PTS - What is Your Reality… Warrior Mindset or Popular Characterization?

SgtMaj James Kuiken — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 11:03:49 -0400

What is Your Reality…
Warrior Mindset or Popular Characterization?

Let’s dispel some myths.

This generation is weak and self-pitying. It seems like everyone has “PTSD” today. We were much stronger back then… Really? In the Civil War, it was called “soldier's heart”. In WWI, shell shock, combat fatigue or war neurosis. In WWII, gross stress reaction. In Korea, combat exhaustion. In the 60's, post-Vietnam syndrome, and stress response syndrome. In the ‘80s, it picked up the name Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and now, some are lobbying to remove the “Disorder” from PTSD, making it plain old Post Traumatic Stress. This has been around and documented at least as far back as the Book of Job, the Mahabharata, and the Greek historian Herotodus.

You weren’t a combat soldier, so you can’t have PTSD. First…not all military servicemembers or veterans are “soldiers”…a REAL pet peeve of mine. Army – and ONLY Army personnel are soldiers. Marines, sailors, airmen, coastguardsmen, etc., etc., are also military servicemembers that can be (and are) involved in combat (and most of us do not like being called “soldiers”).

Secondly, PTSD is a reaction to a stress inducing and/or traumatic experience. Anyone who has experienced a car wreck, rape, violent act, and any number of other situations can have PTSD. For the purposes of my writing, I’m focusing on people who may have a traumatic experience due to their job – i.e., military (servicemembers and veterans), field intelligence operators, first responders (law enforcement, firefighters, emergency medical personnel), and emergency room medical personnel (nurses, doctors, and other hands-on staff).

Most importantly, if you have PTSD, you are disabled, possibly mentally or emotionally unstable, a “victim” of your circumstance, and should be taken care of, pitied, or feared. Horse pucky! Read my lips…I AM NOT A VICTIM. Do NOT coddle or pity me.

General James Mattis, a recently retired combat Marine really lays it out in his recent opinion piece about “The Meaning of Their Service”, “the clarifying effect of combat experience, the poison of cynicism and how veterans can help revive American optimism”, where he talks about “post-traumatic “growth”” among other things. He goes on to talk about coming “home stronger and more compassionate, not characterized as damaged, or with disorders, or with syndromes or other disease labels. Not labeled dependent on the government…”.

People are affected by many events, especially in traumatic circumstances. Some may break a bone, some may receive other injuries or lose limbs, suffer traumatic brain injuries, etc. Many of these people go on to mitigate, deal with or even overcome the symptoms and “limitations” of their injuries. We’ve all been inspired by these stories. PTS“D” is the same as any other combat or traumatic event injury. We need to recognize that as a fact. As a good friend (Exec. Director of Veterans 360) has often said, “PTSD is a normal reaction to an abnormal situation”, and it needs to be de-stigmatized.

It may seem trite, but one of my favorite quotes embodies the spirit of many who choose this way of life: “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” Friedrich Nietzsche

Yes, there are effects, but PTSD is a treatable condition, something that can generally be dealt with, managed, and even overcome. The stigma of the “Vietnam Vet” being lost, dangerous, unstable…was and is just as false (and disgraceful) as the current one of all the deranged, wandering souls and disaffected vets from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

Gen. Mattis goes on to say “For whatever trauma came with service in tough circumstances, we should take what we learned—take our post-traumatic growth—and, like past generations coming home, bring our sharpened strengths to bear, bring our attitude of gratitude to bear. And, most important, we should deny cynicism a role in our view of the world.

We know that in tough times cynicism is just another way to give up, and in the military we consider cynicism or giving up simply as forms of cowardice. No matter how bad any situation, cynicism has no positive impact. Watching the news, you might notice that cynicism and victimhood often seem to go hand-in-hand, but not for veterans. People who have faced no harsh trials seem to fall into that mode, unaware of what it indicates when taking refuge from responsibility for their actions. This is an area where your example can help our society rediscover its courage and its optimism.”

All those who have been injured (physically, psychologically, spiritually, etc.) in the line of duty – regardless if it was in the military or other public service – are stronger for their experiences, and for the commitment to overcome any limitations stemming from those injuries. They deserve to be respected and honored for their dedication to helping others and protecting our country and its citizens, even at the risk of their own life and personal safety.

I am NOT a VICTIM. The next time you see a wounded or disabled person, or meet someone who is dealing with the effects of PTSD, don’t look away. Don’t fawn over them, pity them, thank them profusely to the point of embarrassment, or treat them differently. Look them in the eye and treat them with the dignity and respect you would want if you were in their situation. Trust me, we’re a lot stronger than you think…

http://www.jameskuiken.com/sergeant-major-musings/-i-am-not-a-victim

Dispelling PTSD Generalizations - I am not a Victim!

Living with PTSD can be difficult but I am NOT a VIctim. Dispelling stereotypes, myths, and generalizations

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Jul 16 at 2015 11:11 AM

Capt Seid Waddell — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 11:11:09 -0400

I agree with General Mattis.

Response by SSG Izzy Abbass made Jul 16 at 2015 11:21 AM

SSG Izzy Abbass — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 11:21:34 -0400

Well said. I used to get asked by folks in the business community "what should I say to a Veteran"? I used to respond with "Well, I start off with Hi, my name is Izzy....." and go from there. I also tend to go up to Vets in wheelchairs and say "don't get up" which more than 90% of the time gets a chuckle out of them. They like that someone would be willing to come up to them and joke around.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 16 at 2015 11:22 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 11:22:23 -0400

Well said SgtMaj! Now we need to properly fund and staff the agencies that provide the support necessary for our returned/returning service members.

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Jul 16 at 2015 11:27 AM

LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 11:27:50 -0400

SgtMaj, thanks for posting this. A couple points. As a combat PTSD counselor, I dislike the PC version of the name "PTS". If you have PTS, you are dealing with stress. If the PTS is unmanageable then it is, in fact, PTSD, a disorder. The body has a natural response to stress. It's the "Fight or Flight" response. This is the systemic response to combat stress that keeps you alive downrange. When you come home, however, this same response becomes problematic if one doesn't know how to harness and control it.

So, PTS is having the Fight or Flight Response, and being able to manage it. PTSD is when it becomes unmanageable.

I urge anyone dealing with Combat PTSD to read "Once a Warrior, Always a Warrior" by Charles Hoge, COL USA MC RET. http://amzn.to/1gDItdL

This book is not a clinical manual. Rather it's a how-to manual for warriors and their families on coping with the warrior's new reality after returning from combat. It's a very easy read and it makes PTSD comprehensible, instead of a mystery.

Further, if you are dealing with PTSD, whether from a single tour or multiple tours, and you served post 9/11, contact The Soldier's Project https://www.thesoldiersproject.org/ - we offer FREE counseling services to all Post 9/11 vets and active duty troops dealing with the effects of combat related PTSD. Community counselors across the country donate pro-bono counseling time for those affected. Many of us offer services over Skype, phone, email, text, whatever (even RP messages) so if you live in an area where there are no TSP counselors, don't fret. Just contact the main office, and they will arrange for a counselor to meet with you.

This is, of course, on top of the services that the military and VA offer. If you're active duty, and don't want an official record of your PTSD for whatever reason, this can be a life saver...

So reach out if you have problems. If you know someone who is suffering, urge them to contact us. This is literally a life-saver....

Semper FI.

Once a Warrior--Always a Warrior: Navigating The Transition From Combat To Home--Including Combat...

Once a Warrior--Always a Warrior: Navigating The Transition From Combat To Home--Including Combat Stress, Ptsd, And Mtbi [Charles Hoge] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The essential handbook for anyone who has ever returned from a war zone

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Jul 16 at 2015 11:29 AM

LTC Stephen F. — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 11:29:32 -0400

In general [pun intended] I agree with USMC General James Mattis (Retired) SgtMaj James Kuiken. Unfortunately using PTS or PTSD generalizes the condition to the point that it accounts for any post-stressful problems including what virtually all first responders to major fires, significant disasters man-made and natural go through; plus accident victims, rape, and molestation victims ....
The terms used form the civil war through Korea seem to be unique to combat related stress: "In the Civil War, it was called “soldier's heart”. In WWI, shell shock, combat fatigue or war neurosis. In WWII, gross stress reaction. In Korea, combat exhaustion."
By the 1960's political correctness began to take hold so that "post-Vietnam syndrome, and stress response syndrome" became so general it could be applicable to combat veterans and protesters who were shot at during the Kent State affair., and other demonstrations which had violent endings.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Jul 16 at 2015 11:49 AM

PO1 John Miller — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 11:49:13 -0400

Great read and thanks for sharing Devil Dog.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 16 at 2015 12:04 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 12:04:40 -0400

SgtMaj, thank you for your service. I sometimes equate PTSD with Dante's Inferno, i.e., hellish, scary, demonic (my own, of course), even though I can intellectualize, the Inferno doesn't go away. I thought I was "stronger than you think", however, I found out that I needed additional help, I am not invincible as I once thought.

Response by CPT Pedro Meza made Jul 16 at 2015 2:03 PM

CPT Pedro Meza — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 14:03:39 -0400

SgtMaj James Kuiken, PTS, became ingrained into my brain in 1985 the results of Latin America and what we were not permitted to talk about and our ARMY mental health of that time classified it, and the VA was not willing to see us because it was not a declared conflict. So it became PTSD, a split part of myself that influenced my behavior that would at times highjack my brain which caused me to go out of my way to ensure that those that I saw as needing protection were protected. This made life in law enforcement interesting while I served in the Reserves, for me I was not afraid of death, I was afraid of eyes of the dying child and his question “PORQUE/WHY” and his mother pleading words to help her child, while I did nothing, because I was afraid to get involved and was under orders.
Those eyes and his words and his mother pleading played out in my brain and dreams from 1985 until 2008 when during my last deployment to Afghanistan I carried the body of a five year old girl that had been shot through the head and help hand her body to her father and mother, after wards I stood by as the family gather and cried while in my hand I held onto pieces of her brain in my right palm. Following this we were attacked by the Taliban and were pinned down by mortar rocket attacks and I hit my head acquiring a brain injury that removed 15 years of knowledge and memories and made me see that I had been carrying the dying boy in my mind and heart since 1985 and the dead 5 year old girl brought the cycle full circle. I know live with PTSD and Mild TBI, I am not afraid of death I am afraid of hurting the innocent. I see PTSD as a virus that writes subroutines in our brains/computers and TBI as a damaged to the CPU and Mother Board of our brain computers. Now after three deployments the VA provides me with mental health treatment and has rated me for all the war injuries; brain injury, back, and knee.
I comment here on RP cause it is therapy for me, because it helps retrain my brain higher functions and have the hope that those that read do not make the same mistakes I made, this also helps me understand how PTSD affects me.

Response by SGT Frank Leonardo made Jul 16 at 2015 4:19 PM

SGT Frank Leonardo — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 16:19:27 -0400

Good read but I am confused on only Army are soldiers? Last time I checked Marines are too

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Aug 11 at 2015 3:27 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 15:27:03 -0400

Thank you for posting. I firmly believe trauma, lack of sleep, too much adrenalin and stress contribute to PTSD. Sometimes life gives you bad hand of cards, feel the pain and recover and know it is what it is.
Once you can feel love and see beauty, you are on the right path to healing.

Response by SSG Warren Swan made Aug 13 at 2015 2:49 PM

SSG Warren Swan — Thu, 13 Aug 2015 14:49:54 -0400

Thanks SgtMaj! I just wish all this was funneled back into the services to get their minds right. It's easier to get rid of the problem than to try to spend the extra 10 minutes trying to help. And the whole "Rah Rah" mentality doesn't always help. A leader should know their troops and know when to take a knee with them to sort out a problem/issue faster than they can raise that pen take rank, time, money or a career away. This is something that needs to be beaten harder than a dead horse and it would take the power and influence of the senior enlisted of each branch to drive this home.