PTSD Survivors Speak: Talking About Combat Stress

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Synchronicity is funny. This week I wrote about PTSD stigma, and next week I’m offering a free teleseminar on how to talk about trauma – and here’s a PTSD vet, sharing his story and talking about both! I’m proud to introduce you to another proactive soul….

Talking About Combat PTSD

This weekend I had the privilege of attending the Marine Corps Birthday Ball for MWSS-471 and HMLA-773 in Johnstown, PA as their Guest of Honor. Needless to say, I was a little nervous when it came time for me to give my speech, but I figured I couldn’t mess up if I talked about something I already knew about. So I talked with the Marines and their families about the mental and physical strength we gain from our military training, and that we never leave each other on the battlefield.

Discussing my injuries and my recovery with those Marines was certainly good for me regarding the mental portion of my recovery, but several times during my speech I had to pause for a few seconds to collect myself and control the emotions that came over me from reliving the day when I was injured in Iraq. Although certainly not as bad as many, I have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the way it surfaces sometimes can be hard to understand.

By this point, most of us have heard that PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) are the signature wounds of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. We have seen the statistics of how many returning service members have PTSD, especially after more than one deployment. But I wonder how many people really think about what PTSD is, and what it must be like to struggle with it.

I have had the benefit of a caring wife who has read a lot about PTSD, and has encouraged me to talk with a VA counselor. I do talk with a counselor, and I always feel better leaving those appointments. But even now I can’t identify why I have awkward emotional feelings at the most random times; I just know that my body and brain are trying to process experiences I have been through and that there are healthy and unhealthy ways of dealing with this.

Of course, as Marines, Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors and members of the Coast Guard, acknowledging, much less talking, about any personal weakness is not something we look forward to. I recognize, however, that talking through our issues is a much better solution than turning to alcohol or other drugs, engaging in abusive, violent behavior or at the far end of the spectrum, committing suicide. And if it is going to improve my relationship with my wife, why wouldn’t I go to counseling?

The different branches of our military are going to great lengths to erase the stigma that is still attached to PTSD. For a great website on this, go to www.realwarriors.net, which is an initiative launched by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury. Of course, we still have a long way to go in this regard, but I have seen a great change in the awareness of PTSD over the last few years, as well as heartfelt speeches from Admiral Mullen, General Conway, and others regarding the importance of the mental health of our service members.

So, was it hard for me to talk about being shot 3 years ago in Iraq and my recovery since then? Sure it was. But along with that I also was able to talk about the courage under fire displayed by Corpsman George Grant when he saved my life, how close my wife and I have grown in the process, and how military training makes us much stronger than we realize. I wasn’t talking with my counselor, but I sure felt good walking back to my seat.

Justin over on the blog IRAQ & BACK

 

 

Justin was deployed to Iraq in 2006 and was stationed at Camp Habbaniyah.  Six weeks later he was shot in the head by an enemy sniper.  The bullet entered behind his left ear and exited out his mouth, causing catastrophic damage along the way.  Thanks to his fellow Marines and the courage and skills of a U.S. Navy corpsman, he survived.  

During his recovery, Justin and his wife noticed that because of his facial injuries he would receive many inquiring looks from people who passed him on the street. As a way to help answer those unasked questions, Justin designed an original T-shirt with the phrase IRAQ AND BACK across the front.  As it turned out, whenever he wore the T-shirt people would go up and talk to him about his experiences in Iraq.

The opinions in this post are solely those of the author. To contribute to ‘Survivors Speak” contact Michele.

Tags: Combat-Related PTSD, Marines, ptsd, TBI, Veterans healing