Re: MORNING THERAPY FOR VETERANS

by Guest Thu 22 Aug 2013, 20:49

Whole heartedly agree my friend

by **Teentitan** Thu 22 Aug 2013, 19:19

Only one suggestion Robbie...be a dad. He knows you are a vet so show him the dad side of your baby girl.

You were a dad when you talked to your young one about the shade experiment for the science fair so you have it in you to do it.

Call a new avenue of therapy for you to try.

by Guest Thu 22 Aug 2013, 09:35

This is as real as it gets.
Many situations in life humble even the most hardened of men within our veteran and military communities. As most of you have read my Therapy Corner Posts most have come to the conclusion this crazy ole fart has PTSD. Well you display the perspicacity of one that has or are currently travelling down the same ole familiar path of life. I wanted to share this story today because this story reflects and depicts our minute by minute struggles with this evasive soul crusher we soldiers call PTSD.
This is my situation today as we speak. last night I fell asleep and this morning I woke up still tired and yet with a smile as always, however my beautiful wife was tired and feeling edgy and I knew why but the darling she is just gave me my morning hug and a list of chores to complete by the time she gets home.
I drove my wife to work only minutes up the road and as usual I scanned the far distance middle ground and near ground for threats and anomalies that would require quick reaction drills. My wife laughs at me and usually turns up the radio to avert my attention elsewhere. After dropping off my wife I always salute the bridge that spans over the Petawawa River and I quietly say thanks to my brothers that crossed that bridge and never returned. I go home and I feed my pets in my methodically routine way, German shepherd first, retriever second and lastly my miniature terrier. All larger dogs 2 cups kibble and my shrimp 1/2 cup kibble. Seems pretty normal to me and yet I always plan my route in and out with alternate routes and all the while going through my chance contact drills. When my kids watch me they always laugh when I do my cadence driven movement that pertains to all objects in our house for example, I pick up my pen on the count of 1, two three one, stand still on the two three. Yet as I sit here writing about my seemingly non oppressed life I feel normal and know I am a man, too some a little fucked up but hell yes a man. I stand just under 6 foot shinny bald head, yes an eighties stash just like Tom Sellick and at 245 I am a tad intimidating but in my house a huge Teddy Bear.
The reality of living with PTSD is it becomes routine in the environment it inhabits not the individual but the 4 walls that encase its ugliness. For most of us we hate the outside and we hate it because even though the PTSD resides deep within our bodies we feel exposed and it seems that everyone can see right through you. Well here we are troops, here is my crisis today and in the event it incapacitates me here is what you have to do for me.
Situation
My daughter has a huge crush on a military guy, ok he is cute he is older and he is a 3 RCR member. She wants us to like him especially me.
Warning Order
All members of my household to be on their best behaviour including me, who put that in there. Orders in 45 mikes.
General Concept of Operations
None I do not have to compete with a soldier and most important he likes my daughter not me. My first directive to him is what any father would say , make her happy treat her with respect and be real, if its not real end it quickly and honestly.
My daughter told me straight out that she is proud of me and only wants me to be me but without the who has the loudest fart at the table, she asked that we keep that barrier closed for future operations.
Point to all PTSD dwells within our society of warriors, it consumes our homes and effects everything we are but if we are able to accept PTSD then it will not and I am serious it will not own you it will only be a part of you just like your everyday habits and routine.

by tinybubbles Wed 21 Aug 2013, 18:46

Totally unrelated to topic but I thought I would share something that was told to my Husband (the vet). We had to go to a family wedding this past week-end and again was hard to get him out of the house. At said wedding a 6 year old girl was introduced to him for the first time and she was told that he was a vet. She said to him and I quote. "Thank you for your service" We thank all people that serve for us. Left my husband speechless as well as myself...............was very touching. It makes my heart light to see there are parents that are teaching their kids respect for our veterans

by rucksack031 Wed 21 Aug 2013, 12:30

Well Steve you and your Wife must be so proud, i can feel it in your writing. You nailed it, nothing ventured nothing gained its simple just give it a try sometimes it works sometimes not. But so much has been placed by society on the definition of success with two words PASS or FAIL that they forget success is the journey, and to have a 10 yr old boy learning and at the same time teaching us is amazing. So I to will look forward to your sons findings, and heck it just might be your Daughter the Scientist that writes that paper on his findings pretty cool. rucksack031 over but never out

by Guest Wed 21 Aug 2013, 12:22

Thanks WoV will do

by Guest Wed 21 Aug 2013, 11:37

Robbie......I surely want to know the findings of your sons experiment after all is complete.
He's a smart boy for wanting to find this out and great parents for encouraging him along the way. One way or another, it is an experiment that he will never loose just for trying.
I wish him the best of luck cause in my eyes...........he's a winner no matter what.

Widow of Veteran

by Guest Wed 21 Aug 2013, 11:10

Damn straight rucksack all I hear is how come why why instead I should be hearing I did I wanted and I am proud of all my accomplishments regardless of how awful or great. We can only take the bad in life and put it in the open so we LEARN from it and attempt to do the exact same thing over again but applying what was wrong with it before, now tweak it again and again.
My 10 year ole "mini-me" son started his science fair project yesterday. Yesterday you say but school hasn't started Robbie what are you doing to him.
This s what he will be doing for his project, he has built two shaded ground blankets in our back yard. This because he asked me why do the weeds not grow in the shaded part of our lawn but out here in the open the grass is gone and it is full of weeds. There in lies a scientific adventure and together we will find out why or how to increase grass growth and weed reduction through shade.
I told my son that his project had to have a SCOPE, it needed to be documented and treated like an experiment. He said to me in a child like wonderment way, " what if it doesn't work then we wasted our time and it won't be needed until April next year".
I told my boy that it is a project and like all things in life if you do your part and work hard to succeed then you can accept failure as well as triumph. I told him it is ok to do your project now and if it does not produce positive results then that too is ok because you did what you started out to do. What if your project produces great results then maybe someone will take your research and conduct even more studies. Regardless of the out come you will enrich yourself by doing the research, conducting and recorded your findings, that is what it is all about, doing your best.
Maybe we all can wait to find out how my boy does.

by rucksack031 Wed 21 Aug 2013, 08:31

Hey there Steve as I read your posts once again one becomes enlighten of many of our plights for equality which has been earned not given . And ref your (friend, choke hold) to many times we end up telling the Vet what they want to here and not saying what they need to hear, and at times this is the best medication. like you and many others as I walk down my career I focus on the good I did for my country, Family, and myself.

by Guest Tue 20 Aug 2013, 12:39

The Harper Government has all but committed political suicide by rapidly denouncing it's Armed Force members as nothing shy of normal civilians. I find it ironic that during the 14th century King Philip IV of France under the micromanagement of Pope Clement V had his specialty troops The Knights Templar striped and disbanded. This all due to in part that the Great Philip the Fair was indebted to the Knights Templar ( he was broke). Sure sounds like ole Stephen is in the same boat due to the mismanagement of policies designed to assist VETERANS and the SOLDIERS of this country. Now I do not like being called a normal citizen nor do I think I am better than a normal citizen in fact I know I am better. I am better because I trained to be better, my family trained to be better because a soldier may not ever come home. I am not a normal citizen because I now how to eradicate the enemy threat with extreme violence. I have forgotten more survival techniques that a normal citizen will ever endure and yet I am a model citizen that our country can call into battle any time any where without a second thought. If I am a normal citizen then allow me to call for an early election and denounce our normal citizens over on the Hill and get their ridiculous pensions reduced like mine after all we are all just normal. We all should have the same pay scale.

by Guest Tue 20 Aug 2013, 12:16

Thanks Jeffery I was humbled by the opportunity to be allowed into so many lives of the most wonderful people in the world our brothers and sisters of all policing and security enforcement trades within our country. Amen to all those that serve our people, after all WE ARE NOT ORDINARY CANADIANS.

by Jeffery M Tue 20 Aug 2013, 11:06

This is a fantastic read. And humbling.

Amen to futures.

by Guest Tue 20 Aug 2013, 08:31

[color=#000000][font=Noteworthy][b]An expression that burns my ass every time I hear it, " When I was with the military I did some things I am not proud of".[/b][/font][/color]
[color=#000000][font=Noteworthy][b]I don't know about you but I did some pretty damn outstanding things when I was in he military. I knew from day one that I was allowed to make mistakes but only during training and only if they did not endanger others. I was trained to identify the threat and execute my skills in removing the threat. I became proficient in all small arms and crew served weapons, very handy when dealing with the threat from far distances and even more confident at close quarters. I became proficient enough that I was honoured in teaching and training others so that they could use my skills in repelling any threat. For years I continued to train and be trained to fulfil my role as a hard assed combat elite soldier and never once did I utter the words " I did some things I am not proud of". [/b][/font][/color]
[color=#000000][font=Noteworthy][b]I am writing this today because I was confronted by an individual who suffers from chronic PTSD and every time I see him, it becomes a " look at me Sarg I got fucked up" thing. Finally I took this guy aside and blasted him a new ass, I told him I no longer wanted to hear about how fucked up he was I wanted to hear about the good times we had together and how fast he was a stripping a C-7 in under 25 seconds. I wanted to hear about our assault boat ride on the Mediterranean Ocean, or about how he stole my air and I broke my ankle on a jump. I needed to hear about walking in the shark infested waters at night in Jamaica without fear because the objective was far more important than the comforts of a fart sack. He started to to get pissed off a threw a haymaker at me, I spun him around and put him in a American Choke hold, then I whispered in his ear, " You still got lots of fight in ya bouy so why do you tell me every time your fucked"?[/b][/font][/color]
[color=#000000][font=Noteworthy][b]I let him go and he asked for a hug and we talked for awhile like men. [/b][/font][/color]
[color=#000000][font=Noteworthy][b]He no longer uses that stupid expression, in fact he is now understands he has to live with PTSD and no longer tries to associate the illness with failure because he did not fail he just didn't realize how important military life routine could be used on the outside. How and why he was trained are now a part of his life memories and not black marks within his legacy. He is far from at peace with the mental illness that nearly cost him his life and family but I did see him smile yesterday and he bought me a coffee, yeah I shit on him again because who drinks a small double double, wake up.[/b][/font][/color]

by Guest Mon 12 Aug 2013, 10:20

That's just plain ole nasty hope you kept that saw lol

by **Teentitan** Mon 12 Aug 2013, 09:37

Actually that Hab gnome "had" it coming. He taunted the Leaf gnome too many times so he took care of it. When I walked out on the deck that morning and saw what had happened I started calling the Leaf gnome Wendel. And the Canadien gnome is Guy Lafleur because Wendel planted a nice flower in his headless body.

Ofcourse some would say I used a hacksaw blade and cut that Canadien gnome head off...guess that's my Morning Therapy.

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