Why Are People Scared Of Us?

[Woodsman82]

Ok so I'm new here (already posted my intro), but I figured I would go into what set me off today. I'm a criminal justice student, and today we had a guest speaker who happens to hold a very high position in his respective branch of Law Enforcement. He was telling us about a book he wrote called "Surviving Survivability" If anyone could find it that would be great since I couldn't. Anyway He said his book was a guide for law enforcement on how to deal with combat vets. I couldn't believe it, he made combat vets sound like we did our duty but should never be around regular society! When he asked me what my age was and why I was going to school at 29 and not 19, and I gave him my response he looked shocked. I'm sorry I didn't play collage ball like he did but rather decided that I wanted to be a grunt, but I'm damn sure that doesn't give him any right to build up stereotypes. It really made me feel like shit the rest of the day. Anyone else have something similar happen to them with ptsd stereotypes and couldn't shake it off?

 

[Spock]

That's screwed up...for anyone to generalize anything but I'd have to look into myself. My advice at this point is to ignore it since it reflects poorly on him not you. Don't make it personal. There are plenty of combat vets in law enforcement for obvious reasons and there are plenty of law enforcement dealing with PTSD as well, so if PTSD is his point than he just screwed his own.

On the other side of the coin we may need to get used to this. I'd be interested to hear what the Nam vets experienced in this regard. I saw a story about road rage on the Nat'l news where a guy ran down a Dad & his girl in NC and just assumed it was a vet with PTSD. It gave me chills because they did not mention it on the news but I can see where this is gonna start being an issue with the press trying to categorize us all as crazy loons that are a threat to society.

Too much going on in my head right now to elaborate more at this time but I can see why, if he was trying to do it intelligently they'd be focused on our limited coping ability and how to diffuse it. But then again that would be normal for any super pumped scenario?!?!?!

 

[Woodsman82]

Yeah I have a few friends that are Police Officers and that's why I got interested in that field. I was wearing a multi cam hat with a IR flag so I was surprised that he didn't realize I was a Vet. In Police work we call that a clue.

 

[Virtues]

I don't know. In a way I agree with him. Maybe not everybody, but there are times I feel like I should be locked away from the world. There are times I can't even communicate with my own family.

I came home from work today and was popping pills the second I walked in the door. I tried to explain to my wife what I was going through, but she was speaking English and I was grunting and beating my chest. I ended up biting her ear and peeing on her leg to establish dominance, and long story short I'm sleeping on the couch tonight.

I'm not saying that stereo-types fit all of us, but there are certainly times when I feel assholes like me certainly fit the mold. I try so hard but always end up beating my head against a brick wall.

 

[Woodsman82]

Well Florian I'm surprised I'm not on the couch tonight. This had me so angry I tried to pick a fight with one of my Wife's male friends over a comment that at the time I didn't like. I was to pissed to realize I took it out of context. Its ok the guy and his wife always got on my nerves to begin with, but I still hate that I can't be my SSG self with the rest of the world:devil:

 

[Spock]

I don't know. In a way I agree with him. Maybe not everybody, but there are times I feel like I should be locked away from the world. There are times I can't even communicate with my own family.

I came home from work today and was popping pills the second I walked in the door. I tried to explain to my wife what I was going through, but she was speaking English and I was grunting and beating my chest. I ended up biting her ear and peeing on her leg to establish dominance, and long story short I'm sleeping on the couch tonight.

I'm not saying that stereo-types fit all of us, but there are certainly times when I feel assholes like me certainly fit the mold. I try so hard but always end up beating my head against a brick wall.

Then cops should be locked away as well since they are also high with PTSD & Firefighters. And we shouldn't get security clearances, but the fact is it is our choices that make us criminal, not the PTSD. We all are responsible for our choices, the shit may be deep but we still own our personal decisions.

 

[Woodsman82]

Annnnddddd I'm on the couch. Oh well at least I have Netflix now.

 

[combatgoldfish]

I started college at 29 as well, right after I got back from the sandbox. I started my degree for criminal justice as well. After almost completing it, dealing with all the bs that comes along with college and hours of job shadowing, I decided that I've had enough of policing people and coming to help everyone's bs drama.

Not sure what gives him any insight to write a f*cking book about dealing with vets, I would have torn him up

 

[Chin Strapped]

I would have complained. Sounds like a joke.

 

[Virtues]

Then cops should be locked away as well since they are also high with PTSD & Firefighters. And we shouldn't get security clearances, but the fact is it is our choices that make us criminal, not the PTSD. We all are responsible for our choices, the shit may be deep but we still own our personal decisions.

That's exactly what I'm saying Spock, our choices not our PTSD. It's just that jerks like me who don't have a handle on it are the guys that make bad choices and hence make the news, we're the ones that paint the stereo types for the rest. Maybe I can figure this whole thing out, Lord knows I'm trying. I'm focusing half my energies to it, with the other half divided between work/college/family responsibilities/sleep/and physical rehabilitation. I'm praying I get a grasp on this. That's why I think the inpatient would be a good fit for me, it would allow me to dedicate a little more time by removing the work and family at least.

Funny thing is I get to see the world from both sides. In 1997 (I was 18) my girl friend was murdered by a Nam Vet with PTSD. She told me that he had tried to rape her (I don't know if this was true or not) but when she saw him, she attacked him. Started swinging on him and slapping the shit out of him, he simply pulled out a knife and gutted her like a white tail deer right in front of me.

Now I'm the guy who carries it around with me, and I have seen first hand what it is capable of doing if you don't control it, and that scares me to death. I don't want to hurt anyone. There are times I wish someone was there to intervene on my behalf. If not a cop than someone because I feel I have lost all control. I work each day to get better at handling this, but it scares me.

WM82, Sorry you joined me in the living room last night. I turned the computer off. If I would have known you were joining me, I would have kept the computer open and chatted last night.

 

[Woodsman82]

Dan84, I would complain about it, but when I get on a rant I don't typically stop until I look like a complete asshole. The last thing I wanted to do was validate his point. I do plan on saying something to my professor since she is really kind and understanding. Florian, sorry to hear that happened to you. I still had an ok time last night. drank a few beers watched some nature documentaries.

I can see where the guys point, massive amounts of people with some kind of mental trauma are conditioned to stay alive. On the other hand all the active shooters I've looked into have NOT been combat veterans. Some were prior military, but had never seen combat. I think I just have a generalized distain with a lot of people at school anyway. Obviously most students are really young, and don't understand. I like to make the impression that we're not going to go Rambo on everyone, and that combat vets are just regular people. Just not the same kind of regular as everyone else. It just pisses me off when some asshat spouts off about something he doesn't know about. Or hell maybe he has PTSD from working some screwed up cases but decides he's above vets, and he's different. Shit I know some of the cases we looked at in the academy made me feel sick to my stomach. Only when kids were involved. Either way the guy seemed cool at first but turned out to be an ignorant f*ck head.

 

[Chin Strapped]

Speak to your professor, they need to know what stereotypes they are reinforcing.