Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Program Locator
Photo by Michael Miner
No one wants to admit their Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD) is getting the best of them, but if you need information or just a little guidance, the VA has a location service by state. Just click on your state to identify your PTSD representative. http://www2.va.gov/directory/guide/PTSD_flsh.asp?isFlash=1
Many things can trigger PTSD. Here are some symptoms. If you're experiencing these things and you've recently returned from a combat situation, been sexually assaulted, or endured a natural disaster, these may be signs that you're experiencing PTSD:
Symptoms By Mayo Clinic staff Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms typically start within three months of a traumatic event. In a small number of cases, though, PTSD symptoms may not appear until years after the event. Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms are generally grouped into three types: intrusive memories, avoidance and numbing, and increased anxiety or emotional arousal (hyperarousal).
Symptoms of intrusive memories may include:
Symptoms of avoidance and emotional numbing may include:
Symptoms of anxiety and increased emotional arousal may include:
Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms can come and go. You may have more post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms when things are stressful in general, or when you run into reminders of what you went through. You may hear a car backfire and relive combat experiences, for instance. Or you may see a report on the news about a rape and feel overcome by memories of your own assault.
When to see a doctor
It's normal to have a wide range of feelings and emotions after a traumatic event. You might experience fear and anxiety, a lack of focus, sadness, changes in how well you sleep or how much you eat, or crying spells that catch you off guard. You may have nightmares or be unable to stop thinking about the event. This doesn't mean you have post-traumatic stress disorder.
But if you have these disturbing thoughts and feelings for more than a month, if they're severe, or if you feel you're having trouble getting your life back under control, talk to your health care professional. Getting treatment as soon as possible can help prevent PTSD symptoms from getting worse.
In some cases, post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms may be so severe that you need emergency help, especially if you're thinking about harming yourself or someone else. If this happens, call 911 or other emergency medical service, or ask a supportive family member or friend for help.
Many things can trigger PTSD. Here are some symptoms. If you're experiencing these things and you've recently returned from a combat situation, been sexually assaulted, or endured a natural disaster, these may be signs that you're experiencing PTSD:
Symptoms By Mayo Clinic staff Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms typically start within three months of a traumatic event. In a small number of cases, though, PTSD symptoms may not appear until years after the event. Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms are generally grouped into three types: intrusive memories, avoidance and numbing, and increased anxiety or emotional arousal (hyperarousal).
Symptoms of intrusive memories may include:
- Flashbacks, or reliving the traumatic event for minutes or even days at a time
- Upsetting dreams about the traumatic event
Symptoms of avoidance and emotional numbing may include:
- Trying to avoid thinking or talking about the traumatic event
- Feeling emotionally numb
- Avoiding activities you once enjoyed
- Hopelessness about the future
- Memory problems
- Trouble concentrating
- Difficulty maintaining close relationships
Symptoms of anxiety and increased emotional arousal may include:
- Irritability or anger
- Overwhelming guilt or shame
- Self-destructive behavior, such as drinking too much
- Trouble sleeping
- Being easily startled or frightened
- Hearing or seeing things that aren't there
Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms can come and go. You may have more post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms when things are stressful in general, or when you run into reminders of what you went through. You may hear a car backfire and relive combat experiences, for instance. Or you may see a report on the news about a rape and feel overcome by memories of your own assault.
When to see a doctor
It's normal to have a wide range of feelings and emotions after a traumatic event. You might experience fear and anxiety, a lack of focus, sadness, changes in how well you sleep or how much you eat, or crying spells that catch you off guard. You may have nightmares or be unable to stop thinking about the event. This doesn't mean you have post-traumatic stress disorder.
But if you have these disturbing thoughts and feelings for more than a month, if they're severe, or if you feel you're having trouble getting your life back under control, talk to your health care professional. Getting treatment as soon as possible can help prevent PTSD symptoms from getting worse.
In some cases, post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms may be so severe that you need emergency help, especially if you're thinking about harming yourself or someone else. If this happens, call 911 or other emergency medical service, or ask a supportive family member or friend for help.
Cold Weather Shelters for Homeless in Los Angeles
West L.A. winter shelter for homeless opens early - City opens the emergency cold-weather shelter at the West Los Angeles National Guard Armory more than six weeks early after an influx of homelessness in Venice and Westchester.
October 31, 2011|By Martha Groves, Los Angeles Times
Matthew Dunn, 34, flashed his best Popeye the Sailor grin as he boarded the van from Venice Beach to the Westside winter shelter.
Julie "Julez" Arispe, 42, roused from a beer-induced slumber on the grass near Windward Avenue, clambered aboard with her guitar and bags of belongings and launched into an upbeat rendition of Janis Joplin's "Mercedes Benz."
With darkness bringing a damp chill to Ocean Front Walk one recent evening, both appeared relieved at the prospect of a hot meal and a cot inside the West Los Angeles National Guard Armory, about 7 miles inland.
Facing an influx of homelessness in Venice and Westchester, Los Angeles opened an emergency cold-weather shelter at the facility on Oct. 17, 6 1/2 weeks earlier than the usual Dec. 1 opening. Each night, a van transports dozens of individuals to the shelter, where they can shower, watch TV, chat and sleep without fear, before returning to the streets in the morning.
The early opening was prompted by calls that began pouring in to the office of Councilman Bill Rosendahl in mid-September. Merchants, landlords and residents complained about a sudden influx of transients at Venice Beach and the Westchester Recreation Center. The newcomers were rowdy, the callers said; they were defecating in public and harming older, chronically homeless characters who had long bedded down near Ocean Front Walk.
A team from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority conducted an overnight survey in the area and found 202 people sleeping on the streets, far more than usual. (In January 2011, the agency estimated that 51,340 homeless people lived in Los Angeles County.)
"What we saw were a lot of single people … that need special attention," said Jeanette Rowe, the authority's director of homeless services. They were unemployed and underemployed. For the most part, they were not taking advantage of social services. They smoked marijuana and drank alcohol excessively. Notably, nearly 70% were from out of state — Massachusetts, Arkansas, New York, Florida, Costa Rica, France. By day, they blended in with tourists. By night, they were disruptive.
The city came up with $110,000 from federal block grant money and a Rosendahl program aimed at providing housing for people living in vehicles. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, which is funded by the city and Los Angeles County, sought bids from service providers that could ramp up quickly to organize a Westside shelter. First to Serve Inc., a nonprofit organization that offers substance abuse treatment, transitional housing and job placement, got the assignment.
About a dozen First to Serve counselors and volunteers were on hand Wednesday night to greet two vanloads of individuals from Venice and Westchester.
As Arispe waited in line to check in, she strummed her guitar and sang: "Happy and homeless, I must confess. Don't need a roof, I just need some … rest." Volunteers in search of weapons or contraband patted down each individual and inspected every backpack and suitcase.
Once inside, all 48 of the men and women answered an extensive survey. How much schooling did you have? What circumstances caused your homelessness? Do you have a drug or alcohol problem? Do you feel you have a mental health problem? Have you been a victim of domestic violence? Are you receiving social services? The answers will become part of a federal Department of Housing and Urban Development database designed to track the use of homeless programs and social services.
Many people said they had lost jobs or suffered from illness or injuries. Some exhibited signs of mental illness.
Dunn said he had been diagnosed with lung cancer and had moved to Los Angeles from Miami, where he didn't "like the storms or the way my family treated me."
One 42-year-old woman with long, blond hair described herself as a former childhood actor whose parents were Hayley Mills and Redd Foxx.
Olive drab-colored cots were set up on the concrete floor of the brightly lighted long hall; 38 men were in one area and 10 women in another. A guardsman and volunteers remained at the facility throughout the night. Camouflage netting draped around the armory hall added an oddly decorative touch. A volunteer handed out blankets.
At one end of the hall, the men and women sat at a long table and ate a dinner of fried turkey, yams and green beans off green plastic trays. The atmosphere was calm. "They like the security and quiet," said the Rev. Richard Reed, First to Serve's executive director.
Several said they were relatively new to life on the streets.
Maria Hill, 40, arrived recently from Detroit after a three-day trip by Greyhound bus. She stayed in a hotel for a time but ran low on money. Clutching two cellphones and a tightly rolled wad of bills ("my last $80"), Hill found it impossible to sleep al fresco. "It was so scary and cold, and there were so many homeless people," she said tearfully. "All I need is work."
The shelter has been a godsend. "They talk to us and help us try to find jobs," Hill said. "They are so good to us."
After a hot shower, Arispe settled onto a cot to discuss entering a detox program. "All it takes," case manager Christiana Henson told her, "is to need and want to change."
"I'm asking for help," Arispe said, wiping tears from her cheeks. "I've been on the road too long. I've been drunk too long."
The lights went out at 10. By 5:45 the next morning, the 48 men and women were headed back to the beach on the van, with a sack lunch.
On Dec. 1, 16 other winter shelters will open throughout the county and operate until mid-March. Including West Los Angeles, which will have 160 beds beginning Dec. 1, the facilities will provide a total of 1,487 beds.
PHOTOS: West L.A. emergency shelter
martha.groves@latimes.com
October 31, 2011|By Martha Groves, Los Angeles Times
Matthew Dunn, 34, flashed his best Popeye the Sailor grin as he boarded the van from Venice Beach to the Westside winter shelter.
Julie "Julez" Arispe, 42, roused from a beer-induced slumber on the grass near Windward Avenue, clambered aboard with her guitar and bags of belongings and launched into an upbeat rendition of Janis Joplin's "Mercedes Benz."
With darkness bringing a damp chill to Ocean Front Walk one recent evening, both appeared relieved at the prospect of a hot meal and a cot inside the West Los Angeles National Guard Armory, about 7 miles inland.
Facing an influx of homelessness in Venice and Westchester, Los Angeles opened an emergency cold-weather shelter at the facility on Oct. 17, 6 1/2 weeks earlier than the usual Dec. 1 opening. Each night, a van transports dozens of individuals to the shelter, where they can shower, watch TV, chat and sleep without fear, before returning to the streets in the morning.
The early opening was prompted by calls that began pouring in to the office of Councilman Bill Rosendahl in mid-September. Merchants, landlords and residents complained about a sudden influx of transients at Venice Beach and the Westchester Recreation Center. The newcomers were rowdy, the callers said; they were defecating in public and harming older, chronically homeless characters who had long bedded down near Ocean Front Walk.
A team from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority conducted an overnight survey in the area and found 202 people sleeping on the streets, far more than usual. (In January 2011, the agency estimated that 51,340 homeless people lived in Los Angeles County.)
"What we saw were a lot of single people … that need special attention," said Jeanette Rowe, the authority's director of homeless services. They were unemployed and underemployed. For the most part, they were not taking advantage of social services. They smoked marijuana and drank alcohol excessively. Notably, nearly 70% were from out of state — Massachusetts, Arkansas, New York, Florida, Costa Rica, France. By day, they blended in with tourists. By night, they were disruptive.
The city came up with $110,000 from federal block grant money and a Rosendahl program aimed at providing housing for people living in vehicles. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, which is funded by the city and Los Angeles County, sought bids from service providers that could ramp up quickly to organize a Westside shelter. First to Serve Inc., a nonprofit organization that offers substance abuse treatment, transitional housing and job placement, got the assignment.
About a dozen First to Serve counselors and volunteers were on hand Wednesday night to greet two vanloads of individuals from Venice and Westchester.
As Arispe waited in line to check in, she strummed her guitar and sang: "Happy and homeless, I must confess. Don't need a roof, I just need some … rest." Volunteers in search of weapons or contraband patted down each individual and inspected every backpack and suitcase.
Once inside, all 48 of the men and women answered an extensive survey. How much schooling did you have? What circumstances caused your homelessness? Do you have a drug or alcohol problem? Do you feel you have a mental health problem? Have you been a victim of domestic violence? Are you receiving social services? The answers will become part of a federal Department of Housing and Urban Development database designed to track the use of homeless programs and social services.
Many people said they had lost jobs or suffered from illness or injuries. Some exhibited signs of mental illness.
Dunn said he had been diagnosed with lung cancer and had moved to Los Angeles from Miami, where he didn't "like the storms or the way my family treated me."
One 42-year-old woman with long, blond hair described herself as a former childhood actor whose parents were Hayley Mills and Redd Foxx.
Olive drab-colored cots were set up on the concrete floor of the brightly lighted long hall; 38 men were in one area and 10 women in another. A guardsman and volunteers remained at the facility throughout the night. Camouflage netting draped around the armory hall added an oddly decorative touch. A volunteer handed out blankets.
At one end of the hall, the men and women sat at a long table and ate a dinner of fried turkey, yams and green beans off green plastic trays. The atmosphere was calm. "They like the security and quiet," said the Rev. Richard Reed, First to Serve's executive director.
Several said they were relatively new to life on the streets.
Maria Hill, 40, arrived recently from Detroit after a three-day trip by Greyhound bus. She stayed in a hotel for a time but ran low on money. Clutching two cellphones and a tightly rolled wad of bills ("my last $80"), Hill found it impossible to sleep al fresco. "It was so scary and cold, and there were so many homeless people," she said tearfully. "All I need is work."
The shelter has been a godsend. "They talk to us and help us try to find jobs," Hill said. "They are so good to us."
After a hot shower, Arispe settled onto a cot to discuss entering a detox program. "All it takes," case manager Christiana Henson told her, "is to need and want to change."
"I'm asking for help," Arispe said, wiping tears from her cheeks. "I've been on the road too long. I've been drunk too long."
The lights went out at 10. By 5:45 the next morning, the 48 men and women were headed back to the beach on the van, with a sack lunch.
On Dec. 1, 16 other winter shelters will open throughout the county and operate until mid-March. Including West Los Angeles, which will have 160 beds beginning Dec. 1, the facilities will provide a total of 1,487 beds.
PHOTOS: West L.A. emergency shelter
martha.groves@latimes.com
HOMELESS VETERANS IN LOS ANGELES
STAND DOWN IN COMPTON 9/24-9/25 FOR HOMELESS VETERANS IN LOS ANGELES
8th Annual Compton Homeless Veteran Stand Down The Stand Down is an event that is held in cities all over the nation to provide food, clothing, services and referrals to homeless veterans. The name “Stand Down” comes from a term used in time of war. Exhausted combat units requiring time to rest and recover were removed from the battlefields to a place of relative security and safety, Today, Stand Down refers to a grassroots, community-based intervention program designed to help the nation’s estimated 150,000 homeless veterans “combat” life on the streets. The hand up, not a hand out philosophy of Stand Down is carried out through the work of hundreds of volunteers and organizations throughout the nation.
The 2011 Homeless Veteran Stand Down in Compton brings our community into the solution, gives hope to veterans still living on the streets of Southern California, offers them a temporary respite, and provides information and services that can help end their nightmare on the streets. If you want to help with the 2011 Stand Down by donating or volunteering, contact StandDownHelp@gmail.com.
DATES: Sept. 24–26, 2011
LOCATION: 4116 E. Compton Blvd, Compton
8th Annual Compton Homeless Veteran Stand Down The Stand Down is an event that is held in cities all over the nation to provide food, clothing, services and referrals to homeless veterans. The name “Stand Down” comes from a term used in time of war. Exhausted combat units requiring time to rest and recover were removed from the battlefields to a place of relative security and safety, Today, Stand Down refers to a grassroots, community-based intervention program designed to help the nation’s estimated 150,000 homeless veterans “combat” life on the streets. The hand up, not a hand out philosophy of Stand Down is carried out through the work of hundreds of volunteers and organizations throughout the nation.
The 2011 Homeless Veteran Stand Down in Compton brings our community into the solution, gives hope to veterans still living on the streets of Southern California, offers them a temporary respite, and provides information and services that can help end their nightmare on the streets. If you want to help with the 2011 Stand Down by donating or volunteering, contact StandDownHelp@gmail.com.
DATES: Sept. 24–26, 2011
LOCATION: 4116 E. Compton Blvd, Compton
