Quote:
Originally Posted by Bullitt
You serious?  |
Mostly.
I have a friend who claims PTSD from enemy fire from our Navy days. We were in the same place at the same time on the same ship. I somehow managed to sleep through the "enemy fire" but did stand there and look at the bullet (yes, ONE) hole in the morning. He is now claiming full disability for PTSD. Liar.
He and I met recently and he told me this tale of woe and misery as to why he can't socialize like a normal person. Why he couldn't stay married to his wife (and kid). Why he can't manage to hold a job. Blah blah.
I told him he deserves a good slap and tried to catch him (he runs faster than I) to give him one. I yelled at him that he can't bullshit a bullshitter. I lived with this guy at home and at sea. We experimented with recipes at home and threatened the cooks at sea with summary courts-martial if they didn't learn to cook. We got up to all kinds of trouble in foreign ports. I can do what I did and get away with it. He's not suffering with anything but self-pity and guilt and I know it.
PTSD is nothing more than "battle fatigue" renamed. It's a manifestation of fear that a person is unable to handle. I was there, I was shot at and I handled it just fine. If I ever swapped places with him and he saw me like I see him, he'd do the same. And, unlike him, I'd thank him later.
I get annoyed with people living (read: sponging) off the taxpayers' dollar as he is doing. He deserved a slap or two and I feel like many who "suffer" from the same thing need one also. The shooting is over people! You're home safely. Nothing bad happened to you. Get over it!
Adjust as necessary for people who are still afraid of the hurricane/flood/fire/earthquake/accident etc. It's OVER! YOU'RE FINE! Get on with life already!
I am disabled by illness but do I sit back and live on the dole? No! I went out, got retrained (at my own expense) and found a job that I can still do. Life goes on for us all. I got on and he needs to also.
Sheesh! Have I vented enough, ya think? I'll just get off this soapbox now and quietly get ready to go to Phoenix tomorrow.
Brian