Hey y'all - been watching the forums for a while and they seem to be a good place to start for someone who isn't really comfortable with seeking out therapy, medication, etc. yet.
I got back from Afghanistan this past spring, and to be honest, didn't have too many problems right off the bat. I used to run thirty - forty miles a week to keep my mind off of things, and I'd drink pretty heavily on the weekends - unhealthy, I know, but it worked for the time being.
To make a long story short, I had thought and hoped that I was in the clear since I didn't have too many symptoms within the first ninety days (which is, supposedly, when most signs/symptoms arise). Lately though, I feel like everything's falling apart. I've stopped working out (apart from PT with my platoon), I find myself having to psych myself up for what should be normal interactions with friends and family (having to "pretend" to be myself because all I feel like doing is laying in bed), and I can't go a day without a several-hour-long session of dwelling on everything that happened in country. It's not like a reality-bending flashback, but it's a slump wherein all I can do is replay certain events - I just lay in my rack and blank out. I don't have the focus or concentration that I used to, that's for sure. I used to be an avid reader, but now I can hardly stand to read a few sentences without becoming completely bored. I can't sleep at night, but I only have infrequent nightmares; I think a lot of it is just simple restlessness.
There's a lot more to it, but I don't feel like opening up all the way just yet. I guess the main reason I came here and registered is because the only thing I've noticed that helps me is talking about some of the things I experience with people who can actually relate in some way or another. I'm tired of people who don't understand asking about "what it's like" and offering to buy me a beer - that only went so far, and it's gotten pretty old.
I don't really want to seek therapy yet because I have another tour slated within the next few months. I feel like I can make it through again, but I want to see if I can find a way to cope a little better so that maybe when I come out on the other side as a civilian, I can get through the day a bit easier.
Well, so much for being brief - hello, forum goers! Hope to get to know you soon.
I got back from Afghanistan this past spring, and to be honest, didn't have too many problems right off the bat. I used to run thirty - forty miles a week to keep my mind off of things, and I'd drink pretty heavily on the weekends - unhealthy, I know, but it worked for the time being.
To make a long story short, I had thought and hoped that I was in the clear since I didn't have too many symptoms within the first ninety days (which is, supposedly, when most signs/symptoms arise). Lately though, I feel like everything's falling apart. I've stopped working out (apart from PT with my platoon), I find myself having to psych myself up for what should be normal interactions with friends and family (having to "pretend" to be myself because all I feel like doing is laying in bed), and I can't go a day without a several-hour-long session of dwelling on everything that happened in country. It's not like a reality-bending flashback, but it's a slump wherein all I can do is replay certain events - I just lay in my rack and blank out. I don't have the focus or concentration that I used to, that's for sure. I used to be an avid reader, but now I can hardly stand to read a few sentences without becoming completely bored. I can't sleep at night, but I only have infrequent nightmares; I think a lot of it is just simple restlessness.
There's a lot more to it, but I don't feel like opening up all the way just yet. I guess the main reason I came here and registered is because the only thing I've noticed that helps me is talking about some of the things I experience with people who can actually relate in some way or another. I'm tired of people who don't understand asking about "what it's like" and offering to buy me a beer - that only went so far, and it's gotten pretty old.
I don't really want to seek therapy yet because I have another tour slated within the next few months. I feel like I can make it through again, but I want to see if I can find a way to cope a little better so that maybe when I come out on the other side as a civilian, I can get through the day a bit easier.
Well, so much for being brief - hello, forum goers! Hope to get to know you soon.
