this week and receiving wonderful things from it but this morning I snapped even before waking. I don't control my sleep, though. It's just happening and I can't stop it. It's getting too hard and I'm close to giving up. I CAN'T though! Four kids to protect through all this persecution and attack! Just had to bind actual demons in my narcissistic psychopath of an ex the other day! I'm thankful he came on a day when I had been in the Spirit worshipping all that day! If it had been today? I don't even want to think about what could've happened. He was revving up to an attack but abruptly stopped and left because I was praying hard against it. I can defend myself somewhat physically, too, but I try real hard to prevent that situation from arising. Zero support or protection. The cops protect him instead. I can't stick my neck out, either without the threats from government. I almost had to flee the country and decided against it but it meant I had to stop persuing exposing our courts and government! Fighting back was the only thing stopping them from succeeding. Now I'm in this position again but this time I want to do nothing. If I don't, though. I'll end up back in that psychward for them to finish the job while my kids get taken and trafficked. I know how it sounds but I've collected everything to prove it. And I know others who've had similar things happen to them. I had an ex legal aid lawyer who had to flee the country before me so, I know I'm not being paranoid. I look at evidence myself just to remind myself I'm not crazy. I was doing so well when I was seeing a psychologist but it was $180 per hour! That was before 2020! I can't imagine what it costs now and I'm hitting foodbanks constantly now. I WANT to fight. I NEED to fight. My testimony is a POWERFUL one if I can get past this and get back out there! I'm not afraid of dying or being arrested. I'm afraid I won't be taken seriously and I'm not able to stay calm and everything flies out of my head and suddenly I'm stupid! I can't even look at anything without getting triggered! I can't even talk to people right now. But I need to get back to a place where I can if I'm to get back out there! I'm in saskatchewan if that helps but zoom works better since there's no good counselors here. They're all in denial if you know what I mean. Canadian. My story involves "conspiracy theories" they still don't want to admit to or talk about. I need OPEN EYES! AWAKE people! I can't find ANY. PLEASE HELP!
Naval Officer here...I want to thank you so much for tackling this stigma. I've been deployed seven times.
2010: Counter Piracy/VBSS off Yemen and Somalia, 23 Pirates captured and delivered for elimination. Multiple Iranian interactions in the Straits of Hormuz. Medical rescues off commercial vessels. Drug interdictions in the Persian Gulf Cooperation with Jordanian and Israeli special forces teams.
201&-2016: Naval Special Warfare Unit THREE/Joint Special Operations Task Force - Arabian Peninsula at the time the largest SpecOps Command in CENTCOM. Worked the JOC, transported contracted 35 SEALs, 20 SWCC, 100+ Rangers and three Delta members in and out of multiple Gulf Cooperation Council countries where we trained Arab SpecOps teams. Was on the recovery team for our small boats that were captured by the Iranians in January 2016. When a SEAL and I would attend church on Fridays (the holy day) we went to a Christian gathering in the middle of a heavy Shi'a population. Pastor asked us to wand incoming congregants and check for bombs due to the number of attempts.
2016-2019: Four Strategic Nuclear Deterrence Submarine Patrols on a SSBN.
2022: Aviation detachment in support of multiple SpecOps missions in CENTCOM.
I say all that to say this...whenever I enter a church, I am looking for ways to protect congregants from disruptors and any possible gunmen. I look at entrances/exits and anything that can be used as a weapon inside the service. Have been diagnosed by the VA twice with severe PTSD. If anything, I think it makes us service members perfect options for church staff. When you've been through car bombs, gun fire, hostage situations, rescues, harassment by hostile countries near their borders, so many medical emergencies that I've lost count...then church security just seems like a natural fit.
God bless you for bringing attention to the stigma. This article helped me so much.
We’re here in San Antonio, military medical city. We’ve had PTSed combat medics on our team from time to time; great team members! Not only that, but we get to minister to them as well and we’re all better off for it. I can relate, 45+ LEO.