Life after PTSD

[geoff]

After sixteen yeras of covering conflict and war for foreign news I finally fell victim to PTSD.

The tipping point for me was Iraq. I spent over 600 days in that hellhole, running from one death to another.

Its such a dangerous place to work that every movement has to be planned in advance to minimize the risk.

My family saw it before I did though. The angriness, the black moods, the irrational behaviour.

Fortunately, with their support, I am coming to terms with it, and I am on the mend.

I had to change from covering conflict and into work that was less stressfull, but that is a good thing, not only for me, but for my family as well.

For the newsgatherers out there who are struggling with PTSD and feel they cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel, rest assured, it is a time in your life that you can put behind you. It does take a certain amount of perseverance, but don't give up, if you allow PTSD to destroy your life, then it will.

Look forward, not back, remember pleasantness, not ugliness, think positive, not negative, and above all, hold no regrets and carry no greivance.

 

[freedom]

After sixteen yeras of covering conflict and war for foreign news I finally fell victim to PT SD.

The tipping point for me was Iraq. I spent over 600 days in that hellhole, running from one death to another.

I am glad you have started to make a recovery. 16 years is a long time.
Why was your coverage "running from one death to another"? Did you mean that in a figurative way?
Was there nothing else at all to cover? I frequently hear from military that the media are not reporting the whole story of what is happening in Iraq. There are 3 provinces that have violence but the rest of the country is stable. To me that is as newsworthy as the violence. The TV brings nothing but death reporting. Perhaps if you spent some time getting some of the other stories there might not have been as much stress on you.
I hope you can tell me you were speaking figuratively and not literally about your every day coverage.
I am glad you are home safe and recovering well.

 

[geoff]

Dear Freedom, I didn't use the term running from death figuratively. The production would often be more interested in the daily death count, certainly in the early days after april 2003. I did spend a good part of my time embedded with US Forces, but action sells, interviews are boring. Not my estimation, but the estimation of production.

 

[geoff]

I spent two days shooting a story on the rehabilitation of a water treatment plant in Kerbala in 2004 by US engineers, just after I had filmed the battle between US Forces and Sadrs army. The battle made air, I guess you already know the answer for the water treatment plant story.

Not exciting, doesn't make air.

 

[geoff]

But the point of my post still stands.

Don't feel you are alone when you have these feelings of detachment from life, those thoughts that pass every single minute of every day that you can't cope with the experiences you have gone through.

You can, there is help available, take it, talk through it, and walk through the other side an enriched person, because of your experiences.

 

[freedom]

geoff
thanks for expanding on your experience. glad you are doing well

 

[PhotogsLounge]

A website for PTSD

Hi Geoff.

Hey...here's a website that could help you.
http://www.dartcenter.org

Good luck brother.
I wrote this on my website:

The tragedy at Virginia Tech highlights for me what has become almost a hidden problem that befalls the journalists who cover these types of horrific events. Who counsels the journalists?
Of course at this early point the victims, survivors and their families must be foremost in everyone's mind. Dealing with such a "monumental" tragedy will be their nightmare for many months to come. Honestly, I don't know how a family could possibly deal with such a thing.

But ultimately the journos will return to their other assignments as the news cycle rolls along...and I have always wondered how much stress and residual trauma sits in the gut of the reporters and photogs who have to cover these kinds of stories.

Paramedics who deal with death and trauma are almost universally offered a roadmap of how to get help in dealing with this stuff. But for journalists who actually feel the pain and remorse of covering such atrocities, the path is not as clear. Some TV station ownership groups do offer counseling to their employees, but for this specific need of dealing with grief of such outsized proportions...where is the outlet?

Fortunately there is at least one group who can help.
The Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma's mission is to "create and sustain partnerships among media professionals, therapists and others concerned with trauma, and nurture peer-support among working journalists."
Right now at their website you can get some tips from reporters who have covered such incidents in the past, along with direction in finding help for the journalist who may need counseling in dealing with such an overload of grief.

I know we journalists like to think we have some pretty thick skin when it comes to dealing with death and grief in our communities...but no one should be above seeking help when you are feeling overwhelmed by the demands of our profession.

 

[geoff]

Tim, thanks for your message of support. In fact I attended a number of sessions of counselling and found them to be very useful.

My first session in fact had me crying for an hour as I poured out my troubles. As the sessions went on I was able to confront my demons and give myself a new direction in life.

I can certainly recommend counselling for any journalist.

It is certainly true that we think we are tougher than we actually are. Our main fault is that we bottle everything up as a kind of self defense mechanism, not surprising really as some of the events we witness are truly horrific.

In the end the only cure for me was to give up the job and find a new career, which fortunately I have managed.

Thanks once again Tim

Geoff

 

[PhotogsLounge]

Thanks Geoff

Good luck my man.
There is life after TV news that's for sure.
You sound like you're ready to climb another mountain.
All the best.
Tim R