PTSD!

[mailman82]

There have been allot of posts about John McCain's PTSD. I have suffered from it for 40 years now. I left Viet Nam 1970. Was not diagnosed until 1996. When I hear a repuk say that is all an act. I say try waking up in my head some mornings.

Funny thing is you don't know what it is,you can't sleep because faces of dead buddies enter your dreams sorry nightmares. I have gone through 3 marriages. Because I scared them. When I couldn't sleep I started drinking to help me sleep so I wouldn't have the nightmares and the night sweats. I and that only lead to drinking all the time, for 5 years I was totally unemployable.

There were times when I thought death would be better than living the way I was.I never tried to kill myself, but in my blackouts I did sometimes hurt myself.I finally went to AA and have been sober23 years. It did not stop the nightmares.

In1996 I got a letter from the VA offering an evaluation for PTSD. I went. The first year was hard. We had to dig out all the memories that had been buried. Some were just to painful to bring so I just left them. Thee Doc(shrink) put me on meds, the problem was that some of them really Fucked me up. I was told that there was a very delicate balance that they had to come up with. And they did.

Sometimes the meds don't work but I know what to do today. And sometimes I don't and I scare people. My point is that we know MCsame suffers from it to why wouldn't he. So when I think of him blowing trough his meds with the button next to him I worry.

I hope I made sense, I don't post allot because honestly I don't feel that smart when I read all of these other posts. I thought this was important!

Thanks, Daver, a Retired Marine. God bless you for keeping me informed

[MadrasT]

1. Thank you!

First, for your service, and second for sharing your story. It's an important one. :hi:

[Lifetimedem]

2. Peace brother !

I worked in Alcoholism and addiction for years, many of my clients were Viet vets.

They always broke my heart.. to think that service to our country could leave such an indelible mark is sad.

Yea sometimes they scared me too, but when one of my favorites froze to death in a car he found open and was sleeping , I decided never to trust our government again.

We owed him something and gave him nothing.

God Bless you!

[sailor65]

3. My Dad

has suffered from it since Vietnam. My own service doesn't seem to have brought it on, at least yet. I remember everything he's gone through, and still goes through.

Every time I read some puke on here poking fun at McCain's or anyone else's PTSD I want to hunt him down and rip his f****** head off.

Hang in there, Brother.

[AndyA]

4. Thank you for your service to your country.

I'm sending good thoughts your way, and I'm glad to hear things are better for you these days. Congrats on your 23 year sobriety.

I can't imagine what you've been through, but I admire you for making it through it and being able to share your experience with us.

I wish you well!

[applegrove]

5. Thank you. Hope your meds work well. Mine do. I have a mild case of PTSD - no problem sleeping.

But i feel for you. Really I do. Hope you are finding peace.