Soundtrack That Plays in our Mind

(excerpt from PTSD)

Someone once said that we all have a musical soundtrack that plays in our mind. Where did this come from? My guess is years of programming from everything from commercials to music. Everything we have ever seen or heard is in our brain somewhere. Have you ever wondered why a song is in your head and you cannot seem to get rid of it?

My research and questions to people have found that it may pertain to our emotional and psychological state at the time. I wake up and hear a song that may be a “trigger” or an “anchor” to something from my past. Sometimes it is about a girl, other times it will take me to places I do not wish to go.

Remembering things and forgetting them constitute two ways that our subconscious protects us. For some reason Veterans like us find ourselves vividly remembering incidents, people, places, and things that may have warped our thinking and judgment. Sometimes this will manifest itself negative ways, we may become isolated, have panic attacks or bouts of confusion. The practice that works for me is replacing those old songs with something new and different until I can handle them. Sometimes it takes leverage (pain) to take action on these situations. If we are in enough pain, we will respond with whatever action is needed for change to take place.

Create new memories with these songs or replace the words with something that makes you feel good. My neighbor burns his trash on his farm, I can smell it a mile away, and it takes me back to Somalia just about every time. Alternatively, another personal favorite of mine is when he shoots one of his cows in the head when he sells one. Just the gunshot makes my mind move into fight or flight mode. The other day I opened my truck door to let my dog out when we went to the park. Just the way the handle “popped” put a ringing in my ears and I was instantly back to a place I did not want to be. By practice, taking action and using trial and error I have learned to change my state in a split second and move to a more comfortable place.

I have become a firm believer in “garbage in, garbage out.” I replace those songs (old ways of thinking) with other motivational material or with new songs (new ways of thinking) and I create a peaceful fun environment for my subconscious. Remember that our subconscious cannot distinguish between reality and fiction. It will only do what our conscious mind tells it to do.

If we say, “I can’t” the conscious mind tells the subconscious “okay boys; he says he can’t do it so let’s prove him right.” If we say, “I can” the conscious mind says “okay boys he says he can so let’s make it happen.”

Poison in the Heart

Carrying resentments, guilt, hate, and anger within you, will kill you (but first make you miserable as hell). Since we are a massive ball of energy it is what we choose to do with this energy that is either productive or life threatening.
Just the other day I took something personal that was said to me. It was not what was said but how I internalized it that mattered. What did I learn? It is not what goes on outside of you rather what happens inside that matter.

My first thought was “you bastard, you could not walk an hour in my shoes” Then my “Grand Central Station” mind started to take over, (also known as EGO). And the snowball effect was on. I wanted to knock the s**t out of them as I would then proceed to justify my actions.
I was off the beam and I knew those words and actions could be like a nail in a piece of wood that has been removed. The nail is gone but the hole remains. My thoughts were becoming things. (not nice things either). What I was thinking about I was bringing about. I immediately changed my state and refocused on the solution.
If I am not in charge of my emotions poison enters my heart and the “Warrior” returns. This individual saw the angel of darkness in my eyes. I apologize for that relapse and forgave myself . The beauty, there was a time when I would not have thought twice. The Talisman of this, well it reminded me of the “rush” that the old soldier (me) lived for.
A famous General once said “old soldiers never die….they just fade away” I say “old soldiers never die… the young ones die for em".

Dancing With God

Dancing With God
When I meditated on the word Guidance,
I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.
I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn't flow with the music,
and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,
both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back
or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another.
It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness,
and attentiveness from one person
and gentle guidance and skill from the other.
My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.
When I saw "G": I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i".
"God, "u" and "i" dance."
God, you, and I dance.
As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust
that I would get guidance about my life.
Once again, I became willing to let God lead.
My prayer for you today is that God's blessings
and mercies are upon you on this day and everyday.
May you abide in God, as God abides in you.
Dance together with God, trusting God to lead
and to guide you through each season of your life.
This prayer is powerful and there is nothing attached.
If God has done anything for you in your life,
please share this message with someone else.
Interceding in prayer is one of the best gifts we can receive.
There is no cost but a lot of rewards;
so let's continue to pray for one another.
And I Hope You Dance !

Montana Working to Destigmatize PTSD, Holds Its Largest Combat PTSD Conference in November - PTSD Combat : Winning the War Within

Montana Working to Destigmatize PTSD, Holds Its Largest Combat PTSD Conference in November - PTSD Combat : Winning the War Within

Obama, Bond Demand DoD Provide PTSD Data - PTSD Combat : Winning the War Within

Obama, Bond Demand DoD Provide PTSD Data - PTSD Combat : Winning the War Within

OEF/OIF Vets Seeking PTSD Care from VA Jumps 70%, Mental Health Counseling Tops 100,000 - PTSD Combat : Winning the War Within

OEF/OIF Vets Seeking PTSD Care from VA Jumps 70%, Mental Health Counseling Tops 100,000 - PTSD Combat : Winning the War Within


More Great Secrets To Live By
• We all work with one infinite power

• The Secret is the Law of Attraction (LOA)

• Whatever is going on in your mind is what you are attracting

• We are like magnets - like attract like. You become AND attract what you think

• Every thought has a frequency. Thoughts send out a magnetic energy

• People think about what they don't want and attract more of the same

• Thought = creation. If these thoughts are attached to powerful emotions (good or bad) that speeds the creation

• You attract your dominant thoughts

• Those who speak most of illness have illness, those who speak most of prosperity have it...etc...

• It's not "wishful" thinking.

• You can't have a universe without the mind entering into it

• Choose your thoughts carefully -- you are a masterpiece of your life

• It's OK that thoughts don't manifest into reality immediately (if we saw a picture of an elephant and it instantly appeared, that would be too soon)

• EVERYTHING in your life you have attracted -- accept that fact -- it's true.

• Your thoughts cause your feelings

• We don't need to complicate all the "reasons" behind our emotions. It's much simpler than that. Two categories -- good feelings, bad feelings.

• Thoughts that bring about good feelings mean you are on the right track. Thoughts that bring about bad feelings means you are not on the right track.

• Whatever it is you are feeling is a perfect reflection of what is in the process of becoming

• You get exactly what you are FEELING

• Happy feelings will attract more happy circumstances

• You can begin feeling whatever you want (even if it's not there)... the universe will correspond to the nature of your song

• What you focus on with your thought and feeling is what you attract into your experience

• What you think and what you feel and what actually manifests is ALWAYS a match - no exception

• Shift your awareness

• "You create your own universe as you go along" Winston Churchill

• It's important to feel good ( ( ( (((good))) ) ) )

• You can change your emotion immediately -- by thinking of something joyful, or singing a song, or remembering a happy experience

• When you get the hang of this, before you know it you will KNOW you are the creator

• Life can and should be phenomenal -- and it will be when you consciously apply the Law of Attraction

• Universe will re-arrange itself accordingly


• Start by using this sentence for all of your wants: "I'm so happy and grateful now that...... "

• You don't need to know HOW the universe is going to rearrange itself

• LOA is simply figuring out for yourself what will generate the positive feelings of having it NOW

• You might get an inspired thought or idea to help you move towards what you want faster

• The universe likes SPEED. Don't delay, don't second-guess, don't doubt...

• When the opportunity or impulse is there -- ACT

• You will attract everything you require - money, people, connections... PAY ATTENTION to what's being set in front of you

• You can start with nothing -- and out of nothing or no way - a WAY will be provided.

• HOW LONG??? No rules on time -- the more aligned you are with positive feelings the quicker things happen

• Size is nothing to the universe (unlimited abundance if that's what you wish) We make the rules on size and time

• No rules according to the universe -- you provide the feelings of having it now and the universe will respond

• Most people offer the majority of their thought in response to what
they are observing (bills in the mail, being late, having bad luck....etc..)

• You have to find a different approach to what is through a different vantage point

• "All that we are is a result of what we have thought" - Buddha

• What can you do right now to turn your life around?? Gratitude

• Gratitude will bring more into our lives immediately

• What we think about and THANK about is what we bring about

• What are the things you are grateful for?? Feel the gratitude.. focus on what you have right now that you are grateful for

• Play the picture in your mind - focus on the end result

• VISUALIZE!!! Rehearse your future

• VISUALIZE!!! See it, feel it! This is where action begins

• Feel the joy -- feel the happiness

• An affirmative thought is 100 times more powerful than a negative one

• "What this power is, I cannot say. All I know is that it exists." Alexander Graham Bell

• Our job is not to worry about the "How". The "How" will show up out of the commitment and belief in the "what"

• The Hows are the domain of the universe. It always knows the quickest, fastest, most harmonious way between you and your dream

• If you turn it over to the universe, you will be surprised and dazzled by what is delivered -- this is where magic and miracles happen

• Turn it over to the universe daily... but it should never be a chore.
• Feel exhilarated by the whole process -- high, happy, in tune
• The only difference between people who are really living this way is they have habituated ways of being.They remember to do it all the time

• Create a Vision Board -- pictures of what you want to attract -- every day look at it and get into the feeling state of already having acquired these wants

• "Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions." Albert Einstein

• Decide what you want -- believe you can have it, believe you deserve it, believe it's possible for you

• Close your eyes and visualize having what you already want - and the feeling of having it already.

• Focus on being grateful for what you have already -- enjoy it!! Then release into the universe. The universe will manifest it.

• "Whatever the mind of man can conceive, it can achieve" W. Clement Stone

• Set a goal so big that if you achieved it, it would blow your mind.

• When you have an inspired thought, you must trust it and act on it.

• How can you become more prosperous?? INTEND IT!!

• 'checks are coming in the mail regularly'.... or change your bank statement to whatever balance you want in there.... and get behind the feeling of having it.

• Life is meant to be abundant in ALL areas....

• Go for the sense of inner joy and peace then all outside things appear
• We are the creators of our universe

• Relationships: Treat yourself the way you want to be treated by others -- love yourself and you will be loved

• Healthy respect for yourself

• For those you work with or interact with regularly -- get a notebook and write down positive aspects of each of those people.

• Write down the things you like most about them (don't expect change from them). Law of attraction will not put you in the same space together if you frequencies don't match

• When you realize your potential to feel good, you will ask no one to be different in order for you to feel good.

• You will free yourself from the cumbersome impossibilities of needing to control the world, your friends, your mate, your children.....

• You are the only one that creates your reality

• No one else can think or feel for you -- its YOU -- ONLY YOU.

• Health: thank the universe for your own healing. Laugh, stress free happiness will keep you healthy.

• Immune system will heal itself

• Parts of our bodies are replace every day, every week..etc.... Within a few years we have a brand new body

• See yourself living in a new body. Hopeful = recovery. Happy = happier biochemistry. Stress degrades the bod.

• Remove stress from the body and the body regenerates itself. You can heal yourself

• Learn to become still -- and take your attention away from what you don't want, and place your attention on what you wish to experience

• When the voice and vision on the inside become more profound and clear than the opinions on the outside, then you have mastered your life

• You are not here to try to get the world to be just as you want it. You are here to create the world around you that you choose.

• And allow the world as others choose to see it, exist as well

• People think that if everyone knows the power of the LOA there won't be enough to go around -- This is a lie that's been ingrained in us and makes so many greedy.

• The truth is there is more than enough love, creative ideas, power, joy, happiness to go around.

• All of this abundance begins to shine through a mind that is aware of it's own infinite nature. There's enough for everyone. See it. Believe it. it will show up for you.

• So let the variety of your reality thrill you as you choose all the things you want... get behind the good feelings of all your wants.

• Write your *****. When you see things you don't want, don't think about them, write about them, talk about them, push against them, or join groups that focus on the don't wants.... remove your attention from don't wants... and place them on do wants

• We are mass energy. Everything is energy. EVERYTHING.

• Don't define yourself by your body -- it's the infinite being that's connected to everything in the universe.

• One energy field. Our bodies have distracted us from our energy. We are the infinite field of unfolding possibilities. The creative force.

• Are your thoughts worthy of you? If not - NOW is the time to change them. You can begin right were you are right now. Nothing matters but this moment and what you are focusing your attention on.

Blogger Buzz: PostSecret: A Lifetime of Secrets

Blogger Buzz: PostSecret: A Lifetime of Secrets

Treatment of PTSD: An Assessment of The Evidence

At the request of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Institute of Medicine’s Committee on Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) undertook a systematic review of the PTSD literature. After nearly 2,800 abstracts were identified, the application of inclusion criteria narrowed the list down to 90 randomized clinical trials, 37 pharmacotherapy studies, and 53 psychotherapy studies.
The principal finding of the committee is that the scientific evidence on treatment modalities for PTSD does not reach the level of certainty that would be desired for such a common and serious condition among veterans. Most studies included in the committee’s review were characterized by methodologic limitations, some serious enough to affect confidence in the studies’ results. The committee reached a strong consensus that additional high quality research is essential for every treatment modality.

http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11955

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As Combat PTSD Stigma Fades Somewhat, Funding Fight and Political Disillusionment Come Into Focus - PTSD Combat : Winning the War Within

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First 'Veterans Village' Set to Open in California in November - PTSD Combat : Winning the War Within

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Are PTSD Veterans Slated to Lose Their Right to Possess Firearms? - PTSD Combat : Winning the War Within

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Deep Breathing Techniques for Stress Release - PTSD Combat : Winning the War Within

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Veterans Disability Benefits Commission Releases Report, Recommends Sweeping System Overhaul - PTSD Combat : Winning the War Within

Moving from pain to pleasure.

Moving from pain to pleasure.
Our whole life is about moving from pain to pleasure. Pain continues to be leverage for me to this day. Even in my subconscious as a being in this universe it directs me to pleasure.
For me, when it hurt bad enough I took massive action to move through it. If the action did not work, I took another route until I found the solution that kept me in a positive emotional state so I could "function".
When I would say "I am depressed" or "I am sad" I continued to reaafirm my feelings with these statements. My subconscious mind would say "okay, he's depressed, and he wants to keep it that way" Then I thought about it. I looked at all of my actions in this "depressed state". Jeez, I had to slump over, I had to breathe shallow, I had to do all of these things with my body to stay in that miserable state.
So I then began to change my Physiology (the way I moved my body), the way I breathed. I tricked my subconscious by good memory management. I thought of a time when I felt great and I relived that moment over and over. I acted my way into right thinking by changing my state with this small exercise.
I stay away from affirmations that say "I am wealthy" "I am at peace" etc; because this creates conflict with my subconscious. Instead I just say "wealth" and "Peace" and my subconscious is not at a battle with it being labeled with the "I am's"
Words are powerful, and thoughts become things

Wishing you happiness, joy, laughter and prosperity in all that you do

Timothy Kendrick