[BuckVet09]

Hello,
I am a GWOT veteran with ptsd. I am in the process of waiting on my claim from the Va. I have done it all with a few exceptions. Self medication with Jameson and everynow and then I blackout when I drink. I drink at home, and I hate going to bars being around ignorant civilians who look down on me cause I have ptsd from my time.

[bebop]

hi Buck and welcome to combat ptsd. good luck on your claim with the VA! if what obama says is true it should be much easier to get it now. Please get help for it though. I lost my husband to alcoholism due to ptsd years ago.

[BuckVet09]

Hey bebop, sorry to hear about your husband and ptsd. I am here if you ever want to talk, I deal with ptsd on a daily basis. Hugs

[NuckingFutz]

Hello buckvet! I am going through the UA claims process as well. Oh those lovely people who are clueless about PTSD. Whenever someone looks down on me for having it, I get a running dialog in my head of stuff I would love to say to them depending on the situation. One time I needed to get to a doctors appointment and needed to take the bus. My disability bus card just expired that day and did not have correct change. So I asked the driver "I did not realise my bus card expired, do you mind helping out a veteran this one time?" the guy said "you need to put some money in the fair box or get off the bus". As I turned and left I felt like telling him "we did/do our jobs so people like you can do your job...I shouldn't have tried so hard". What an asp! I have issues with anger and it gets away from me sometimes...it gets me in trouble sometimes. May we both get our VA Comps approved soon. Sorry for rambling...welcome to the PC forums!

[bebop]

Buck thanks hon. same here if you need me or just want to talk.

[Catherine2]

Originally Posted by BuckVet09

Hello,
I am a GWOT veteran with ptsd. I am in the process of waiting on my claim from the Va. I have done it all with a few exceptions. Self medication with Jameson and everynow and then I blackout when I drink. I drink at home, and I hate going to bars being around ignorant civilians who look down on me cause I have ptsd from my time.

Hello back!
JME, it's safer drinking at home and ignoring the ROs who forget it's because of us that they can sleep safely...
Drinking, not the best way to handle it, but sometimes we need something to dull that exposed and lonely feeling.
I still expect someone to have my back simply because I have their back...civilians do not understand this, I don't believe.

Are you in any support groups for Vets? Many times it's helpful to be with others walking a parallel path of recovery.

Know that you are loved just the way you are...

Catherine

[Foramir]

Hey buck. I'm also a vet, OIF though. if you need to talk I'm here for a fellow vet.

[Cactusland]

Hi Buck - forget about the VA, I fought them hard for 4 years (got media help, congress-critter and senator involved, the whole works) - the faster you give up on them or die, the happier they are.

That being said, my $0.02 is to ease off the drinking and find yourself a good therapist. Have you tried the "Give an Hour" website? Also I find Vietnam combat veterans are really great to talk to, they know all about the VA games and they really understand about combat, deployment, idiot civilians, etc - usually you find them at the VFW.

[NuckingFutz]

You also might want to check out your vet drop in center for therapy. Drinking is not the answer but sharing can do wonders. And no one looks down on your for fighting for our country! You go Buck!

[Troy]

Hey Buck ... RVN vet here ... well experienced with unexplainable rage and years of volatile anger. Methinks the bus driver gets a pass on this one -- he has probably been nailed by the "secret shopper" and might lose his job if he violates the rules. Of course, my own personality is to break the rules every chance I get -- so I were your bus driver, I'd have given you the ride and invited you to continue using the same ID ... Makes you wonder why they expire (do they think your vet status is going to change?)

I've applied to VA for PTSD but it's unlikely it will be approved. I've never been seen by a VA shrink and can't see myself doing that. Part of own PTSD, I've discovered, is that I cannot discuss all of this with anyone, especially a shrink I cannot trust.

My PTSD has been my own secret for so many years, the only release is here on PC.

One thought for a new person here is to stick with this narrow part of the forum. If your ptsd is like mine, you have a high need to fix things, and if you prowl around the rest of the forum you'll have a high level of anxiety at finding so many problems that you cannot fix.

Hi Catherine2 & BeBop
Trent