Military Joining The Army With Ptsd

[Jen93]

Um, if I could go back to the other original poster @Cha123 and the whole idea of joining the army with PTSD.... People with trauma are more likely to be re-traumatized, that's true. But if it's something you really feel you want to do, I suggest going for it. I would wait about six months or so (or an amount of time appropriate for you) to see if this is the career you really want, and if you'd be able to handle the stress if you did see something while fighting. If you decide it isn't worth it, there's no stress there either. Just take your time, and decide if it will really make you happy.

Wishing you the best of luck.

 

[SnowBirch22]

I always had PTSD. I didn't realise what it was until it kicked off big time. My spouse is a veteran who has PTSD that has calmed down somewhat as time went by. Joining the Army was my dream since I was a kid. I went to ADSC a year ago & it broke me. I don't know what did it. But it was such a huge thing that I didn't want to screw up that I snapped. It was a hard choice to walk away from it rather than come back in 3 months. They said my problem was my head not being in the right place & they wanted me to be more emotionally together. I realised 6 months after putting it on hold that I have eczema & wouldn't be able to join anyway. Mine is a cautionary tale... I want you to know that you can if you want to & if you feel you can. But you may find that it may snap you & for so many reasons it may not be the right fit. It still hurts a lot that I can't & I feel like I failed by putting it on hold. But if you don't try, you'll never know. If you really want this, try. But be aware that the pressure of the dream can make your PTSD go nuts. Do what you feel is right. But don't hide anything from your recruiters. The rules are there for a very, very good reason.

 

[woundedmind]

During my own service, sexual harassment was a common occurrence when a unit that had women in it and a unit that had no women in it interacted which was common via combat support units supporting a combat unit. Rapes occurred less frequently, as did forcible sodomies, but they did happen and happened to people I knew. I was sexually harassed and just physically attacked on multiple occassions. For the military to take you with PTSD already would be really stupid for them, any claim that your symptoms were exacerbated and you went to sick call for it, and they knew you had PTSD at entrance, is a slam dunk case for disability.

As for combat, every soldier is trained as an infantryman. If you end up in a combat zone, you could definitely see combat and could possibly be captured. In Iraq at least once an American female soldier was captured. Jessica Lynch (you can look the blurb up on wiki) was the case I just mentioned, her story doesn't indicate rape or sexual assault, however even if it doesn't happen at the hands of the enemy it can even be more devastating if you are raped or just sexually harassed for your entire tour, it isn't very easy to deal with either, these are people you live with and work with and you are required to go on despite what happened/happens and justice isn't always a thing you'll see, although it is more likely to be taken seriously now and we have easier access to the authorities in government anywhere with internet, so its different than in my service period.

I really wouldn't recommend it, from my own personal experience.

 

[shimmerz]

During my own service, sexual harassment was a common occurrence when a unit that had women in it and a unit that had no women in it interacted which was common via combat support units supporting a combat unit. Rapes occurred less frequently, as did forcible sodomies, but they did happen and happened to people I knew. I was sexually harassed and just physically attacked on multiple occassions.

*Quick snap of head*
I am sorry. What you are saying here is that some of the heroes that fight for our country (although I am a Canadian, I am thinking the same applies), rape and sodomize (not to mention harass them sexually)? Their fellow country men? And the higher ups turn the other way.

I can only imagine what is done to the enemy women, children, young girls if they are doing this to their peers.

Is it just me????? How do we know who to call heroes and who to call twisted sick f*s? I am looking at things an entirely different way at this point.

 

[Friday]

*Quick snap of head*
I am sorry. What you are saying here is that some of the heroes that fight for our country...

Of course. That's where all the stats surrounding MST (military sexual trauma) come from.

I can only imagine what is done to the enemy women, children, young girls if they are doing this to their peers.

((You forgot men & boys. Predators are looking for victims. Sex/gender is just a matter of personal preference and preferences vary. Whether they're wearing a uniform or not.))

Google Geneva Convention*

Are the conventions broken sometimes? Of course. Are detention centers nice places? No. They are not. Are they a helluva lot nicer than where our troops get sent if captured? Damn straight. If you're lucky they just line you up and shoot you. Being raped to death, tortured to death... There a reason the worst thing I can say to someone is "die screaming".

* We're also the only ones who f*cking follow them at all in the past few decades. Cartels in Meso & South America, Genocidal f*cks in the Balkans. War Lords & the Taliban in Afghanistan. Terror groups across the Middle East & SE Asia. Did any of these f*cks sign the Geneva Convention? Not only no, but hell no, & they never would, because the most humane way any group I've personally come up against has of dealing with prisoners is to dead check them. The others torture you to death. That's their SOP. They view the way we treat our prisoners as weak. Because that's the status quo. That's what you can expect. Our prisoners live. Theirs die. Badly.

Is it just me????? How do we know who to call heroes and who to call twisted sick f*s? I am looking at things an entirely different way at this point.

The exact same way you tell men from rapists, and parents from pedophiles. Most men aren't rapists, most parents don't abuse their kids, and most service members aren't twisted f*cks. In general, most people are pretty decent. Down to specifics you go on a case by case basis.

 

[shimmerz]

And the higher ups turn the other way.

So this is like living in an extremely dysfunctional house then.

if you are raped or just sexually harassed for your entire tour, it isn't very easy to deal with either, these are people you live with and work with and you are required to go on despite what happened/happens and justice isn't always a thing you'll see,

I hate it when the picture painted to outsiders is so incredibly different than the reality of the situation.

I get it. Welcome to the real world. The one where those in charge don't give a shit. Always been a problem for me to get my head around.

ETA: I get enemies doing this to our soldiers - but our own to our own?

 

[Friday]

ETA: I get enemies doing this to our soldiers - but our own to our own?

Parallel : Strangers abusing kids, versus parents abusing kids. Parents wouldn't do that to their own kids, right?

The one where those in charge don't give a shit.

Most do. Most people are pretty decent and will stop something if they can. Some people are f*cks. And some people have their hands tied.

 

[Cha123]

Wow! Really wasn't anticipating such a mad response but thank you to all of you who have shared your stories and experiences.
I have decided to give myself a break and I am going traveling for 7 months. I'm hoping this will give me a chance to figure out my strengths and look at alternatives to the army as those of you who commented about my initial post (ha!) have really helped me see that perhaps another career path is better for me.
Hopefully this argument has all been sorted out now - I don't really know what it's about but let's all try and remember how hard life can be at times and we are all dealing with it in different ways so let's try and be gentle as someone said earlier in the post!
Thanks again, guys!