Miguel Gabriel Vazquez Bio                                    

PTSD Does Not Have to be Forever                                                                       "Real Men aren't afraid to cry"
                                                                                                                    

Trained as an Army Engineer, I had been almost-assured that I would not see a lot of action. My first day in the field started with a scenic, helicopter ride over the lush, green Vietnamese jungle. The warm air made my cheeks dance and the  vibration of the whirling blades massaged my whole body. It reminded me of the beautiful, Vietnamese masseuses that I’d heard so much about…

Who knew that only two months later I would be in shock from having
to pick up pieces of seven of my good friends. Who knew that it would
bother me so much when I saw body bags being  tossed onto a truck
like they were sacks of potatoes; that rockets would explode so
close to me that I wouldn’t be able to hear for a week; that the ringing in my ears and the smell of burning flesh could last so long; that the memory
of killing people would continue to haunt me for so many stressful years.  And who knew that the pain of experiencing all these traumas was only the tip of the iceberg.

I returned to California in 1969, physically intact but emotionally and mentally very confused, disoriented and distraught. For many years I suspected that something was wrong but for many reasons that I didn't understand I just kept telling myself that I was okay...but I wasn’t. I know now that I was carrying so much guilt that I subconsciously didn’t think that I deserved to feel better. And I was very embarrassed at the thought that something mental or emotional might be wrong with me. For more than 20 years I tried to cope by drinking and drugging myself to sleep every night. And everyday I would try to convince myself that I was okay… When the elation of my daughter’s birth triggered my survivor’s guilt I went into a downward spiral. My brother was finally able to convince me that I needed to ask for help.

During that time I was diagnosed with digestive problems, severe anxiety, insomnia, depression, chronic pain, chronic fatigue,

After living with Post Trauma Stress Disorder for over 30 years I was able to reclaim my health and happiness through EFT / Energy Psychology Treatments. In the very first 2 hour EFT session I was able to release more painful symptoms than I had in the previous 30 years of traditional therapy and pharmacology.