Hi, Robert. Thank you.
In terms of education, it's things like mental health first aid, which even all VAC employees have, wound care, and proper lifting techniques. It's really obvious stuff, Robert.
Dealing with PTSD, I wish I knew back then what I know now. Life would have gone so much easier. It's simple things, like the fact that someone with PTSD has trouble filling out forms. If they'd told me that at the beginning, think of how many fewer domestics I'd have had. I mean, I was getting so frustrated trying to get him to fill out the forms. It was integral understanding that he couldn't, and I'm amazed that VAC hasn't figured that out yet.
I had VAC make a special phone call to me, to tell me that since my husband was no longer going to be seeing Dr. Brock, I could no longer go to the office. They would not pay for the travel. I said, “Yes, I realize it's only my husband who counts for you.” Every person who's taking care of a person with PTSD should have regular psychological appointments. You need to come from a place of stability.
The two best things are these. First, you need to talk to your veteran's psychiatrist. There are two pills. I'm not making a prescription recommendation, but they work: clonazepam and propranolol. If your husband's having a psychotic episode, you need to know that and have them handy. You also need to have an escape plan, for both you and your kids, that your veteran will never guess. This is just survival. This is just pure, simple survival of a veteran's caregiver.