Tia grew up in a traumatic and toxic childhood. Both of her parents were alcoholics and this environment taught her bad coping mechanisms when dealing with negative situations. She joined the military and then later was medically discharged. She wondered why she had symptoms similar to ADD, had depression, anxiety but later discovered that the root cause of all the issues was PTSD. I am appreciative of Tia joining and sharing her story and how she’s raised the quality of her life and learning/applying positive coping mechanisms. 

As I mentioned in the last episode, Tia and I met because she reached out to me on FB to talk about 22zero. I spoke with her and enjoyed the chat and thought others would appreciate her journey. Tia’s story resonated with me. From the explosive anger by making a simple mistake, using drugs and alcohol to detach from the reality of life. I was doing all the same things to avoid addressing the unprocessed trauma. I was just speaking with a police officer who dealt with drug addiction and came to a realization. I never had issues with addiction or feeling I needed a substance. I was addicted to not feeling the pain anymore. 

I am not a believer in a magic pill or program to fix PTSD or systematically suppressed trauma but if I was to pick one of the most important things that improved the quality of my life it was learning to disconnect and be more introspective. I believe 22 zero is a source that can help with that. I hope there is something discussed that you find valuable and helps in some way. 

Resources Mentioned:
Veteran Retreats https://www.campsouthernground.org
https://www.22Zero.org
Free Counseling for Veterans https://www.vetcenter.va.gov 
No alcohol or drugs
Personal care
Enjoy nature, get outside

We would really appreciate a share and like. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have battled PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to shorten that journey for others. Additionally if you support,  provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.