i see my friends... some have gone to irag...and they have come back ok...they're fine i guess...they act like nothing ever happened and, i know damn well!!! they're in pain...and then ther are some of my friends who have come back who i have gotten to see recently...and they arent the same person...i talk to them and they arent even ALIVE anymore...i dont know what to do
Just continue to love them and be there for them. You can't imagine how my friends came back from viet nam. Some of them eventually recovered, some stayed crazy.............and some blew their brains out.
that feeling of helplessness must be hard. I think the only thing you can do for them unless they take an incentive themselves to seek some one to talk to wether it be you or a professional is to behave and treat them as normal as possible so maybe they can get back to who they were before they were thrust into those hellish conditions. make sure they are aware that you are there to support them and available to talk about whatever whenever. i think them knowing that will bring some kind of comfort after their ordeals. good luck babe.
im doing all of it as best as i can...and trying to keep myself together at the same time...not an easy task i must say...
It's unfortunate that these men and women are not getting what they need when they come back from hell. They are not proud of what they did over there, and they need to know that none of it was their fault. They should be provided with support when they get back. Especially if they had to kill anyone. That is just not something we normally do and our brains can't handle it. They should all be assessed when they come back, and problems dealt with.
Ehh.... let them deal with their own problems? The fact that they don't talk about it probably only means that they don't want to talk about it. I'm sure that they have made peace with whatever happened to them, and if they haven't... then they'll probably make peace after a lengthy drug addiction or such... War ain't pretty.
Its natural for different people to have had different reactions to this. I mean for one I am sure not all saw the same thing (having to be in the same unit at the same time in the same place) Then some people react differently to intense combat issues. Lets face it getting shot at seeing people you know getting shot, seeing people you dont know getting shot, having to make decisions to shoot people and normally only a split second to make that decision. Some will come back fine but later it will all hit them too. Jer, just be a friend, give them what you can, research the topic a little so that you can deal with it as well for yourself. It affects not only the people who were there but also those who are friends and family.
I am sorry Jer... My little brother will be going to Iraq in August and I don't even want to really think about it, and I know that when he comes back he probably won't be the same... He gets to come home for two weeks right before he deploys there, and that will be the last time I see him for about 15 months or so...I try at times to not think about it, but it's pretty hard not too.. All you can do is just be there for them Jer...
I wonder how we can get them comfortable enough to talk. It's essential that they talk and they know it. See it through, jerry. And don't suppress your own thoughts and feelings either. Good luck, my man.
Well, these people are coming back from Iraq completely changed. The suicide rates of these people is off the charts, yet the media remains silent. War is simply not natural. It's not natural for human beings to kill other human beings. It takes its toll on the mind. What's worse is that these people aren't getting the treatment they need when they return. They are simply put on a whole bunch of anti-depressant drugs, which have been linked to increased suicide risk.
time time time. and if they're seriously hurting, in a way that time and distance can't handle, counseling.
