PTSD- Think on Good -Guest Roger Weeks, CEO and Co-Founder of PTSD Dogs Australia, describes his lived experience with PTSD and how he was diagnosed. Roger explains the importance of talking to someone about your condition, thoughts, experience and how, specially trained assistance dogs make a world of difference in managing PTSD symptoms.

Post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD impacts the lives around us with debilitating symptoms.

According to the most recent national study of health and well-being around 11% of Australians experience PTSD in their life and with women almost twice as likely to develop the illness then men.

This condition while not exclusive to frontline professionals, is often experienced for those attending to trauma events as part of their careers including ambulance, fire, police and defence service men and women.

While there are many avenues to help manage PTSD, today we look at the part of the faithful dog with co-founder of PTSD dogs Australia Roger Weeks joining us now.

PTSD Dogs Australia is a charity program based on the Sunshine Coast Queensland, training rescue dogs to be companions to assist veterans and first responders or those exposed to trauma events.

PTSD Dogs Australia; charity program www.ptsddogs.org.au

Post Traumatic Stress disorder or PTSD symptoms may vary, and it is best to consult with a medical professional about diagnosis however some of the symptoms can include being on constant alert, angry outbursts, sleeplessness, avoiding social activity or public places and unwanted thoughts and at times nightmares.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Symptoms

-Being on constant alert

- angry outbursts

-sleeplessness

-avoid sensory stressors

social and public places

-nightmares and unwanted thoughts.

PTSD Dogs are specifically trained to provide support for PTSD and trauma related illness. These dogs are trained and matched to assist with specific needs and requirements, like waking the handler from a nightmare or going to the shop for groceries.

Training dogs to assist -

stress episodes, nightmares, shopping, public places, social activities

To apply for an assistance dog especially trained to support you with individual requirements-go to the website and fill out the form and PTSD Dogs Australia team will help you with the next steps. www.ptsddogs.org.au

For additional PTSD information and support go to Open Arms phone 1800 011 046 or

www.openarms.gov.au

To help the work PTSD dogs Australia is providing, go to the website to donate or register to volunteer- www.ptsddogs.org.au

Think on good is a program offering information for mind health and is not intended to replace medical treatment, professional advice or diagnosis.

If you or someone you know is experiencing mental health symptoms, for immediate support contact Lifeline 13 11 14.

conversation @thinkongood

0:05

Think. on good. Hello and welcome to Think on Good. This is the program about the programs and

0:10

resources available for a healthy mind. Coming up, post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, impacts

0:17

the lives around us with debilitating symptoms. According to the most recent study of health and

0:23

Wellbeing. Around 11% of Australians experienced PTSD in their life, and with women almost twice

0:30

as likely to develop the illness than men. This condition, while not exclusive to frontline

0:36

professionals, is often experienced for those attending to trauma events as part of their

0:41

careers, including ambulance, fire, police and defence servicemen and women. While there are many

0:47

avenues to help manage PTSD, today we look at the part of the faithful dog with co-founder of PTSD

0:54

Dogs Australia, Roger weeks, joining us now. Hello, Roger. Thank you for joining us. Glad to be here. So,

1:01

Roger, how did you get involved with PTSD Dogs Australia. It's a bit of a story. Um,

1:08

I, uh, was diagnosed with, uh, quite a few years ago now, uh, with

1:14

PTSD. And, um, my psychiatrist suggested to me that I might benefit from

1:21

an assistance dog. Uh, so we set about trying to find an assistance dog for me.

1:28

And that was four years we spent going from door to door. Uh, and most organisations that

1:35

we came across, their books were closed. They just cannot keep up with the demand. Um, so

1:42

it it was looking like I was never going to get a dog. Um, but my wife and I have always

1:49

had dogs, and, uh, uh, my uncle was a trainer, and, uh, um, my wife

1:56

is also a trainer. So we just decided that rather than just be part of the problem, let's be part of

2:03

the solution. Every idea like that is great, right? So it would have been a big transition for you to

2:08

go from looking for a dog and then training them. Yeah, it was huge. Um, we probably wouldn't have

2:14

done it if we knew what we were getting ourselves into. Tell us about the process of the dogs

2:20

getting trained. How does that work? Okay, we, uh, we're a bit different to most organisations.

2:27

Most organisations doing assistance dogs have their own breeding programs, but we reckon there's

2:34

enough dogs out there now. Uh, and the kennel pans and kennels are full of dogs that

2:41

have fallen through the cracks there. So we look for really good dogs in those rescues. Uh,

2:48

we assess them to make sure they're going to be fine, and then we train them up, uh, as assistance

2:53

dogs. And so what are the things that you train them? How do they help a person with PTSD? That's.

3:01

Yeah, there's no one answer to that. Uh, each dog is trained specifically for their handler.

3:08

Uh, we call them handlers. Um, everyone is different. Everyone has different needs.

3:14

Most of the guys that we're working with have been, uh, ex-military, have got busted up bodies to

3:21

go with their busted up minds. Um, so a lot of the tasks that we train for

3:27

are things like retrieval work. Uh, I I've got two metal rods in my back and an artificial

3:34

knee. So mobility is not the best of things for me. So they actually help with things like if you're

3:40

having an event, like an episode or something triggers you, or if you're having a nightmare. Yeah.

3:47

Um. Definitely nightmares. That's that's a common one. Um, so the dogs are trained that if you start

3:53

showing signs of a nightmare activity, the dog, will then jump up on the bed unless of course if they're not there already

3:59

there and nuzzle you and wake you up and just comfort you and say everything's okay.

4:05

They or whatever it may be. Um, the,

4:13

uh, PTSD never stands alone. There's always something comorbid with

4:20

PTSD. In my case, one of the things I have is a thing called, uh,

4:26

dissociative seizures, which, to the untrained eye, well, to any bystander, looks like an

4:33

epileptic fit, but it is absolutely nothing to do with epilepsy. Um, but it's a

4:40

dissociative seizure, and Rosie (dog) can pick that up before it actually happens, and she'll just come

4:47

and sit in front of me and demand attention. Uh, so I know that there's something going on, and if I'm

4:52

standing up, I'll sit down because I'm going to fall down if I don't? So Rosey picks up on that

4:58

you're about to have a seizure or you're about to have a trigger episode. How does how does that

5:04

work out with the dog? What does she actually do in that moment? It's all based on

5:11

chemicals within the body. Um, like you would have heard of cortisol levels and things. like this, the

5:17

dogs are trained to pick up on those changes in our chemistry. Um, I've

5:24

also got heart issues. And of course, that has a chemical response in the body. And

5:31

Rosie picks up on that. That's amazing. How does a person acquire a dog? If there is somebody watching

5:36

right now? And they know that they need help? What's the process? How how can they approach you

5:42

to become a dog owner? Yeah. The first thing is just make contact through our

5:48

website. We've got an application form on the website. Uh, and someone will be in touch and go

5:54

through it with them. Um, when we first started the charity, being ex-military, um,

6:01

our focus was on military and first responders, first

6:07

responders. Um, a lot of people didn't understand why we were going outside of

6:14

military and going into our first responders, but that also comes from my background. Um, I was a

6:20

photographer in the Air Force, and, uh, I used to work alongside of the police, fire and ambulance

6:26

on a lot of the unpleasant jobs. Uh, so, yeah, we we developed a good relationship that

6:33

way. The day in the life for you then compared to now, what are the big differences? Ah.

6:40

Ah. Wow. Back then, when I was doing it, it was just a job. We did

6:47

what we did. Um. Uh, I can always remember

6:54

When we were doing our training, they they told us that, hey, you're going to be in these situations

7:00

where you're going to see some pretty unpleasant things and it might get to you. Um, but our

7:07

training was that if it starts to get to you, move out of everyone's way, throw up,

7:14

get it out of your system and get back to work. Uh, and that's what we did. Um, so, yeah, it

7:21

very different back then to what it is now. Um, now, of course, uh,

7:28

they have, uh, counselling a lot of the time that people go out to those situations and they

7:35

come back and they get debriefed and counselled. Uh, we didn't have any of that. So it's different

7:41

now, isn't it? There's a little bit more awareness. But what would you say to those people who have

7:46

have served and that may be watching this or listening to this and have have been living with

7:52

symptoms for many years and don't quite know how to address it. Where to start? Feel overwhelmed?

7:58

Yeah, the big thing is just talk. Um, I, uh, I

8:05

was 25 years before I was diagnosed. Uh, like, after I got out of the Air Force, uh, 25 years before I

8:11

was diagnosed. But there were signs, um, other people could see that there was something

8:18

wrong, but I just kept it to myself. That's that's what we did. We, um. We're always

8:24

taught big boys don't cry and all that sort of thing. Um, and it's not just crying. It's.

8:32

I was withdrawn, I was angry. Um, some of the signs that that

8:39

I had were, uh, difficulty with employment. I'd always be arguing with my

8:46

bosses, uh, telling them what to do. Um, my marriage broke down. Yeah,

8:53

there was just lots of little things that, in hindsight, I can see. Was was this PTSD?

8:59

But because I didn't talk to anyone about the problems I was having. Um, it was

9:05

undiagnosed. Uh, I found out later that my doctors were putting on their their reports suspect

9:12

PTSD. Um, but no one ever said anything. It wasn't until, um.

9:20

Uh. The story of how I was diagnosed was,

9:27

um, my wife and I went on a holiday, uh, to New Guinea. And, um,

9:34

we're part of that tour. We went to Rabaul, and, uh, in the museum

9:41

I came across. There was a pile of wreckage from an

9:47

aircraft, and I just froze. Are standing there looking at this,

9:54

this wreckage. Uh, and I just started sweating. My hands were trembling,

10:01

and I had this overwhelming feeling come over me, and, uh, I just had to get out of

10:07

there. My wife found me 20 minutes later, just wandering around in a daze outside, and I

10:14

couldn't even, um, explain to her what had happened. Uh, then when we got

10:21

back to Australia, I was two weeks. I had not slept in two weeks. So I went to the

10:28

doctor and he just said, hey, there's something wrong here. You're going to a psychiatrist. And

10:34

that's when I got diagnosed. Um, so. Yeah.

10:41

Not talking to people about what was going on with within me. Just kept that hidden and

10:48

I, I lost a lot of friends because, um, one of the things that people with

10:54

PTSD tend to do is we withdraw from society. Uh, we'd make plans.

11:01

I made it say, oh, I've come around for a barbecue next weekend. Yeah. No worries. We'll be there. What

11:06

do we bring? And then Thursday. Friday. And I don't really feel like that. I cancel out,

11:13

and, uh, the friends wouldn't suspect anything because you just. Something came up. You cancelled

11:20

out. But it was really. It was all just. I don't want to be social. Yeah. And.

11:27

And now, how is it for you now with going out with the dog to social events? Yeah. Much different now.

11:34

Um, I'm. I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing now without a dog. The

11:41

difference the dog makes is just wonderful. Um, we had one fellow. He was

11:47

always so angry. His kids wouldn't go near him because he was just an

11:54

angry ant all the time. He wouldn't cuddle them or hug his wife or

12:01

anything. But once he got a dog, the dog taught him that it's

12:07

okay to to do these things, to get close. And he now, uh, cuddles

12:14

his girls. Um, and they they love going out with him. They they've gone from

12:21

not wanting to be near him to wanting to spend more time with him. So, yeah, it's really changed

12:27

the whole family's life. Okay. And so your your message to first responders who are experiencing

12:34

these symptoms to talk to someone. Yeah. Uh, even just talk to your mates. Um, and hopefully the

12:41

mates will steer them in the right direction. But the main thing is to start talking. Um, if you

12:47

bottle it up, it's just going to get to you. It doesn't go away. It just builds up and builds up

12:55

until finally it, uh, hits the the emergency valve and blows up. Before you go.

13:02

Um, I just wanted to ask you, what's your your inspirational quote or favourite saying? Um,

13:09

I guess it would have to be, um, in my darkest hour. I reached for a hand and found a paw.

13:17

Excellent. Thank you for joining us today. Thank you. PTSD Dogs Australia is a charity program

13:23

based on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland training rescue dogs to be companions to assist veterans

13:29

and first responders or those exposed to trauma events, post-traumatic stress disorder, or

13:36

PTSD. Symptoms may vary, and it is best to consult with a medical professional about diagnosis.

13:43

However, some of the symptoms can include being on constant alert, angry outbursts, sleeplessness,

13:49

avoiding social activity or public places, and unwanted thoughts and at times, nightmares. To help

13:55

the work that PTSD Dogs Australia is providing, go to the website to donate or register to volunteer

14:02

14:09

. Think on good is a program offering information for mind health and is

14:16

not intended to replace medical treatment, professional advice or diagnosis. If you or

14:22

someone you know is experiencing mental health symptoms for immediate support, contact lifeline

14:27

14:34

contributors. Until next time, we hope you enjoy your day.

14:41

Think on good.