Have you heard the story of the soldier with PTSD who fell into the hole?

CPT Jack Durish — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 12:34:32 -0500

I can't imagine that someone hasn't shared this before but here it is just in case it's been missed...

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A SOLDIER WITH PTSD FELL IN A HOLE and couldn’t get out.
A Senior NCO went by and the Soldier with PTSD called out for help. The Senior NCO yelled at, told him to suck it up dig deep & drive on, then threw him a shovel. But the Soldier with PTSD could not suck it up and drive on so he dug the hole deeper.
A Senior Officer went by and the Soldier with PTSD called out for help. The Senior Officer told him to use the tools your Senior NCO has given you then threw him a bucket. But the Soldier with PTSD was using the tools his Senior NCO gave him so he dug the hole deeper and filled the bucket.
A psychiatrist walked by. The Soldier with PTSD said, “Help! I can’t get out!” The psychiatrist gave him some drugs and said, “Take this. It will relieve the pain.” The Soldier with PTSD said thanks, but when the pills ran out, he was still in the hole.
A well-known psychologist rode by and heard the Soldier with PTSD cries for help. He stopped and asked, ” How did you get there? Were you born there? Did your parents put you there? Tell me about yourself, it will alleviate your sense of loneliness.” So the Soldier with PTSD talked with him for an hour, then the psychologist had to leave, but he said he’d be back next week. The Soldier with PTSD thanked him, but he was still in the hole.
A priest came by. The Soldier with PTSD called for help. The priest gave him a Bible and said, “I’ll say a prayer for you.” He got down on his knees and prayed for the Soldier with PTSD, then he left. The Soldier with PTSD was very grateful, he read the Bible, but he was still stuck in the hole.
A recovering Soldier with PTSD happened to be passing by. The Soldier with PTSD cried out, “Hey, help me. I’m stuck in this hole!” Right away the recovering Soldier with PTSD jumped down in the hole with him. The Soldier with PTSD said, “What are you doing? Now we’re both stuck here!!” But the recovering Soldier with PTSD said, “Calm down. It’s okay. I’ve been here before. I know how to get out.~Author Unknown

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Feb 13 at 2017 12:38 PM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 12:38:20 -0500

Thank you for this wonderful, and excellent story.

Response by PO2 Rev. Frederick C. Mullis, AFI, CFM made Feb 13 at 2017 12:46 PM

PO2 Rev. Frederick C. Mullis, AFI, CFM — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 12:46:49 -0500

Thank You... I have never heard this before. So True in so many ways!

Response by TSgt Dawn Premock made Feb 13 at 2017 12:50 PM

TSgt Dawn Premock — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 12:50:04 -0500

So close to the truth. Thank you for sharing this.

Response by SFC Wesley Arnold, Jr made Feb 13 at 2017 1:17 PM

SFC Wesley Arnold, Jr — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 13:17:27 -0500

I can relate to this so much, even after years on/off of counseling and a continued cocktail of medications ... I still fell like I'm in a hole; one I started digging years ago. Thinking I was just being a good Soldier continuing to dig and camouflage my "fighting position", to the point of even hiding it from my wife.

Thank you again for sharing ...

Response by SSG Keith Cashion made Feb 13 at 2017 1:25 PM

SSG Keith Cashion — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 13:25:43 -0500

The fact that this resonates with so many of us, and yet it is still a vicious circle. Thanks for the share.

Response by CPL Eric Escasio made Feb 13 at 2017 2:55 PM

CPL Eric Escasio — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 14:55:34 -0500

thank you sir for sharing. What you shared actually reminds me how to be strong. Its just a vicious cycle that goes again and again and that is the human side of me and I think everyone of us suffering from PTSD reacting. But this would remind me not to succumb to my human side of my feeling ad let it take over or else I would be in trouble again. Thank you again Capt Durish for sharing.

Response by SFC George Smith made Feb 13 at 2017 9:41 PM

SFC George Smith — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 21:41:48 -0500

This is Most interesting analogy... But in many cases too True...

Response by CPT Davor Perkovic made Mar 4 at 2018 3:19 PM

CPT Davor Perkovic — Sun, 04 Mar 2018 15:19:22 -0500

Hello everyone! I am CPT Davor Perkovic, a rtrd veteran of the Croatian Armed Forces. I read this story and I really liked it, and would like to share it with our veterans suffering from PTSD, and with other people, maybe they can better understand what PTSD disease is and how people who suffer from it feel. I have fully understood the context of this story, but some of the terms used here are not very easily to translate into Croatian, so I please help someone with that, I think it will not be hard or a lot of work. All I fully understand except the phrase in these sentences ..."A Senior NCO went by and the Soldier with PTSD called out for help. The Senior NCO yelled at, told him to suck it up dig deep & drive on, then threw him a shovel. But the Soldier with PTSD could not suck it up and drive on so he dug the hole deeper"... ""So what I could not translate? The term "suck up dig deep and drive on". Could someone tell this in some other way in order to explain what that NCO exactly said? Thank you, Davor.

Response by MSG James Douglas made Apr 9 at 2018 9:23 AM

MSG James Douglas — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 09:23:03 -0400

I'm in a hole right now!!

Response by MSG James Douglas made Apr 9 at 2018 9:23 AM

MSG James Douglas — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 09:23:30 -0400

I'm in a hole right now!!

Response by Fallout Fred made Dec 26 at 2018 9:50 AM

Fallout Fred — Wed, 26 Dec 2018 09:50:49 -0500

I hope someone or something can help me out of my hole

Response by GySgt Tim Colomer made Feb 8 at 2022 10:28 PM

GySgt Tim Colomer — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 22:28:58 -0500

Good story - it was stolen and used as an original piece at a TED Talk. A pretty fucked up thing to do from a lousy and toxic person that has called themselves a leader. Shame.