My God, I never knew that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was such a lonely, painful, slow death. Please share your story if you are a sufferer..

I come from a multigenerational family that has served in nearly every conflict and war. And lost family overseas in war.

So I need to throw this out here.

A family member was in WWII. Just a young Midwest farm boy put into war, never even been on a plane or even out of the tiny dirt town.

He wouldn’t speak about what he saw.

No matter how much he was asked, he didn’t speak about it.

He came back, married, bought a house, started a lifetime careeer, had children....life went on.

The one time he spoke about a fraction of what went on where he was deployed fighting the enemy - face to face, hand to hand - it was so bad that I won’t even write it here.

I seriously can’t because it was that bad - and you wonder how it is that humans can do things to other humans.

But it was war....and these old vets have seen, touched, smelled had to do things hand to hand that our young vets can’t comprehend. And I can say that as a lifetime and current military family member.

What I’m getting at is.....in the old days PTSD no doubt was considered shell shock. But, there wasn’t that much back then more or less to put it in old vet terms - they weren’t coddled, they had to tow the line and get on with life. And these were men that had literally never left the farm. And went right into battle in what we would consider primitive war by today’s standards. Most - got on with life.

What changed?

Money made on the back of our vets?

Younger vets by far have been more exposed to the horrors of daily human life then the older vets that went to WWII right off the Midwest farm and didn’t even have a public library, phone or in many cases running water on the family farm.

Was it because the men from WWII era - even though they were farmboys were more hardened from having to work hard. Compared to the younger vets that kind of left an easier upbringing then joining military.

You have to wonder.

I have to wonder how anyone could formulate such a simplistic assessment of PTSD and the variables therein.

You can take 'em off the farm, but......

Simple solutions for simple minds.

I’m on a shrimp boat in 12+ foot seas and it’s miserable and I’d take PTSD any day of the week as long as the ground wasn’t moving.

wow, sea sickness is the worst.

Do you get to eat lot of shrimp for dinner?

Abuse, seeing too much harm. Not being able to stop certain things. Ive had it all my life. Isolation. Fight or flight. Always picking the wrong action (fight or flight). There are times when I invison myself getting up and attacking people because they are doing something that causes me to feel like I can't escape them or the pressure. Feeling trapped. Being alone is better, Nobody gets hurt but me that way. There is no pharmaceutical that helps it. Weed is a good escape but not a cure by any means. Having a dog would be nice. Maybe some day.

Feeling trapped is the key I think....

That's the violence precipator.

Yes. No traps. I would chew my arm off and waffle stomp someone's head into a drain to get out of a trap. Just sayin.

Most with PTSD aren't going to want to talk about it on a site like this. They, 90 percent of the time want to hide it. Its not an illness that ex military want to tell all about having.

I have been divorced for years but was married to an ex Marine who had been in Vietnam. He was 8 years older than me and had went in close to the last part of Vietnam if I understood it correctly. He was 17. He definitely had PTSD. But when you are married to someone with this you feel it too. Its a horrible thing that can manifest it self on the people you love. I learned more about it in classes for wives with military or ex military husbands with PTSD. I suffered too.

My father was ex Army and had been in WWII. He was 50 when I was born and was 16 years older than my mother. Back then they called it shell shock. Same thing. He never talked about the war. But I know now years later that he had it pretty bad too.

It is a horrible real illness that takes you over and really does affect everyone around you. They feel something just isn't right at all. Living with someone like that for years took its toll on me. But they all fought for our country so what do you do?

God bless all the Vets out there and keep them safe. Amen!

I have PTSD from years of domestic abuse from a NPD.

Feeling much better after 4 years of getting out of the situation, with therapy and positive coping skills like prayer, socializing with better people, forgiving myself, doing things I want to do.

Negative coping skills keep PTSD sufferers in the cycle. Addiction, alcoholism, dread, being surrounded by people who are unsupportive, being isolated, feeling shame, feeling guilt.

Anger is one of the 5 basic emotions: joy, sadness, anger, fear, and disgust. Watch the movie Inside Out, it's animated but get through it.

Most of our emotions can have deep negative results, it's the ability to find JOY that's the key.

Thank you for sharing that.

12 years ago I was robbed at gunpoint by the RCMP. It was a small town so I knew all the cops Cprl. Dennis Blanche and his crew came in unmarked SUV's said our medical cannabis licenses had expired and robbed us. During the robbery my roommate at the time (who was using a walker then) yelled at one of the younger cops who was stupidly about to cut a live 1000w bulbs cord with scissors.

The RCMP pulled out guns and aimed them at his kidney. Even though he had just most likely saved the young fella's life. The building we were using to grow was directly across from the house. On the porch was my 5 year old son, wrapped in the very large arms of another medical grower (licensed). If the RCMP would have shot my friend...through soft tissue, bullets could have simply gone through the wall of the plant room and threatened my sons life.

Aside from my son who barely remembers it, all others involved have PTSD. It is uncomfortable. It was just uncomfortable to type out. All in all, PTSD sucks.

12 years ago I was robbed at gunpoint by the RCMP. It was a small town so I knew all the cops Cprl. Dennis Blanche and his crew came in unmarked SUV's said our medical cannabis licenses had expired and robbed us. During the robbery my roommate at the time (who was using a walker then) yelled at one of the younger cops who was stupidly about to cut a live 1000w bulbs cord with scissors.

The RCMP pulled out guns and aimed them at his kidney. Even though he had just most likely saved the young fella's life. The building we were using to grow was directly across from the house. On the porch was my 5 year old son, wrapped in the very large arms of another medical grower (licensed). If the RCMP would have shot my friend...through soft tissue, bullets could have simply gone through the wall of the plant room and threatened my sons life.

Aside from my son who barely remembers it, all others involved have PTSD. It is uncomfortable. It was just uncomfortable to type out. All in all, PTSD sucks.

Fight, Flight, or Freeze. We get stuck.

((((( hugs )))))

yeah, well, from what you've shared you've had lots of hardship in your life. You must be very strong.

I wish you peace.

The Military doesn't debrief soldiers on return. Shame.
We also don't have resources to decompress the horror that was witnessed.

It is horrible ....

So the baby boomers had to grow up with fathers with post traumatic stress .

They died earlier than their fathers ..

The ones in the Far East died earlier than others .

My dad in WW2 died at About 67 his father about 84 ..on my mothers side below

My grandfather died in 1916 in the war his father in 1940 born 1850 ...

Then they say we had it easy ....with all these damaged men around ..

No you baby guys had it easy ....spoilt and children forever ..

Except for troops who were still not really respected ..until awe started moaning online .

I am still upset that some ex servicemen are on the streets

No wonder they cannot get anymore men to enroll....

Especially as they are taking troops to court to charge them about stuff when they were at war ....a person here has cancer and was a soldier ages ago and is being charged

I think our officials have gone mad to allow these men who fought for us to be charged .

Think about Vietnam ...hey guys ...

We should take thenpoliticians to court for the war before charging the troops ...not with public money but theirs ...

Tony Blair is a good target ...the great Liar .

Can we charge stupid civil servants and crazy lawyers first ?

I had many friends who returned from Viet Nam, and many who did not. Those who did - that video mentioned body counts being important. One friend who returned had the job of counting the bodies. He would wake up screaming 18, 19, 20, etc.

Yes, to send these people back to be "normal" in society after what they were taught and practiced is inhumane. They all should have been offered much more help. However, some will refuse any help. What can we do for them? Let them alone to live in the woods, I guess, until and unless they more desire to do something different in their lives.

Suggestions?

Since we are talking about Russia, China, civil war, perhaps we should also be talking about the aftermath, just like this, and what we can do for those suffering.

Yep.

There are so many triggers to PTSD, any trauma. Most of the time people don't even realize they have this disorder.

If we do go to war (in the next couple of weeks) this enemy will start beheading people on US soil. That will be traumatic. Since 911 there have been sooo many incidents that have affected people.

Suggestons? Learn positive coping skills. Watch Inside Out (Disney Movie) because it explains the psychology of PTSD in a form that kids and understand, and more importantly, adults. Talk about it. Seek support groups, alanon is awesome, they have online meetings and chat groups.
I always offer support when I see someone down. Even if it's a random stranger.

I agree the wrong people are being charged in this situation. A lot of the time it happens just to get them off the street. It breaks my heart how many Vets are living on the streets. We should have more help for them.

A lot of them have went pretty crazy from the things they have seen. Its so sad. I don't know any solution to this. There needs to be some type of mediator from the veterans association looking for ones that are homeless and helping them get back into society with the benefits and counseling they deserve.

I call it "deer in headlights " paralyzed.

PTSD is a very complex illness.
From personal experience reading a book titled Achilles in Vietnam gave my insight .
Being around others who have some of the same experiences helps you really don't even have to talk they understand .
It's not easy to discuss in person.
It helps if you think your anonymous .
YOU CAN BEAT THIS !
For anyone reading this who suffers from ptsd get help.
YOU ARE NOT WEAK for admitting you need help.
Please don't wait until it's too late.
I remember coming to one time and I was covered in blood.
I'd hurt a guy pretty badly .
I didn't start the confrontation.
Guy just came out of nowhere a d he tried to Rob me .
I had my pregnant wife with me and just flipped.
The hardest part isn't the combat .
The hardest part is simple shit you wouldn't expect .
Like how hard it is to get blood out if your hair and off your hands when it's dried .
I have woken up screaming and crying and it's like so real I can smell that copper smell and it's like no matter how many times I wash or try to cleanse myself I can never go back to being clean again .I can't be the innocent young man I was.
This shit ain't no joke . It's hard to live with . There is hope . Read the book Achilles in Vietnam .

Democrats loved wars, they lied, they said a boat was sunk, amazing, it first was France not the US, how we were brought in and way is beyond me. They had draft which is against our constitution and they did it anyway in 1918 after they set up the federal reserve banking, get who was paying off the debt just guess, their bodies are all over the world, some of my own family. I know what war is, it control. Most of the people out here never want wars.

That little picture at the bottom of that page is a lie, it is not Republican who started this crap. It was first in 1918 the president was democrat, the second as under FDR he was a democrat, then it was a republic maybe I would have to check it could have started under Truman and he was a democrat, Vietnam started under JFK and it continue and it was nothing by a lie that started almost everyone of these wars.

I do not believe in wars, except if attacked, I do not believe in fighting others wars either, let them fight their own, it not the regular peoples wars it the Money men who I call centuries old criminal enterprises, they get rich and fight between each other, they are using lies to get other men to fight their battle.

Now get over all the other stuff it not about just democrat and republicans it about the criminal enterprises that control every part of our lives. Taking them down a to the bottom of the ladder is the only way to stop it.

Regarding fighting wars for and with others, it is my understanding that's all about oil. If we would make good use of all the oil we have - not tearing up national forests nor other public lands, not ruining our oceans and waterways, but getting it from all the places which we could such as shale, we would not have to be concerned about the middle east and other sources of oil and could leave them to fight their own battles, bringing our men and women home. I know that doesn't fit the OP, but it fit with your statement.

I made a ham and cheese sandwich and was cussing because shit was flying out of the fridge faster than I could put it back in. Btw We are trawling for oilfield debris so we don’t get a lot of shrimp.

How long before you touch land?