7 Year Itch

[Dustin]

Hello all, I just found this site while looking around online. I went 7 years without talking about the PTSD that I have from my multiple deployments to Iraq. I just recently got professional help. I was fearful that getting help would ruin my career. Now that my career is almost over, I went to get help. I know there is not supposed to be a stigma about getting help with mental health but there absolutely is. I have suffered for 7 years with this issue. The sad truth is that if I would have went to get help 7 years ago, I would not have progressed in my career. We need to get this stigma ereased and get all of our battle buddies the help they need without fear of career suicide.

 

[Anglesachse]

Stigma? what stigma?

If you mean the one that none knowing F*cking Civvies have, then you can do what most of us do. Don`t talk to them!

Sorry Dustin, couldn`t resist that. LOL

Welcome to our fold, and rest assured, you will get no Stigma here brother. We have all been through it. And yes it should stop. But unfortunatly the world outside has its head stuck to far up its own arse to give a shit about us.

So it is down to us, to help each other.

 

[Tim Cake]

That is precisely why I support mandatory universal military service. No deferments, no exemptions! If you don't show up for induction the MPs would hunt you down. Then all the civvies would understand. Funny thing -- this relates to a holiday I took in Isreal, where the above is mostly true. Nobody harasses veterans in Israel.... becuase almost all people ARE veterans!

 

[Squaddiedave]

Ahh the stigma, that "doesn't exist" ,,,,,my big red hairy balls!
Big drive at the mo in Brit army of "don't bottle it up" my experience is seniors don't want to know.
Be your self bud, pull up a chair here and ramble, we've all done it, and pick each other up

 

[Dustin]

Thanks all. Here is a question that I have not been able to answer. Maybe you all can help. How can I tell my Soldiers to seek help? In every class and breifing we go to about seeking help, they always say "go get help; it is a sign of strength and it will not negatively impact your career". I cannot look my Soldiers in their face and tell them it will not negatively impact their career. It will!! It stopped my career in it's tracks. I am a First Sergeant. Been in for 16 years. I go get help and it's all over. I was on track to easliy make Sergeant Major. Now, I can't deploy and I'm useless to the Army. I was a Sergeant when I deployed the first time and a Staff Sergeant the second time. If I had sought help at the time the symptoms surfaced, I would not be a First Sergeant today. How do I tell my Soldiers if they want to progress, they have to suck it up and live with it? Tough. Really tough.

 

[Squaddiedave]

My train of thought is, for my army I'm only good enough for 22-24 years, I intend to live longer than that. As an NCO, you have to advise your lads, there is another life away from the military. It's not I can't hand the military, the military cant handle me.
One of the main things I cling to at the moment, is I'm an NCO, I've worked hard for that, my opinion matters a f*ck.
If you dont advise them to seek help, what "pappa" figure are you?
Remember bud, rank is easy to earn, compared to the respect of warriors. our duty is to give our guys the best advice we can.

 

[tho9900]

Dustin... ok.. just a medic point of view.... you come to sick call.. you got X problem... either I tell you lets treat it or hide it under the covers even tho I will know it will cause you more probs in the future... I'd rather one of my Marines get drummed out and still alive than see them go to the hospital and lose a leg for example...

Do what your heart feels is right... the miltary is not the end all even tho at one point it was for me... yayayaya I know I am long winded and a person or two here have told me so but this is close to the heart... I got told to suck it up so many times back then there was no more room to suck anything else once and thats where it started...

Get your troops the help they need... you get the help YOU need... in the end it will only help you too.. save the casualties you can now.. just a diff viewpoint.. thats all... for every one you save it lifts some of the weight off of you... just my take...

 

[Dustin]

I am a medic also. I think it is tougher on us to go get the help we need because we have to go see the people we work with (Docs) to tell our issues to. I think there is a misconception about medics out there. Everyone thinks it would be easier for us to get help becasue we have an inside track but it is actually more difficult for us than it is for other Soldiers. Thanks for the words.

 

[Tim Cake]

Thanks all. Here is a question that I have not been able to answer. Maybe you all can help. How can I tell my Soldiers to seek help? In every class and breifing we go to about seeking help, they always say "go get help; it is a sign of strength and it will not negatively impact your career". I cannot look my Soldiers in their face and tell them it will not negatively impact their career. It will!! It stopped my career in it's tracks. I am a First Sergeant. Been in for 16 years. I go get help and it's all over. I was on track to easliy make Sergeant Major. Now, I can't deploy and I'm useless to the Army. I was a Sergeant when I deployed the first time and a Staff Sergeant the second time. If I had sought help at the time the symptoms surfaced, I would not be a First Sergeant today. How do I tell my Soldiers if they want to progress, they have to suck it up and live with it? Tough. Really tough.

Dustin -- as an NCO you are responsible for mission accomplishment AND the welfare of those under your command. If necessary ORDER them to get help. It is that simple -- the health and welfare of one's subordinates always trumps your or their career aspirations. As a senior officer (34 yrs service) I always took that position. People FIRST, careers second!

I still associate with my folks. You would be surprised how many of them thank me for kicking their butts (orders if necessary!) to see the MDs and / or psychs. The spouses of my people really tell the tale -- I get a birthday party and cake (ROFL my name!) because I forced my folks to get the help they needed.

You can do it Dustin! You just need to take the long-term perspective.

 

[Dustin]

Thanks for the words of wisdom. I appreciate the support.

 

[tho9900]

just noticed your profile pic... love that drawing... not anything to add but good to see another medic here... well not for the reason you are here, but we understand each other... there's about 6 or 7 of us medics here I think... feel free to PM me any time... and I am sure the others will be along to say hi, but we all PM each other quite a bit.. feel free to join in!

 

[Anglesachse]

.......... I think it is tougher on us to go get the help we need because we have to go see the people we work with (Docs) to tell our issues to. I think there is a misconception about medics out there. Everyone thinks it would be easier for us to get help becasue we have an inside track but it is actually more difficult for us than it is for other Soldiers................

I am going to try real f*cking hard not to get very f*cking Anti with this.

Mainly because I am trying to assume you didn`t mean what I have just understood.

None the less.

Please oh please explain WHY it is easier for me to get help than it is you!

For anybody in the Military (and Vets outside for that fact) it is a major issue to go get help, mainly because who ever it is genrealy thinks that they are letting the team down, or that they have lost their self dignity because they need help because they can no longer cope.

Not only that but we all know how good it is for your Military career (your Vet civvie world career aswell) to go speak to some one and say "er` Doc, I think i`ve turned into a bit of a nutter. You know more than usual" "I noticed it yesterday, when I beat the crap out of some one so bad he nearly died, and all because he knocked my trolley in the supermarket"

Every body has their own problems in getting help, so sitting their blatently saying, you have it harder than all others is not only Insulting but also damn right out of f*cking line.

It goes the same road as "My PTSD is worse than yours" which is also bang out of f*cking order