Does This Bother Anyone Else?

[Dodge]

Just wondering if anyone else here is even a little bothered by how closely linked PTSD is to combat & veterans - and seems to be nearly exclusively discussed in terms of the military. Even the national PTSD site is under the vet.gov website etc.. I just find this odd - as most people who have PTSD are not even military. I understand that that is where our understanding of it originated & the history of it -but I feel sometimes like that's all people associate it with publicly & that makes it difficult for people who have nothing to do with the military to get the understanding, validation & support they so badly need. Maybe it's just me. I just get tired of searching for PTSD websites and memes and photos that don't have anything to do with soldiers or military to share with others. Even just now on FB someone put up a petition to have 'silent fireworks for vets with PTSD and pets' and I thought 'vets aren't the only ones who dislike them or are afraid of them....' - it just seems like there needs to be better public education, at least from what i've seen.

 

[Killashandra]

I get bothered by it too. My logic on it is people are willing to accept vet PTSD easier than non vet PTSD due to the actions that have caused it. Military is easy to understand and accept. People do Not want to be reminded that nasty things happen behind closed doors at home.
But at least it's being recognized more now. That I hope has to be a plus.
It's brought my uncle closer to me as he now suffers from PTSD. I'm not the only nutcase per se anymore,

 

[Friday]

Where I live the entire focus is on rape & childhood abuse & domestic violence. So a very large part of this is regional.

Another piece, IMO, is that victim crimes & accidents are

1) Bankrupt. There are simply not enough resources to even care for all the victims of rape, childhood abuse, domestic violence, assaults, MVAs, house fires, etc. Much less spend a bunch of money advertising & educating people about something that only affects maybe 20-30% of victim crimes. Just one possible issue of dozens that seriously affect people should have a bunch of money spent when most people aren't able to get the help they need on an emergency basis? We are strongly anti-socialist "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" (or let Jesus save you) as far as spending money on people in need. So if you're in charge of a program dedicated to helping rape victims, or abused kids, or any other capT Trauma sufferer? Where are you going to spend your anorexic budget?

2) Private. Most people don't want their trauma splashed all over the Everywhere, and they have a legal right to privacy. Soldiers/sailors/Marines do NOT have constitutional rights to privacy, we wave them when we enlist. We become government property, (G.I. actually stands for Government Issue), and are subject to the UCMJ. All of our medical records? Or service jackets? Up for grabs. It makes us very easy to study, from a research point of view. And it makes us very easy to capitalize in from a promotional point of view. For both the Red & Blue. Whether we're being cast as eeeeeeeevil -but yet still victims- of a blah blah blah state, or hail the conquering hero. Whatever. Point being, we have virtually no privacy, nor expectation of privacy. Crime victims, on the other hand, have the expectation of privacy from day 1. It may be followed through for crap... But no one is going to be "nice" and plant a sign in your yard reading "RAPE VICTIM : Shhhhh" and think you're gonna thank them for it.

Shrug. These are just a few pieces. It's a multifaceted problem.

 

[Killashandra]

) Private. Most people don't want their trauma splashed all over the Everywhere, and they have a legal right to privacy. Soldiers/sailors/Marines do NOT have constitutional rights to privacy, we wave them when we enlist. We become government property, (G.I. actually stands for Government Issue), and are subject to the UCMJ. All of our medical records? Or service jackets? Up for grabs. It makes us very easy to study, from a research point of view. And it makes us very easy to capitalize in from a promotional point of view. For both the Red & Blue. Whether we're being cast as eeeeeeeevil -but yet still victims- of a blah blah blah state, or hail the conquering hero. Whatever. Point being, we have virtually no privacy, nor expectation of privacy. Crime victims, on the other hand, have the expectation of privacy from day 1. It may be followed through for crap... But no one is going to be "nice" and plant a sign in your yard reading "RAPE VICTIM : Shhhhh" and think you're gonna thank them for it.

I never thought of it in that sense before. Thankyou Friday for the different perspective. :hug:

 

[ladee]

Can't say that it bothers me, as I do not tell many people. But if people do ask questions, I try to answer as simple as I can...What always comes to mind, is Jack Nicholson on the witness stand saying ' You can't handle the truth!" People really really do not want to know WHY us not military folks have PTSD....
Bottom line is, regardless if the general public understands us or not, we still have to do what is necessary to walk our healing journey... that part , they really dont understand... like how can you be still be upset about x,y and z all these years later... being treated like a "sympathy getter" bothers me a lot more... But those that don't know, nor care , well, it's just the way life has become.. regardless of what our situation is...

 

[Ronin]

As far as I care? We're all nutjobs, in the face of neurotypical and/or non-MI having society.

So 'who's got it worse / has better visibility' is pointless.

We're in different places of the same pond, with the same sharks to worry about.

 

[Pakadlangitok]

Hmm. I Never thought of that. I know some soldiers with PTSD and they suffer so much. They are compassionate to me if I tell them. There is a bond with people who suffer a lot. To me, the term "PTSD" does not mean as much as when someone else who has it embraces me and they feel what it is like and I feel what it is like. Words and causes? They are just categories for people to get grants off of and research money. Sufferers help sufferers no matter the cause.

 

[Justmehere]

There was a #facesofPTSD meme for awhile - https://themighty.com/2016/05/facesofptsd-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-awareness/

It was about helping to diversify the common images of PTSD.

I live near a major military city, so there is a huge focus on vets. I also live near where several major mass shootings occurred, so there is some increased focus on PTSD from that kind of trauma too. Not so much. I work with traumatized kids, and some are survivors of the trauma of human trafficking. That's getting some attention lately too. But the kind of trauma I survived? Not so much. I am not personally bothered by a focus on vets, or a focus on sufferers of PTSD from mass shootings, or human trafficking, or etc... I can see how some might feel left out if all the focus is on other kinds of trauma.

Pets and vets is catchy. What else could they say? Pets and vets and rape survivors and refugees and.... If we detail every type of trauma it gets complex and the message gets lost. All of PTSD is hard to put into one comprehensive meme or tweet. I'm actually one PTSD sufferer who likes fireworks. But doctor's offices completely get to me. I tend to be of the perspective that better visibility for one type of PTSD sufferer can help all PTSD sufferers.

I also agree about privacy, and that there can actually be a drawback from excessive visibility. The general public tends to like neat and tidy simple campaigns that make them feel good and like they can do something about a problem. 30 years ago, breast cancer was treated as an almost shameful disease. Now? Pink ribbons are everywhere in the US every October. Even at the grocery store, things will be in different boxes with pink ribbons on them. Even Cheerios. A breakfast cereal for kids. My mother is a breast cancer survivor. She hates that this awareness has become so big and commercialized. She says that everywhere she goes, she is reminded of this scary disease that could come back. It triggers a lot of anxiety for her when she goes grocery shopping in October. Even one very popular national bagel and sandwich store sells pink breast cancer awareness bagels. I'm all for awareness too, but sometimes I begin to agree with my mother. If rape trauma became as visible as breast cancer and they start selling Cherrios and bagels with rape trauma awareness ribbons with them, I don't think I would ever leave my house.

But I can totally respect the desire for better and more diverse visibility too.

 

[prayerwarrior]

Just wondering if anyone else here is even a little bothered by how closely linked PTSD is to combat & ve...

I am a supporter, but it seems to me that a lot of people with PTSD is sexual abuse related. But you hear a lot about the combat vets because so many are affected.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

People really really do not want to know WHY us not military folks have PTSD....

Agreed 100% When people find out I have it they seemed a bit dazed and confused and then if I hint to at least being abused they dont want to know any more. People just dont want to hear of it.

I think for vets, its a bit "ok i get why" but for non military, its just too much info, you know. Its just too terrible as my therapist says.

Its not right or wrong, its just how it is.

 

[EveHarrington]

No.

If PTSD's go to cause was rape, nobody would admit to having PTSD.

It's nice having this layer of privacy. I can say I have PTSD and let people wonder about the cause.

It hasn't prevented me from receiving care, either.

 

[Pakadlangitok]

No.

If PTSD's go to cause was rape, nobody would admit to having PTSD.

It's nice having this...

That is so sad but I think you are right. The soldiers can claim their PTSD because they got it from protecting us. I know some of the soldiers who do have PTSD and it makes me sad. They are not always getting help. A man was in the store in tears because they would not house him and his GF together and they had a new baby! Because they were not married, but he was the dad and he had PTSD and he needed them!!

But you are right. If it is not combat it gets dicey. I vaccilate, to tell or not to tell? But my story was on the news and it is TERRIBLE that people can just poke in my name and there I am.

I am considering a name change. I may do a poll on a new post.