Personally I don't see how the military would think that men like you do not deal with these psychological challenges. I think that "Dont tell" agenda for real psychological
stress is blatently cruel and immoral. No one can perform in combat or be exposed to so much death without being taxed psychologically.

As a matter of fact those in the emergency resuce fields in civilian life can only last so long and just about all of them are left with a PTSD condition. There is usually a five year maximum exposure and then a turnover takes place.

There is no reason at all to be ashamed that you are human and that it weighs heavy on your ability to feel normal and have a sense of stability. And just because you have had the ability to do this doesn't mean you are immune to the feelings you have about it that you state here.

You are definitely not the first soldier to express the need for psychological help and yet a fear of expressing that need for help and how it may affect the rest of your life if you do ask for help.

No matter what life situation someone is put in there will always be a sense of should I have done more and did I do it well enough and the opportunity to be self critical.
You have done the best you could do. And the only way you can look at it is, War is definity not pleasent and one of the most horrible things engaged by man. And being involved in it does not mean you support this aspect of man. But you are there to do your best to protect the other men that trying to prevent others from being victims of some needless, unjust anayalation.

You do deserve to get whatever assistance you need to find ways to release yourself from this responsibility if you truely feel you have reached a limit in your capacity to continue this task that is extremely challenging for any human being. There is no such thing as being super human. And as long as denial is allowed to exist the truth will continue to cost many troops a right to say, I have reached my limit, done my best and now need to process and be serviced towards some kind of psychological assistance.

Troops need to come forward and demand assistance and that assistance should be provided without question or a sentence of limitations towards a goal of trying to continue to have a life that includes a right to have a different career and the support to have as much of a normal family life as possible. If you are protecting other troops in combat, you should also be able to protect their right to a life after they truely cannot perform any more combat duty. And the fear of coming forward that you are expressing here is proof that those who have the courage to offer themselves to the call of duty to serve their country, should also be truely allowed to say I can no longer serve, "Without any fear or shame of doing so".

Thank you for coming forward and telling the civilians the truth about your struggle. The only way to continue to protect the very same men that you protect in the field of battle is to do just what you are doing now. Because it is not good enough to just say "Welcome Home" or place commerative statues or symbols in honor of our troops. It is more important to make every effort to listen to our troops and make sure no troop has any sense of guilt for stating that troop's true needs.

Open Eyes