Former Marine, Iraq War Veteran, Recovering Alcoholic, Ptsd / Social Anxiety Survivor...

[Jimmy1]

Hey Jake, you say the near miss changed the way you think, well I am glad. There are still a lot of veterans out there, including some on this site (not active members) who still don't know what to do or how to deal with it.
Having new people come on in out of the cold is great for the forum. Especially those who have something to share.

You see, sometimes it only takes a small comment to make other veterans realise that they are not alone out there, even though it still feels like you are sometimes.

We all bleed the same, and we have all experienced our own nightmares.

 

[Alex1991]

Welcome Jake, good to have you here

 

[Tim Cake]

Oh c'mon now, Tim... you've got plenty of brain left!

34 years? My word, man... can't even imagine.

I just couldn't stop my involvement with the "big green machine"....:LOL:

 

[Jimmy1]

Hey Tim, that is where the word institutionised comes from. You see it with prisoners who have served a long time as well as military. I know a lot of guys who get out and become reserves, then do full time service. Or they take a civilian job on a barracks or base. They can't get away.

In all seriousness though Tim. If you want to get a better grip on PTSD, you have to remove all the reminders or do your best to, or else you just won't know what's around the corner.

 

[Tim Cake]

Once a "lifer" always a "lifer."

 

[JakeDennert]

hey Jake! former medic here.. who did you serve with? I see some Semper Fi's so if the Corps ya I was an FMF Corpsman, went out with 2 Expeditionary Units.. Gld to have you along!!!!! My near death car crash is what got me into psych and started my diagnosis being formed...

Hey doc!

Yup, I was in the Corps.

Grunts -- go big or go home, baby.

I've got tremendous respect for corpsmen. Seen you guys in action... not an easy gig to face.

Sounds like we're cut from the same cloth as far as what shoved the PTSD snowball down the hill.

Thanks for the welcome!

Jake D.

 

[JakeDennert]

Hey Jake, you say the near miss changed the way you think, well I am glad. There are still a lot of veterans out there, including some on this site (not active members) who still don't know what to do or how to deal with it.
Having new people come on in out of the cold is great for the forum. Especially those who have something to share.

You see, sometimes it only takes a small comment to make other veterans realise that they are not alone out there, even though it still feels like you are sometimes.

We all bleed the same, and we have all experienced our own nightmares.

That's why I finally chose to sign up, Jimmy.

I've been facing the beast long enough, and made enough progress... thought it was time to reach out and help others. Honestly, I wish I would've done it sooner. It's not like someone has to be an expert to help out -- like you said, simply knowing others are in or have been in your shoes is help enough sometimes.

I was actually surprised by the small member count over here, compared to the general PTSD forum. Hope more vets that are going through this stuff take that step and sign up!

 

[JakeDennert]

Welcome Jake, good to have you here

Thanks Alex!

Seeing your profile pic made me think of a few I've got buried on my computer.

Hmm, I should probably get around to throwing something up here so you guys can attach a face with the name.

See ya 'round, Alex.

 

[JakeDennert]

You see it with prisoners who have served a long time as well as military.

Totally made me think of The Shawshank Redemption.

That one character that had been in prison from something like age 18 to age 70... finally gets out and doesn't know what to do with himself anymore.

Last time he breathed free air, the automobile was a rare thing to see -- he gets out, cars everywhere.

It'd be REALLY frickin' weird, and I've often thought about how much harder my own readjustment would've been if I'd forced myself to stay in the infantry for 20 years.

Thanks for bringing that up, Jimmy, made me think of another good movie that it's about time I watch again.

 

[tho9900]

Jake - Good to have you here... just poured out my life story but cut it short.. just gonna say good to have another Marine onboard..Who were you with? I cant even remember my first float, I am sure it was 1/6 Marines with (I do remember this part) 22nd MAU (lol that MAU will date me)... second was 3/5 with 26th MEU...

Semper Fi...

And the Shawshank Redemption anology was perfect... like the first time they opened the hanger doors on the LPH And your eyes stung for being in the dark so long... or the first hour of liberty and how wierd it felt to walk on something that wasnt moving as you walked across it..kinda feel that way sometimes...

 

[Jimmy1]

I was actually surprised by the small member count over here, compared to the general PTSD forum. Hope more vets that are going through this stuff take that step and sign up!

There is a reason our numbers are small compared to the other forum.

You see when Anthony originally designed and introduced the forum he realised that veterans don't play fair with the rest of the community. When I joined I could not handle all their rules when trying to get a point across. It just ended with me being hot under the collar and would have been banned.

In this forum we can speak our mind, within reason.

The other difference you will find and not meaning to sound harsh, but I got the impression from the other forum that they enjoyed the drama surrounding their PTSD where as veterans did not really want to talk about it.

Hope you understand my meaning.

 

[JakeDennert]

Jake - Good to have you here... just poured out my life story but cut it short.. just gonna say good to have another Marine onboard..Who were you with? I cant even remember my first float, I am sure it was 1/6 Marines with (I do remember this part) 22nd MAU (lol that MAU will date me)... second was 3/5 with 26th MEU...

Semper Fi...

And the Shawshank Redemption anology was perfect... like the first time they opened the hanger doors on the LPH And your eyes stung for being in the dark so long... or the first hour of liberty and how wierd it felt to walk on something that wasnt moving as you walked across it..kinda feel that way sometimes...

Glad you liked the analogy. :)

Never been on a float myself... but a good buddy of mine from my unit volunteered for one, I remember that.

Who was I with?

A Co, 1/24

I was a reservist, activated for a year of active duty when I was deployed to Fallujah.

Haha, I'm sure that'll spark some name-calling on here... almost every full time active duty Marine we came in contact with called us tampons, because we only worked once a month. (You know, the whole one weekend a month training thing)

Didn't mean squat while we were deployed, though... we were all the same over there.

What you say about how it was weird to walk on solid ground when you were cut loose on liberty... I don't have anything that can directly relate to that, but it did make me think of something:

I can remember how light I felt when we were granted some free time to go out and about, taking off all that crap, not having to walk with a flack and ruck... swear I was a damn speed-walker when that stuff came off, and it didn't even feel like I was trying to walk fast.