As a supporter it can be very difficult to know how to handle what appears to me to be cognitive distortions.
Eg 1 - 4 wheel driving - tree across track forced him to turn back. When telling me about it he says "We didn't get ambushed but we had to go the long way around." He's in an Australian State Forest. Who the hell is going to ambush him?
Eg 2 - Walking back to the car from fishing the river bank. It's dark. He will NOT allow me to use the torch I have in my pocket as white light will reveal our location. To whom? I'm getting hurt falling over logs here buddy!
Eg 3 - I'm recovering from major abdominal surgery. He calls me lazy and a 'chit waller' and snorts that he's managed plenty of blokes on medical chits before.
Eg 4 - He's cooking some kind of stir-fry omelette thing in a wok. I ask him whether we'll need forks or spoons. His response is "Haven't you ever eaten food before you f*cking moron?"
Eg 5 - He says "They've only graded the sides of the road here." I reply "They also graded the dirt road down the river." He replies "I'm not talking about the dirt road. What kind of f*cked up response is that?"
I would love some sufferer input as to what goes through his head at these times and whether it is helpful or not to point out to him that he may not be thinking all that clearly or that his perceptions might be off.
@Friday? @Freida? @Warrior Chicken? Any other veterans? Input from sufferers who are not veterans welcomed as well.
Eg 1 - 4 wheel driving - tree across track forced him to turn back. When telling me about it he says "We didn't get ambushed but we had to go the long way around." He's in an Australian State Forest. Who the hell is going to ambush him?
Eg 2 - Walking back to the car from fishing the river bank. It's dark. He will NOT allow me to use the torch I have in my pocket as white light will reveal our location. To whom? I'm getting hurt falling over logs here buddy!
Eg 3 - I'm recovering from major abdominal surgery. He calls me lazy and a 'chit waller' and snorts that he's managed plenty of blokes on medical chits before.
Eg 4 - He's cooking some kind of stir-fry omelette thing in a wok. I ask him whether we'll need forks or spoons. His response is "Haven't you ever eaten food before you f*cking moron?"
Eg 5 - He says "They've only graded the sides of the road here." I reply "They also graded the dirt road down the river." He replies "I'm not talking about the dirt road. What kind of f*cked up response is that?"
I would love some sufferer input as to what goes through his head at these times and whether it is helpful or not to point out to him that he may not be thinking all that clearly or that his perceptions might be off.
@Friday? @Freida? @Warrior Chicken? Any other veterans? Input from sufferers who are not veterans welcomed as well.