PTSD and returning from Iraq/Afghanistan?!
Question: PTSD and returning from Iraq/Afghanistan!?
My friend (who helped me get back into the military) and I have had a number of discussions regarding his PTSD (I'm one of the few folks he can really talk to about it!.) One thing that keeps coming up is - when he was over there, he was constatnly reminded by the Iraqis and the Afghans how grateful they were for his work and sacrafice!.!.!. they thanked him for everything our troops were doing!.!. building schools, hospitals, saving them from their former tyrants!.!. and on and on!.!. kids would come up and be begging to give our guys hugs!. Then he gets back here and everything is negative!.!.!. wrong war, we're losing, a war based on lies!.!.etc!.!.etc!.!.!.
He really wants to go back because he feels more appreciated over there than here!.
I'm not a professional, just his friend, so I wanted to ask the professional councilors/therapists that might frequent these boards!.!.!. have you seen the same thing with your clients or is this unique!?Www@Answer-Health@Com
He really wants to go back because he feels more appreciated over there than here!.
I'm not a professional, just his friend, so I wanted to ask the professional councilors/therapists that might frequent these boards!.!.!. have you seen the same thing with your clients or is this unique!?Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
I have seen this before in my patients coming out of Iraq and Afghanistan!. Many had fears about how the public would treat them upon their return and they felt that the political rhetoric was a condemnation of them and the work they had done!. I know a lot of guys who also want to go back over because then all of the jumpiness and hypervigilence that is abnormal when they are stateside is actually adaptive and "normal" when they deploy again!.
Some of what your friend is experiencing is akin to what the Vietnam veterans experienced except that during that war the attacks were directly at the soldiers/marines, not at the war itself!. I would not be surprised if your friend's interpretation of the political climate doesn't add to his sense of unrest and irritability related to his PTSD!. Everyone wants to feel that if they went through something difficult, it was for a reason and that their sacrifice was respected!. Hearing the negativity on the TV and seeing how entitled Americans can be (I was blown away by this when I deployed) only compounds this feeling, I concur that the public is, unlike 30 years ago, 100% behind its troops-I believe 100% that they are its just sometimes when you are wounded its hard to distinguish between these things-the troops vs the war as separate entities, rationally!.
Part of the challenge for your friend will be understanding that no matter what is said on the TV, no one is questioning the value of his personal service or the work that he as an individual did!. There are many in that region that are grateful for the humanitarian efforts that our military has made!. I think the general concensus is that this was the wrong time and the wrong way of going about things from a political standpoint-this does not reflect on your friend personally!.
I would encourage your friend to talk to someone about these feelings!. This type of questioning is common-I hear it from people of all ranks and all branches of the service-when you are trying to make sense of a situation that does not easily lend itself to clear reason!. I can tell you this much-when I deployed I loved taking care of the guys crawling out of Afghanistan and Iraq because I valued their service so much and I know they were so appreciative of even the least little bit of help, even if it just meant feeding them minature Hershey bars while they talked about the things they had seen!. When I got back to the states, I was disgusted with all of the meetings, listening to kids straight of boot complain about how hard the military was, etc!. and it made me want to just get back on the plane and fly back!. But I couldn't because there were people here that needed me, some of whom had deployed and were back home!. No matter what is said on the media or what my personal feelings are about this conflict, it does not change my pride in the young men and women who, when their country called them, stood up and met their obligation and it does not detract from the tremendous honor I feel in providing them with the services that they have earned and deserve!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Some of what your friend is experiencing is akin to what the Vietnam veterans experienced except that during that war the attacks were directly at the soldiers/marines, not at the war itself!. I would not be surprised if your friend's interpretation of the political climate doesn't add to his sense of unrest and irritability related to his PTSD!. Everyone wants to feel that if they went through something difficult, it was for a reason and that their sacrifice was respected!. Hearing the negativity on the TV and seeing how entitled Americans can be (I was blown away by this when I deployed) only compounds this feeling, I concur that the public is, unlike 30 years ago, 100% behind its troops-I believe 100% that they are its just sometimes when you are wounded its hard to distinguish between these things-the troops vs the war as separate entities, rationally!.
Part of the challenge for your friend will be understanding that no matter what is said on the TV, no one is questioning the value of his personal service or the work that he as an individual did!. There are many in that region that are grateful for the humanitarian efforts that our military has made!. I think the general concensus is that this was the wrong time and the wrong way of going about things from a political standpoint-this does not reflect on your friend personally!.
I would encourage your friend to talk to someone about these feelings!. This type of questioning is common-I hear it from people of all ranks and all branches of the service-when you are trying to make sense of a situation that does not easily lend itself to clear reason!. I can tell you this much-when I deployed I loved taking care of the guys crawling out of Afghanistan and Iraq because I valued their service so much and I know they were so appreciative of even the least little bit of help, even if it just meant feeding them minature Hershey bars while they talked about the things they had seen!. When I got back to the states, I was disgusted with all of the meetings, listening to kids straight of boot complain about how hard the military was, etc!. and it made me want to just get back on the plane and fly back!. But I couldn't because there were people here that needed me, some of whom had deployed and were back home!. No matter what is said on the media or what my personal feelings are about this conflict, it does not change my pride in the young men and women who, when their country called them, stood up and met their obligation and it does not detract from the tremendous honor I feel in providing them with the services that they have earned and deserve!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Honestly, this time around, I have not seen this!. Most people in Iowa, are supportive of the troops and their efforts, regardless of how they feel about the war!. Back in the Viet Nam era, things were not that way!.!.!.I had hoped that we all learned to support our troops then!.!.!.apparently I was wrong!. My apologies to all members of the armed forces that are subjected to indifference by our citizens!.!.!.God bless and keep each and every one of you! kjlWww@Answer-Health@Com
I am a vet myself your seeking the answers in the wrong place!.
direct him to your local Veterans Affairs Office!.
Its run by Veterans for Veterans!.
Unless you are just B!.S ing for what we Vet's call war sympathy in which case there is no honor in that!.
Its very common, people pretend to be combat vets or to sympathize when in actually its just a form of flatery thats not honorable at all
Charles i understand were your comming from, it just makes me sick to see vets exploited because people want to be part of something,well then join its a volunteer military!.
People exploit the word hero like its not earned!.
The true way to honor a soldier is to fight beside him, not a T!.V Commercial or a parade, check the stats close to 1000 suicide attempts per mon, U!.S mil!. not because of un appreciation but rather exploitationWww@Answer-Health@Com
direct him to your local Veterans Affairs Office!.
Its run by Veterans for Veterans!.
Unless you are just B!.S ing for what we Vet's call war sympathy in which case there is no honor in that!.
Its very common, people pretend to be combat vets or to sympathize when in actually its just a form of flatery thats not honorable at all
Charles i understand were your comming from, it just makes me sick to see vets exploited because people want to be part of something,well then join its a volunteer military!.
People exploit the word hero like its not earned!.
The true way to honor a soldier is to fight beside him, not a T!.V Commercial or a parade, check the stats close to 1000 suicide attempts per mon, U!.S mil!. not because of un appreciation but rather exploitationWww@Answer-Health@Com
Wanting to go back in theater is not uncommon!. You stated it very well when you said he feels more appreciated* (*translated more comfortable) around people he knows have similar experiences to his!.
Back stateside people are free to hold different opinions, to defend those opinions, to be sharp or downright stupid, insensitive and ignorant of the facts!. We all know that two intelligent and mature people can look at the same situation and have radically different views on what they saw!. If we insert a mix of immaturity, dishonesty, prejudice and sometimes downright stupidity I think you can see the range of opinions that can be expressed!.
As soldiers we have been exposed to life and death experiences often up close and personal!. It is very personal and real to us!. It often is a real challenge to face the wide range of opinions we run into in everyday civilian life!. Sometimes we just do not feel like we belong any more!. The short term easy answer might be to go back into the thick of things, which we have been trained to deal with!.
Remember though!. When you first signed up you probably held some very high ideals about the rights we all have as Americans, and about how we are free to hold all those opinions!. Also remember opinions are like a$$holes, everybody's got one!.
I am a state chaplain of the Vietnam Veterans of America and many of my vet buddies are two and three tour vets!. It is not uncommon at all!.
Remember, real courage is not just the lack of fear!. It is what we can do in spite of that fear!
Stand by your friend!Www@Answer-Health@Com
Back stateside people are free to hold different opinions, to defend those opinions, to be sharp or downright stupid, insensitive and ignorant of the facts!. We all know that two intelligent and mature people can look at the same situation and have radically different views on what they saw!. If we insert a mix of immaturity, dishonesty, prejudice and sometimes downright stupidity I think you can see the range of opinions that can be expressed!.
As soldiers we have been exposed to life and death experiences often up close and personal!. It is very personal and real to us!. It often is a real challenge to face the wide range of opinions we run into in everyday civilian life!. Sometimes we just do not feel like we belong any more!. The short term easy answer might be to go back into the thick of things, which we have been trained to deal with!.
Remember though!. When you first signed up you probably held some very high ideals about the rights we all have as Americans, and about how we are free to hold all those opinions!. Also remember opinions are like a$$holes, everybody's got one!.
I am a state chaplain of the Vietnam Veterans of America and many of my vet buddies are two and three tour vets!. It is not uncommon at all!.
Remember, real courage is not just the lack of fear!. It is what we can do in spite of that fear!
Stand by your friend!Www@Answer-Health@Com
See Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, at http://www!.ezy-build!.net!.nz/~shaneris on pages 33 - 34, and examine the http://1-800-therapist!.com/ website, and use the locators in section 1, and phone book, and/or various associations for psychiatrists and psychologists, to find the nearest one using EMDR therapy!. If unable to afford it, or to locate one nearby, contact the county/local mental health agency: any therapy on offer may prove helpful, particularly if combined with appropriate medication!. (The following is a variant of EMDR therapy, which has been used successfully for those people suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, insomnia, and anxiety: it is easily learned, quick to use, yet can be very effective!. It is easy to be dismissive of it, because it may seem a little strange, but is well worth trying, for at least a few weeks, to see how it effective it is in your case)!. First, sit comfortably, and take a deep breath!. Then, without moving your head, move your eyes from the left, to the right, and back again, taking around a second to do so (say: "a thousand and one": this takes approximately a second)!. Repeat this procedure (without the words, although you can count, subvocally if you like) 20 times!. Then close your eyes and relax!. Become aware of any tension or discomfort you feel!. Then open your eyes, and take another deep breath, and repeat step one, closing your eyes, and relaxing afterwards, in the same manner!. Then, repeat the procedure one last time!. Some people may find that this is all they need do: others find that they need 2 sessions in quick succession, but professional treatment is the best option, if you can access it!. With practice, you may find that you can employ this technique with your eyes closed, thereby enabling a much wider window of opportunity to use in public, without attracting unwanted attention!. Professional EMDR is preferable!.Www@Answer-Health@Com