Thursday, July 11, 2013

Combat veterans are not evil

Combat veterans are not evil
De-tour Combat PTSD
Kathie Costos
July 11, 2103

When veterans are trying to understand what is going on inside of them, the first answer they want to hear is about anger. They want to know why they get so angry over little things. Some of them are dealing with survivor guilt on top of everything else.

While there are several reasons for this, start with the beginning. Why did you want to join the military in the first place? Was it to serve your country? That is the simplest reason. Was it because you never thought of doing anything else? Stop right there. Are those answers based on anything that could be considered evil? No. Both answers address thinking of others.

Another thing to think about is if you did you job or not. Veterans usually say it all hit them soon after they came home. Why does that happen? When you were deployed, you were thinking of what you had to do. You thought of the others you were with. You had a responsibility to them. You watched over them and they watched over you. You knew you were not alone. You did not allow yourself to feel emotional pain as long as others needed you.

Back home, in the beginning you may think you can just pick up where you left off. Veterans are shocked by this. They don't understand how it changed for the worst after they were back home. You feel all of it because no one else is risking their lives depending on you to have their back.

Start with this video to understand what PTSD is doing and check back tomorrow for more.
When you come home from combat, after your duty is done, there is something that comes home with you.

It is said that no one comes home from war unchanged. Sometimes it is not a big change, but other times it is. PTSD is not new. It is not hopeless. Learn what it is, how you can heal and then, help others heal as well. Being a hero, taking care of others and watching their backs is not something you just stop doing.

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