My name's Rachel and I married an Afghanistan veteran in May... He has PTSD from the typical combat difficulties as well as the following: While he was in Afghanistan, his friend's tank was hit and caught on fire... The friend was driving and caught fire too... Husband was trying to get him out of the hatch, but was unable to... He has flashbacks often and they are only getting more and more common.
A month after we were married, I found out not only that he had fought in Afghanistan, but that he had PTSD and then how he "got" it. This came after I had put my foot down about his drinking... Since he was discharged from the army (4 years ago) he drinks 12 to 18 beers about 4 nights a week(roughly) ... Drinking is the only way he has found to lessen the pain of the memories and the flashbacks... He's gone to PTSD/Alcohol therapy once before and left before it was completed, with nothing but less money to show for it.
Today we went to the pre-screening for the VA substance abuse program. He had to talk just a little about how he got the PTSD there too... I dropped him off at home and now, well... He's getting plastered, this time I think he "only" bought a 12-pack. I've read time and again that PTSD and alcohol only make each worse...
I'm at my wits' end and do not know what I should do. I need to talk with people who understand PTSD and perhaps someone who can give me ideas of how to handle this.
I can say that as a little girl, I (if I had been taken to a psychologist) would have been diagnosed with PTSD which only got worse each time I was molested... I know that not talking to anyone made it so much worse for me... Everyone handles things differently, but I still just don't understand...
I need help... Help as in needing to talk to/with people who understand this than anything else.
A month after we were married, I found out not only that he had fought in Afghanistan, but that he had PTSD and then how he "got" it. This came after I had put my foot down about his drinking... Since he was discharged from the army (4 years ago) he drinks 12 to 18 beers about 4 nights a week(roughly) ... Drinking is the only way he has found to lessen the pain of the memories and the flashbacks... He's gone to PTSD/Alcohol therapy once before and left before it was completed, with nothing but less money to show for it.
Today we went to the pre-screening for the VA substance abuse program. He had to talk just a little about how he got the PTSD there too... I dropped him off at home and now, well... He's getting plastered, this time I think he "only" bought a 12-pack. I've read time and again that PTSD and alcohol only make each worse...
I'm at my wits' end and do not know what I should do. I need to talk with people who understand PTSD and perhaps someone who can give me ideas of how to handle this.
I can say that as a little girl, I (if I had been taken to a psychologist) would have been diagnosed with PTSD which only got worse each time I was molested... I know that not talking to anyone made it so much worse for me... Everyone handles things differently, but I still just don't understand...
I need help... Help as in needing to talk to/with people who understand this than anything else.