My Story of Hope - I am a Suicide Survivor and Mental Health Warrior - part 2.

CW4 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 May 2021 09:35:09 -0400

Read part 1 here: https://rly.pt/3unCyzK

I woke up in a haze to a bright light, glaring into my eyes. The beeping of medical equipment and the hustle-bustle of the hospital around me filled my ears. What is happening? I did not understand. “How did I get here?” I asked myself. I saw a familiar face in the room and a sense of relief washed over me. “Oh, it is you my brother” I said to myself, “You saved my life.”

Later, as I laid in the hospital recovering, I decided I needed to change if I wanted to not only survive, but if I wanted to actually live my life. I could not be silent anymore because the silence almost killed me. I did not know where to start nor did I know where the journey to overcoming my PTSD would take me, but I knew I had to strap on my boots and start figuring it out. This was not going to be an easy task, my PTSD enveloped me and was like my shadow. But I wanted to live and I did not want my enemy, PTSD, to beat me again. It couldn’t beat me again.

My first step to conquering my PTSD was going into counseling. I had one main goal at the start: to understand my enemy. That’s what soldiers do. They bring the battle to their enemies and I planned on bringing it to my PTSD. I needed to stay true to this plan so that the next time, I would not be undone. I would not be silenced. And perhaps most importantly, I would never be defeated by PTSD, the greatest enemy I have faced.

If you or someone you know is struggling, please get help now. Tell a loved one. Tell a friend. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: [login to see] . If you prefer to talk online, visit the veteran crisis line here: https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/get-help/military-crisis-line

My Story of Hope: I am a Suicide Survivor and Mental Health Warrior | Part 1 | RallyPoint

Take a moment of silence for yourself right now. Block out the rest of the world and really focus on the silence. It is not very often that an article begins with a request for silence. It is uncomfortable. It is forced and sometimes the silence is ironically deafening. We often don’t know what to do with silence because we are forced to be alone with ourselves and thoughts which can be daunting. September 11, 2001, silenced America. There...

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made May 4 at 2021 10:42 AM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Tue, 04 May 2021 10:42:58 -0400

Excellent share brother CW4 Private RallyPoint Member ,

Response by SGT Tiffanie G. made May 4 at 2021 4:16 PM

SGT Tiffanie G. — Tue, 04 May 2021 16:16:50 -0400

Thank you for being brave enough to share. Looks like you have the map, now you just have to make the march.

Response by SSgt Richard Kensinger made May 6 at 2021 8:53 AM

SSgt Richard Kensinger — Thu, 06 May 2021 08:53:52 -0400

for over 4 yrs. now I am conducting clinical research on military matters and specifically on combat trauma. Most of my research now appears on Research Gate. I remain willing to share my work for free. I can be contacted " [login to see] ". Indeed it is an urgent situation and the stakes are extremely high.
Rich

Response by PO1 Katherine Schoeneich made May 8 at 2021 10:01 AM

PO1 Katherine Schoeneich — Sat, 08 May 2021 10:01:30 -0400

Good for you!! It's time that we start taking care of our own, allow members to get proper help instead of kicking em out or hand out meds. I'm glad you made the right decision. Navy needs to follow suit. Before I retired in 2010, they just were booting them out. Shameful.