Tag Archive for Disorders

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Why You Need a Mentor to Improve Your Life

April 17, 2012 Achieve Success Academy No comments

PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is becoming an epidemic amongst cops and military personnel. You see it all over the news, in the newspapers by our returning heroes. This disorder is affecting hundreds of thousands of lives across this country and we as a society need to do something about it before it becomes worse than it already is.

Too often when someone experiences the symptoms of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) they turn to different avenues of trying to overcome it. Let me give you a few examples of what I mean: Turning to self-medicating or drug abuse: whether prescription drugs, alcohol or any other illegal drug to soothe the feelings of anxiety, depression, anger, irritability and any other feelings they are experiencing. Self-medicating doesn’t help. It makes the symptoms worse which in turn leads to the person acting out. What do I mean by acting out? The self-medicating or drug abuse only enhances the feelings that one is going through. This leads to the next epidemic of PTSD sufferers. Committing suicide and often homicide. Why?

Why are Police Officers, war veterans and military personnel not seeking help from the powers to be? The command staff, human resources department, mentors. Because we are trained that asking for help is weak? We are trained to act as if we have no emotions. Nothing is supposed to bother us. Who are they kidding? This thought process makes me sick. Makes me want to vomit! The machismos, the egos in these professions need to be checked at the door. We are human beings for Christ sake. Things do bother us? When they bother us, we need to be trained to seek help and not be afraid of what people will think of us. Instead, they throw you out like a bag of trash in a dumpster. They get rid of you. It’s easier to turn your back on a problem then face it head on. This mentality is for the cowards of the world. Police Officers and Military Personnel are there to help, correct? There to serve our communities and country, correct? Then why is it that when one of us needs help, they turn their back on us?

Don’t rely on help or assistance within these organizations. Why rely on them for help when they need help more than you do. My advice to you is to seek out a mentor or a mentoring program. A person or place you can go to confide in to helping you through your road bumps or adversity. Seek out a person or program that you can trust. Use your gut instinct, listen to your inner-voice when seeking out a mentor or a mentoring program. Seek out someone who has been there and done that is now in a place where you want to be. Seek out a mentoring program that has proven results. If you’re afraid of what people may think then keep it to yourselves. It takes a man to admit we need help. It takes a man to admit that you are at your breaking point. It takes a man of courage and strength to admit this. Don’t let anyone tell you different and if they do turn around and walk away. This type of person you don’t need in your life anyway.

Trust me on this please. You are important. You matter in this world. There are people who love and care about you. For all you parents out there, do it for your kids. They need you more than anyone or anything. Do it for them.

I’m John R. Salkowski, Founder of AchieveSuccessAcademy.com™, Retired Cop, Survivor of PTSD stemming from a shoot and kill robbery incident, Expert on Leadership, Success, Overcoming Adversity, Fear & PTSD, Entrepreneur, Professional Speaker, Author of 3 books; Leadership in The Line of Duty™: 50 Leadership Lessons for Making Split-Second Decisions from a Cop Who Has Been in Life and Death Situations, Leadership in The Line of Duty™: Success Thoughts and Quotes for Leaders and Nothing But Net: Top Secrets to increase your bottom line, Health, Wealth & Success.
Copyright © 2012 Achieve Success Academy™. All Rights Reserved.
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Copyright 2012. Achieve Success Academy. All Rights Reserved

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Why You Need A Mentor

December 8, 2011 Achieve Success Academy 2 comments

PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is becoming an epidemic amongst cops and military personnel. You see it all over the news, in the newspapers by our returning heroes. This disorder is affecting hundreds of thousands of lives across this country and we as a society need to do something about it before it becomes worse than it already is.

To often when someone experiences the symptoms of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) they turn to different avenues of trying to overcome it. Let me give you a few examples of what I mean: Turning to self medicating or drug abuse: whether prescription drugs, alcohol or any other illegal drug to soothe the feelings of anxiety, depression, anger, irritability and any other feelings they are experiencing. Self medicating doesn’t help. It makes the symptoms worse which in turn leads to the person acting out. What do I mean by acting out? The self medicating or drug abuse only enhances the feelings that one is going through. This leads to the next epidemic of PTSD sufferers. Committing suicide and often homicide. Why?

Why are Police Officers, war veterans and military personnel not seeking help from the powers to be? The command staff, human resources department, mentors. Because we are trained that asking for help is weak? We are trained to act as if we have no emotions. Nothing is supposed to bother us. Who are they kidding? This thought process makes me sick. Makes me want to vomit! The machoisms, the egos in these professions need to be checked at the door. We are human beings for christ sake. Things do bother us? When they bother us, we need to be trained to seek help and not be afraid of what people will think of us. Instead, they throw you out like a bag of trash in a dumpster. They get rid of you. It’s easier to turn your back on a problem then face it head on. This mentality is for the cowards of the world. Police Officers and Military Personnel are their to help, correct? There to serve our communities and country, correct? Then why is it that when one of us needs help, they turn their back on us?

Don’t rely on help or assistance within these organizations. Why rely on them for help when they need help more than you do. My advice to you is to seek out a mentor or a mentoring program. A person or place you can go to confide in to helping you through your road bumps or adversity. Seek out a person or program that you can trust. Use your gut instinct, listen to your inner-voice when seeking out a mentor or a mentoring program. Seek out someone who has been there and done that is now in a place where you want to be. Seek out a mentoring program that has proven results. If you’re afraid of what people may think then keep it to yourselves. It takes a man to admit we need help. It takes a man to admit that you are at your breaking point. It takes a man of courage and strength to admit this. Don’t let anyone tell you different and if they do turn around and walk away. This type of person you don’t need in your life anyway.

Trust me on this please. You are important. You matter in this world. There are people who love and care about you. For all you parents out there, do it for your kids. They need you more than anyone or anything. Do it for them.

I’m John R. Salkowski, Founder of Achieve Success Academy and survivor of PTSD, Businessman, Speaker and Self Made Man. If I can overcome PTSD and achieve the success I have accomplished so can you. Believe in yourself because no one else will.

Please leave your comments below and let’s start making a difference in this world by helping our Hero’s live happy, healthy, successful lives.

PTSD: Overcoming Tragic Events or Thoughts to a Fulfilling Successful Life

November 13, 2011 Achieve Success Academy No comments

The more and more I learn about our returning Troops, the more and more I resonate with how they’re feeling. They are coming home from the battlefield, the front line if you will, where they confront, see and hear tragedy day in and day out. Witnessing their fellow comrads being maimed or killed. Witnessing death and destruction as if it were just part of normal life.

They are immediately rushed back into society or the normal life as we call it. How are they suppose to transition from a KILL zone to the supposely NORMAL zone? Are they being properly prepared for their arrival back home? Is their brain being re-wired/re-trained for the normal world? Is there protocol on re-inventing these young men and woman so they can enter society as a civilian?

The latest article I read was about a tragic murder of a 19 year old Southern California girl by one of our Troops. In the article it said, ” I was trained to kill. I come home. I can’t adjust to regular civilian lifestyle.” “I spun out of control. I needed help.”  Unfortunately with the way I was trained, you know to react to threats is to neutralize threats. …Even with someone I love.”

The tragedy of it all is that not only did an innocent yound woman lose her life, a young man lost his as well.

Why isn’t PTSD on the dashboard of the minds of the men and women in charge of our returning troops? Why isn’t there more of an impactful debriefing process? This MUST change! If it doesn’t, we are going to hear more tragic stories of suicides and homicides by our protectors, our heros.

In my estimation, I would venture to guess that the suffers of PTSD are soothing their emotions by drugs and alcohol as opposed to other more positive outlets.

My mission is to change this. Suffering PTSD myself, undiagnosed and diagnosed for more than 10yrs, I too experienced the horrible thoughts, nightmares, anger, depression, anxiety, heightened alertness, physical and emotional torment that our HEROS are experiencing today.

It was a battle everyday to stay on course. However, I refused to allow this to take hold of me. To allow this to destroy my life. To allow me from achieving the great things that this world so desperately needs.

I took it upon myself to re-wire/re-train my brain to block out the the negative thoughts and everything else I was experiencing. There are so many things that I have done to overcome PTSD but what we are experiencing with our returning troops is an epidemic. This MUST change and if I have anything to do with it, it WILL!