PTSDIY
Every tool for post-traumatic stress, gathered in one place: what is happening in your brain, what to do in the moment, what to practice every day, and which treatments are worth asking for.
Read it front to back, or go straight to the chapter you need today. Every chapter stands alone and follows the same layout, so you always know where to find the drill, the risks and the evidence.
Publication numbers follow the chapter: FM 09-MED-101 is Chapter 9, Meditation. The first two digits always tell you where a pamphlet sits in the manual.
Part II is built for bad moments. If you only read one page before you need it, read Chapter 8 and fill in your safety plan on a good day.
Every tool carries a rating, so promising newer approaches sit honestly beside first-line treatments.
| Rating | What it means |
|---|---|
| Multiple controlled trials; recommended in VA/DoD clinical guidelines. | |
| Good studies with consistent results, but fewer of them or not PTSD-specific. | |
| Early or small studies. Promising, not proven. | |
| Practical experience and expert opinion; little formal research. |
| 01 | Mission briefWhat it is, in plain language. |
| 02 | IntelWhat the evidence says, with its rating. |
| 03 | Field proceduresThe drill: something to do this week. |
| 04 | Rules of engagementWho it is for, who should skip it, and the risks. |
| 05 | Common faults & correctionsWhere people go wrong. |
| 06 | Call for backupWhen to bring in a professional. |
| 07 | Field report & companion episodeA real story, and the podcast episode that goes deeper. |
Part I · Know the terrain
Part II · Immediate action drills
Part III · Daily maintenance
Part IV · Working the mind
Part V · Clinical interventions
Part VI · Your unit
Part VII · Rebuild
Part VIII · The long game
Appendices
VA, 2026 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report (2024 data), released September 30, 2026. · Stanley et al., Safety Planning Intervention, JAMA Psychiatry, 2018. · Balban et al., Brief structured respiration practices, Cell Reports Medicine, 2023. · VA National Center for PTSD: PCL-5. · VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for PTSD, 2023. · White et al., Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature, Scientific Reports, 2019. · Brom et al., Somatic Experiencing for PTSD, Journal of Traumatic Stress, 2017. · Pennebaker, expressive writing research. · Litz et al., Adaptive Disclosure. · Resick et al., Cognitive Processing Therapy. · Foa et al., Prolonged Exposure. · Sloan et al., Written Exposure Therapy vs. CPT, JAMA Psychiatry, 2018. · Rae Olmsted et al., Stellate ganglion block for PTSD, JAMA Psychiatry, 2020. · Tedeschi & Calhoun, post-traumatic growth. · MAPS and HCPLive reporting on the 2026 MDMA-assisted therapy NDA resubmission. · American Psychiatric Association, DSM-5-TR; WHO, ICD-11.