P.T.S.D. and Veterans

Well this has been an interesting year so far that's for sure and it continues to get interesting. As of right now next week I'm heading out to New York to participate in an animal therapy program that uses horses. It's an all expenses paid trip so I'm super excited to be going and for the change of pace which will be good for me.

Back to the topic at hand and the depth of what I want to share with all of you the truth that is happening in the military community with these veterans who struggle with P.T.S.D. For many military veterans dealing with P.TS.D. it's a challenge dealing with all the struggles that come with it because in reality a veteran can who has severe P.T.S.D. cannot remember what they did. They just react to situations as their fight or flight mode kicks and this is all based on their training which can be scary for them and others around them. Recently I learned of a veteran who had a similar situation where he just reacted and as it was he "blacked out" with only remembering coming home. This is the severe side of it and when you get down to it P.T.S.D. is all based out of fear. The fear of being transported back to their experiences, nightmares where they relive what happened in combat, severe anxiety being around a large number of people because their training tells them do not trust them, and so on. There is so much that people do not understand about P.T.S.D. because they do not educate themselves or they listen to mass media which is straight trash when talking about veterans and P.T.S.D.

As a veteran who struggles with P.T.S.D. I can tell you that where I was three years ago and where I am now is a very different place. Yes, I still have my quirks about what I do and how I handle certain situations. No, I'm not going to share them with all of you lol, they are what I use to handle specific situations when they arise or add a certain level of comfort. They are only a few who know my quirks that because it's not that I'm not willing to share them with others, but is there a need for people to know. It's difficult because you don't want to spill all your secrets on how you get through tough situations and each time I'm out of my element it's an opportunity to learn and grow. It many ways it's like being a christian and I say that because for a christian to grow they must be out of their element, but not all the time. If I'm never out of element as a veteran then I'll never learn or adapt to skills which I need to know on how to handle certain situations.

Here's a good example of what I'm trying to convey. This past summer I became a member at a gun club where I'm able to go shooting whenever I want which is fantastic for me because I like to shoot a lot! So any way during one of my trips to the gun club there were a few people shooting military style rifles very similar to what I carried in my time the Army. That said these rifles produce a very unique smell, sound, and report when fired. It may sound crazy, but even smells can cause a veterans P.T.S.D. to flare up which was happened to me actually. I got all set up and proceeded to send rounds downrange and when they began to fire inside everything was telling me to get the heck out of there. Avoid the situation was what my senses were telling me, but I hung around for as long as I could without putting anyone at risk to a reaction. After a couple volleys from everyone their shooting their rifles I decided it was time to pack up. Now I can tell you that I've learned a new trigger for my P.T.S.D. and I grew in that experience because I challenged myself which caused me to adapt. I'm not telling any veteran to go run around trying to find new triggers because that could be very bad for them and people around them. What I am saying is that once a person is comfortable where they are at and how they are handling their P.T.S.D. to try new things. Maybe one new situation every 3-4 months so they can continue to grow in their understand of their P.S.T.D.

The only thing that really truly made the difference in my life is my relationship with Jesus Christ. I know I know I know some of you military guys will scoff at this saying, "How can Christianity help with what I went through in Combat ?!" The truth of the matter is it makes a huge difference because once you understand that when Jesus was crucified on the cross he endured everything that we would and will endure on this earth. Yes, war is hell and it sucks, but there is good that can come from it. What God is doing in my life is better then what has ever happened that I could of thought up. He's taken and taking all my experiences and using them for my good and using them to glorify His kingdom in heaven. I know it's hard to grasp, but its true take it from a guy who's been there, done that in terms of war. Whose lost, whose been wounded, and who's learning what it takes to operate in this world. Veterans you are not a lone, there are people out there who care about you, who want to help you, who will listen to rant and rave, who will hear your stories.

I'm going to leave you with this: John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. This piece of scripture talks about the trials that we will face in this world that we live in, but we who are believers are to have peace because Jesus has overcome the world therefore we need to put our hope not in man or worldly things, but in Jesus.

Hope you enjoyed reading this! Have a blessed night!

© Nathan Fahlin