Participant 2010.
The first of the following three SMS from came out of the blue from a 2010 trekker. The latter two were sent following my follow up encouragement and enquiries in an effort to identify the specific source of his benefit.

“Good day Moose, Just want to thank you once again for your efforts on Trojans Trek 2010, had me ups and downs since then but I have bit the bullet last year and went and saw a shrink through DVA. If it wasn’t for you and Dogs and the RAR Association who knows where I would be. All is good, on a good path and feeling at ease. H……

“Moose it’s taken the stigma of seeking help away. That is the major step for me anyway. I’ve picked up Dogs Bible every now and then. I’ve been back to Moolooloo twice since then on camping trips with the family shown them Third Water, Hannigan Gap and Nuccaleena. May sound silly but I feel a piece of me is left there, but in a good way. Probably the turning point in the right direction instead of the wrong direction. Cheers

“Yeh no problems mate. The Dogs Bible was easy very to understand. Using like the geese, squirrel, beaver. Touch on Mentoring, The Box of Life. The isolation of the Flinders with other veterans was a real journey in my mind. I opened up to a degree with some members, it was the very first step in kicking the stigma of PTSD. I still keep to myself with civvie friends but feel free to talk about it with other veterans now.

The biggest hurdle was anger within myself, so much anxiety. It became a relief that my shrink has given me ssri medication (Lexapro) to stem the anxiety that comes with intrusive thoughts and the continual feeling of being on edge, (always looking for cover etc). This combined with my time in the Flinders is a Godsend. I can remember loosing that anger feeling in me at the Flinders but becoming a blubbering mess of emotion. But the pressure of life in the fast lane and the civilian priorities just bring on anxiety that is very hard to control.

I keep Dogs’ Bible in the drawer next to my bed and I refresh my mind every now and then to remind me about positives. I tend now to sit back and study the people around me more and try to be more approachable. I guess when Debbie says I am changing for the better it’s working. I can now understand Dogs with how he has bad memories, but chooses not to let them take over! The Bible works for me, maybe a travel friendly version (condensed) so it can fit in your glove box. G