The Search for PTSD Treatment

I went to the Veterans Administration (VA) in search of help and treatment for my Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). My first stop was through the disability process. I was made to go to a therapist to be evaluated for PTSD and my symptoms. The therapist seemed to really understand what I was going through and helped me to put my thoughts into words. During that session she told me about PTSD therapy sessions that are held at the VA hospital. This sounded like a good thing but it sessions were held during working hours so I would not be able to attend. She told me about another option for me which was an outside facility that specialized in PTSD treatment for Veterans. The hours worked with my work schedule and it was close by. I called and made an appointment and was looking forward to being able to get help with my PTSD and to move forward. The day came for my appointment and I arrive with a copy of my DD-214 in hand as requested by the receptionist. I complete all the typical paperwork to see the therapist. They have you complete a depression screening form and a form to see how many symptoms of PTSD you have. The therapist comes out and calls me back. I could sense an attitude from her but I took it as maybe she was having a bad day. We get into her office and it doesn’t get any better. She asks me why I am there. So I proceed to tell her that I was seen by a therapist for my disability evaluation and she suggested I come to see someone at this facility. Then she asks me what was going on so I told her about my deployment of caring for the wounded warriors when they came back state side. She stops me in the middle of my sentence and asks to see a copy of my DD-214. I hand it to her and she tells me that she does not think that I should be there or that I even qualify to be there. She took my DD-214 to the supervisor and he told her that I could be seen because it was technically a deployment. Her attitude continued through the whole session with her telling me that she was not sure why I was there since I did not see anything. She also told me how her husband was retired Army and had deployed overseas several times and he is ok. Needless to say I did not go back to see her. The facility sent me a survey in the mail a few months later and I wrote down exactly how the therapist made me feel about coming in to seek help. I could see exactly why people do not seek help because of people like her. I stopped searching for help for a while because it did not want to feel that way anymore. During COVID quarantine I found a website that focuses on helping Veterans with PTSD. I decided to sign up and try it out. Hey what did I have to lose at this point? It was a free service and if I did not like it then I could just stop. Well the first session was difficult for me but I made it through. The objective of this therapy was immersive therapy. They wast you to go through the experience like you were back there again. As you go through the sessions and relive the experience over and over it does not affect you as much. I am glad that I went through the process and allowed myself to relive the experience again to get the help I need. Now that I am feeling better mentally it was time to feel better physically as I gained all the weight that I lost rapidly.