I am new to facepunch, but anyway, I got back from Afghan a few months ago. I was an Infantryman and saw quite a lot of combat as well as good friends get hurt and killed.
I came back and things just seem way different then before. Things seem to piss me off a lot quicker. Just the way that people take stuff for granted like showers and food and running water. The people over there live like a biblical times except they somehow managed to get motorcycles. It pisses me off when I hear people complaining about traffic and their jobs.
For instance, all of my friends on facebook complain about jobs and how they got shafted because they got to work overtime or how hard their day was, blah blah blah. To me, it just seems miniscule. My days were a lot harder their when your good friend gets blown up by IEDs or gets shot and dies. Nothing is more harder than coping with the loss of a close friend to some piece of shit asshole living in a mud hut and fucking donkeys.
I'm out now of the military, and even found a job. But it seems I miss the comradeship from the military. It's very tight knit. No other job can come close to it. Even all my friends in high school from whom I've know for 10+ years, don't seem as close as the buddies I've served with. I miss the directness of the situation over there. Where nothing is taken for granted. You can be ugly, poor, rich, or whatever, as long as you commit toward the team and I had full confidence in knowing that If I got shot out in the street, my friend would without hesitation run out there and drag me back under enemy fire. It doesn't seem like that in the civilian world. All my civilian friends can't even keep a promise to go hang out on the weekend and it sickens me. Some of them seem very shallow.
Anyway, things would blow up a lot, and loud noises occasionally still make me jump. Distant fireworks and noises immediately make me stop and listen as if listening for the ensuing hail of gunfire. It's gotten better since being out, but I still also get a little paranoid of large crowds and shady people walking on the street.
My friend said I might have PTSD and recommended I go see a therapist, but I see it as weakness; The fact that I can cope with gunfire, bombs, and death, but I can't cope with some symptoms of war? I don't know, are their any other Facepunch veterans around here?
Them youngin's nowadays don't know a thing about problems!
But yeah, See a therapist.
Just read your situation, and I'd say seeing a professional, for at least 1 therapy session, would be the best idea, just to get an opinion you could trust.
[QUOTE=BloodFox1222;32644165]Them youngin's nowadays don't know a thing about problems![/QUOTE]
HAHA, you're HILARIOUS.
It really isn't a weakness at all, my cousin was an infantrymen and he has PTSD. It can affect anyone, and seeing a therapist is nothing to be ashamed of. Good luck and thanks for serving our Country.
I think you're still adjusted to being in a war zone.
When you start having constant flash backs or start reacting more actively to sounds then you can call it PTSD, I'm not saying you don't have it as I'm no doctor but it could also be you just changing scenery again.
I can completely see myself reacting to loud noises or fireworks and waiting to see if its gunfire or more gunfire on the way. You just came out of a warzone. Go see a therapist it's not a shameful thing. If it's nothing you opened up and talked to someone. If it is something you could catch it early and work on it and save alot of trouble in the future.
If it's a problem you deal with it. Pretty sure you know that already.
It doesn't sound too serious, but there is no harm in seeing a professional. And I hear lots of people who have fought get very short tempered and frustrated at the pettyness of modern life, it must be the fact you've been living on a life or death edge for months coming back to hear people moan about stupid things.
Thank you for your service. Just wondering, were you Army or Marines? I plan on enlisting in two years or so. Also, it doesn't really sound like you have PTSD to me. But I suppose it couldn't hurt to go to a therapist if problems still persist for you...
[QUOTE=MedicmanV500;32644420]Thank you for your service. Just wondering, were you Army or Marines? I plan on enlisting in two years or so. Also, it doesn't really sound like you have PTSD to me.[/QUOTE]
Marines.
Go see a professional if you're concerned, it'll put your mind at rest at the least. Don't view it as a weakness, either, and don't beat yourself up about it (because that only makes it worse). If you're getting pissed off about things (like how other people take stuff for granted) and it's making you want to take action, breathe deeply and relax, and think about sheep or something heartwarming. I believe there's also charities in the states (we definitely have them in the UK) set up to support soldiers with PTSD or similar issues, might be worth checking out.
It doesn't really sound like full-on PTSD, more like you adjusting to being back in the states again where you aren't being shot at on a daily basis. It may go away, it may not.
[QUOTE=Reserved Parkin;32644443]Marines.[/QUOTE]
Hi, I'm a Hospital Corpsman - 8485 (Psych Tech). What you described isn't indicative of PTSD. Of course I don't have the licensure to diagnose you with PTSD or not but I can give you a good idea if you have it or not. I'd need to know some more information though.
Thank you for your service.
As stated by 153x it sounds more like you're just trying to adjust and cope with normal civilian life again. Still you could go see a therapist and try to work out your anger. I don't blame you for being angry at how many people complain over such trivial matters, but remember they don't know what it's like and because of brave people like you that's all they have to worry about is trivial things. I think I'd rather complain about traffic or overtime at work than being a soldier or Afghan civilian worrying if an IED is going to take another life from a loved one. Luckily those defending our country can ensure that peace of mind.
Thank you for your service.
Hah, bredirish posted that right as I did.
[QUOTE=InvaderNouga;32644744]Hi, I'm a Hospital Corpsman - 8485 (Psych Tech). What you described isn't indicative of PTSD. Of course I don't have the licensure to diagnose you with PTSD or not but I can give you a good idea if you have it or not. I'd need to know some more information though.
Was there any specific traumatic event that you can recall going through? Perhaps one where you felt intense amounts of fear and horror, for your life?[/QUOTE]
Doc, no offense, but do we really want to conduct a health assessment here on a public forum?
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[QUOTE=Reserved Parkin;32644799]Doc, no offense, but do we really want to conduct a health assessment here on a public forum?[/QUOTE]
you can PM me, i'll be more then glad to help you out. you marines do more than enough to keep us Corpsman safe and mission ready.
My brother, brother-in-law, and a few of my friends are military. My brother-in-law is about a month away from finishing up his third tour in Afghanistan, and my brother is finishing up his combat situation training to head over for his first tour over there.
The first thing I discussed with my brother, him being a Corpsman tied to a Marine unit, was PTSD and other things that might happen to him when he came back, and he gave me his word that if he came back with problems, no matter what they were, that he would seek help.
Whatever problem you are having, there is no weakness in seeking help from it. In fact, it takes incredible amounts of strength and willpower to admit you have a problem, and want help. Don't feel weak for wanting to get your life back in order.
[QUOTE=Jedi_Rayne;32644837]My brother, brother-in-law, and a few of my friends are military. My brother-in-law is about a month away from finishing up his third tour in Afghanistan, and my brother is finishing up his combat situation training to head over for his first tour over there.
The first thing I discussed with my brother, him being a Corpsman tied to a Marine unit, was PTSD and other things that might happen to him when he came back, and he gave me his word that if he came back with problems, no matter what they were, that he would seek help.
Whatever problem you are having, there is no weakness in seeking help from it. In fact, it takes incredible amounts of strength and willpower to admit you have a problem, and want help. Don't feel weak for wanting to get your life back in order.[/QUOTE]
Thank you all for the encouraging words. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. :smile:
Going to see someone about how you're feeling isn't a sign of weakness either. Let me tell you, we get people all the way up to 0-6 coming in to see us. Senior NCO's, and Officers of all kinds come in to see us at our clinics with their problems and those are some of the strongest people we have in the Fleet. There's no shame in seeking help, if anything it makes you a stronger person. So go ahead and talk to someone, they'll do everything they can to help you.
Your statement about friendship is very deep, it's pretty profound when you think "How many of my friends would risk their lives to help me?"
[QUOTE=Reserved Parkin;32644128]I am new to facepunch, but anyway, I got back from Afghan a few months ago. I was an Infantryman and saw quite a lot of combat as well as good friends get hurt and killed.
I came back and things just seem way different then before. Things seem to piss me off a lot quicker. Just the way that people take stuff for granted like showers and food and running water. The people over there live like a biblical times except they somehow managed to get motorcycles. It pisses me off when I hear people complaining about traffic and their jobs.
For instance, all of my friends on facebook complain about jobs and how they got shafted because they got to work overtime or how hard their day was, blah blah blah. To me, it just seems miniscule. My days were a lot harder their when your good friend gets blown up by IEDs or gets shot and dies. Nothing is more harder than coping with the loss of a close friend to some piece of shit asshole living in a mud hut and fucking donkeys.
I'm out now of the military, and even found a job. But it seems I miss the comradeship from the military. It's very tight knit. No other job can come close to it. Even all my friends in high school from whom I've know for 10+ years, don't seem as close as the buddies I've served with. I miss the directness of the situation over there. Where nothing is taken for granted. You can be ugly, poor, rich, or whatever, as long as you commit toward the team and I had full confidence in knowing that If I got shot out in the street, my friend would without hesitation run out there and drag me back under enemy fire. It doesn't seem like that in the civilian world. All my civilian friends can't even keep a promise to go hang out on the weekend and it sickens me. Some of them seem very shallow.
Anyway, things would blow up a lot, and loud noises occasionally still make me jump. Distant fireworks and noises immediately make me stop and listen as if listening for the ensuing hail of gunfire. It's gotten better since being out, but I still also get a little paranoid of large crowds and shady people walking on the street.
My friend said I might have PTSD and recommended I go see a therapist, but I see it as weakness; The fact that I can cope with gunfire, bombs, and death, but I can't cope with some symptoms of war? I don't know, are their any other Facepunch veterans around here?[/QUOTE]
Just because you were calm and cool in combat doesnt mean it still wont take a toll on your body and mind. I've got buddies who saw some heavy combat back in 06' and didn't start getting hit with any of it until now. It's not a weakness man, you've got shell shock.
You don't know how much I respect you guys. Thanks for serving for our country, I hope you do get better. Therapists are good to go, if you have the money.
To me, that sounds more like instinct than PTSD; however, it is quite likely you do have it. I would see a therapist.
[QUOTE=werrek;32646717]You don't know how much I respect you guys. Thanks for serving for our country, I hope you do get better. Therapists are good to go, if you have the money.[/QUOTE]
Him being a Veteran it should be covered, at least that's what I took from the AFN commercial Gary Sinise did.
You're not even from my country,but I respect you so much. It takes genuine balls of steel to join the Army and defend your country.
I wish I had advice for you, I really,do, but like all the others, check in with a therapist.
Godspeed, and I hope you get over this.
When people complain about something sucking its usually very relative. Its more like "wow, that's inconvenient or annoying" compared to the stuff you've seen. Its only because they don't have the frame of reference you have. They say it sucks because they haven't been in a situation that truly does suck.
Don't take it the wrong way with your friends though. From what I could understand with my dad, your buddies in the military aren't just your friends, they practically become family. Your relationship with them is at entirely different level than your civilian buddies. Your definition of a strong friendship is at an entirely different standard than theirs. Like I said, its all relative.
I think you're just being hit with depression upon returning to the real world. "Friend" is a loose term these days.
i really think you should go to a doctor.
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