Navigating PTSD: A Road to Recovery

By Rebecca Vondras Fleming and Brittany Smith

Navigating PTSD: A Road to Recovery is an inspiring story based on true events that takes the reader on a journey of the life of one girl, Jessie, and her family. Jessie is raised with a parent who suffers from PTSD and endures several PTSD-causing experiences in her own life. T

• Language: English
• Publisher: Author Academy Elite
• Release date: Sep 17, 2022
• ISBN: 9798885831000

Rebecca Vondras Fleming

Rebecca Vondras Fleming survived and now thrives after growing up in an abusive home. Rebecca endured in a household with a parent suffering from PTSD and dealt with several PTSD-causing events in her life. She completed an MBA in Entrepreneurship, worked in the medical and business fields, owned two businesses, and is a disabled veteran. Her life experiences make her specifically qualified to write about PTSD and mental illness. Her paths to self-improvement and healing are positive examples for those who seek PTSD and mental health assistance. Rebecca resides in beautiful central Kentucky with her soul mate. She is working on another book and enthusiastically participates in book signings, speaking engagements, interviews, podcasts, and Veteran events. Happy endings do come true. Visit the author's website for more information: http://www.rvfleming.com.

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Navigating PTSD

A Road to Recovery

Rebecca Vondras Fleming

Navigating PTSD: A Road to Recovery ©2022 by Rebecca Vondras Fleming

All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

Igniting Souls Publishing Agency

40 Grace Drive, Box 43

Powell, OH 43065

All rights reserved. This book contains material protected under international and federal copyright laws and treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without express written permission from the author.

LCCN: 2022913756

Paperback ISBN: 979-8-88583-098-0

Hardback ISBN: 979-8-88583-099-7

e-book ISBN: 979-8-88583-100-0

Available in paperback, hardback, e-book, and audiobook

All internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers included in this book are added as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Igniting Souls Publishing Agency, nor does Igniting Souls Publishing Agency vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

The content of this book is provided for information purposes only and does not replace the advice and counsel of a doctor. Never disregard medical advice or delay seeking treatment because of the information you have read in this book. The information is not to be considered complex, nor does it contain all medical resource information that may be relevant and, therefore, is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

To protect the privacy of those who have shared their stories with the author, names, identifying details, and places have been changed.

Cover design by Reynaldo A. Licayan

Author’s photo by Brittany Smith

To my amazing husband:

You rescued me. You saved me. You are my soulmate. Our first kiss was magic. I am immensely thankful and blessed that you are in my life.

The purpose of our lives is to be happy.

—The Dalai Lama

Contents

Trigger Warning

Preface

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1: Rescued

Chapter 2: Spring Meadow, Virginia

Chapter 3: Germantown Road

Chapter 4: Ford Road

Chapter 5: Pachuca Place

Chapter 6: Highway F

Chapter 7: Main Street

Chapter 8: Hickoryville, Missouri

Chapter 9: Clarksville, Tennessee

Chapter 10: Lexington

Chapter 11: Back to Missouri

Chapter 12: Back to Kentucky

Chapter 13: Hawaii

Chapter 14: Farmville, Kentucky

Chapter 15: Paradise, Florida

Appendix

About the Author

Trigger Warning

Please be advised that this book may contain content that could be upsetting to some readers. This story contains serious and important content dealing with a wide range of topics, including child abuse, emotional abuse, loss of a loved one, military conflict, physical assault, rape, sexual violence, racism, stalking, substance abuse, suicide, and violence. If you are sensitive to these topics, please consider your mental health before reading this book.

Preface

My hope is that this book inspires you to step up when you recognize/realize someone needs mental health assistance. Don’t listen to toxic gossip; do something to help your fellow human. We must become accountable daily to create a better place. The world won’t improve on its own. I am calling you into action today. I challenge you to take ownership of our world. Decide to step forward to help those in need. At the end of this book, a resource appendix lists organizations available to help with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and mental health. If you think you need assistance recovering from PTSD or mental illness, do not wait. Every moment of life is precious. Please use the resource appendix to reach out if you or someone you care about needs help, or search the internet for an organization, counselor, or doctor nearby. More people than you realize love you, and your struggle affects them more than you know. You are worthy. Take that first step toward feeling better, being healthy, and enjoying life to its fullest.

The reason I began writing this book was that I finally listened to the people who loved me, and I started to see a counselor for my unresolved grief. My father had passed away years before, and I had not dealt with the loss and grieving process after his death. On every holiday, birthday, and special event we would have shared, I felt immense sadness and depression instead of remembering the positive times we had together. It was a wound to my heart, causing me so much anguish that holidays were almost unbearable, and the sadness spread into my everyday life. Not dealing with the loss was unhealthy, and it negatively affected every relationship. The only thing that kept me going was my faith in God. I knew He wouldn’t abandon me or allow me to suffer forever.

Through counseling, I discovered how to cope with the loss of my father, and I found journaling. I know it sounds so simple, but it helped me. Whenever I felt sad, had memories about my father, or suffered frequent night terrors, I wrote about it in my journal.

Then something miraculous happened! I began feeling better! It was like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Through my journaling, memories began to return—ones I had buried deep enough that I would never have to think about them again. The problem was that ignoring those memories and emotions would not let the pain release or heal. When a wound can’t heal, it festers and grows worse until it spreads into every hidden corner.

Mental health is a very personal topic. We have pushed it aside and put it on the back burner of our society for far too long. If you have a problem that requires specialty care, such as needing engine work in a new sports car, you take it to be repaired by an automotive specialist. The same action should apply to anyone needing specialty care for mental health. There shouldn’t be a stigma assigned to mental health care because your brain is part of the body. Keeping it tuned and healthy is important and what God intends for us.

I had to overcome growing up with a father who suffered from untreated PTSD. Now, I have a better mental state after working through my own PTSD issues. The things that helped me the most were my faith, counseling, journaling, medication, the support of my family and friends, and remaining optimistic about a better future. Knowing that there was a light obtainable at the end of the tunnel kept me moving forward. I hope you can see that same light too. Connect with me at RVFleming.com.

If we all do our part to help our fellow humans, then we can make this world a better place, one act of kindness at a time. It will get better. Keep the faith.

Acknowledgments

Looking back, writing this book was the most difficult thing I have ever done—and I have lived a lot of life! Many people helped me along the way, but none more than the cherished members of my inner circle. I am so thankful for them. Each one contributed in their own way, offering advice, feedback, memories, resources, proofreading, editing, encouragement, inspiration, prayers, and support while I struggled and strived to write this book.

Many people supported and loved me along my journey in writing this book. The few that stand out, whom I am eternally grateful for, are Liz Fleming, Mike Fleming, Angela Gibson, Tim McCorkle, Patty Orf, Amber Prianciani, Alicia and Frank Rouse, Brittany Smith, Michaela Tanner, and Linda Vondras.

A huge thank you to Kary Oberbrunner, Daphne Smith, and all the crew at Igniting Souls Publishing Agency and Author Academy Elite, who provided the path for my dream of writing a book to come to fruition. I am forever grateful.

1: Rescued

The huge blue pickup truck is barreling down the road, going at least fifty-five miles per hour in my direction. A thought leaves my mind as quickly as it enters. That truck is going way too fast for this country road. There are three passengers in the extended cab, along with the driver. My eyes move from the beautiful, cloudless, blue summer sky to watch as the young female driver of the red compact car, waiting at the stop sign to cross over the intersection, looks down in the direction of her radio. I am waiting patiently to make a left turn after the truck passes me at the intersection. Then the red car can safely drive straight through the intersection.

Suddenly, the red car pulls out directly in front of the truck! The little red car is T-boned on the driver’s side by the truck. Then the red car is pushed into my car, T-boning me on my driver’s side. It is all happening so fast, yet it seems like slow motion.

When I regain consciousness, I am dazed. Looking around at the accident scene from my driver’s seat, I realize that my head has hit the driver’s side window, cracking the glass. There is a bit of my hair stuck in the window’s cracks. I don’t know how long I was knocked out. The windows are darkly tinted, and I don’t know what time of day it is because of the lack of sunlight penetrating the dark windows. My door won’t open! Panicking, I take a few deep breaths to calm down. There are already several vehicles stopped around the intersection to help all of us. I immediately turn the car off. I do a quick assessment of my body and don’t feel anything hurting, nor do I see any blood. My pulse is racing, but I continue to breathe deeply to calm myself.

I feel mentally fuzzy but know that I need to call my husband. I look around inside the car for my cell phone. It had flown down into the passenger floorboard when I was hit. I unbuckle my seatbelt so I can stretch to reach my phone. I call my husband and quickly tell him what happened. I was on my way to pick up my daughter, Jade, from a schoolmate’s birthday party. Joe needs to pick her up for me.

Sirens are whaling towards the intersection. No one has come to help me, so I climb out of the passenger side door and stand up for the first time. My thoughts are racing. The sun is so bright and warm. Should I check on the driver in the red car? Should I lie down in the grass beside my car? Why didn’t anyone come to help me? The sirens are getting louder. I think I am physically alright.

My EMT training kicks in, and I jog over to the red car. After I was hit, my car ended up in a ditch. Her car spun around in the intersection and was pointing in the direction the truck came. A first responder (who just happened to be driving by when the accident occurred) is sitting in the red car’s back seat, maintaining support for the girl’s head. Her neck is bent at a ninety-degree angle. Her breathing is labored. I don’t see any blood.

Leaning my face into the open back door, I tell the man that I have EMT training and ask if I can help in any way. He shakily replied, "Help to keep me calm. Find out what her name is." I saw her purse in the front seat, so I looked in her leather wallet, covered in bright yellow smiley faces, for her driver’s license. Her name is Ashley. She’s only nineteen years old. Her college I.D. was in the wallet, beside her driver’s license. She’s so young!

The man asked me what had happened during the accident. I stated everything that I remembered. He was visibly shaken. I knew Ashley was in very bad shape. She wasn’t moving, unconscious, and barely breathing ragged, uneven breaths.

All of that happened in slow motion for me but only took a few short minutes. The ambulance and fire trucks arrived and took over the scene. A stat flight was called for Ashley. I went and sat down on the grassy hill above the ditch where my car had landed. My body was beginning to tense up since the adrenaline was leaving my system. Then the pain began to take over.

***

As I sit, writing this story, my eight-month-old miniature poodle cuddles against my leg, offering warmth. Benny gives me comfort in a quick, comical, goofy way that makes me laugh. He has pure-white fluffy curls, a little brown nose, and intelligent, golden, almost human-like eyes. Usually, one ear is flipped up to show the soft-pink side. You would laugh when you see him because Benny is a rescue, just like me. His breeder thought he wasn’t cute or flawless enough to sell, so he was offered to the local Humane Society. My husband and I thought he was perfect—a perfect addition to our family.

I usually say I am a rescue, as well, because my third husband, Eric, saved me. He saved me when I was damaged, needing love and attention. I give him