The following is from Annie's Mailbox, an advice column published all over the U.S. in the print media (newspapers). My wife actually brought it to my attention and I laughed,....
Dear Annie: My father, my brothers and I served during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Only my father and I deployed to combat areas. Dad retired five years ago and is showing drastic symptoms of PTSD. He is stockpiling food and medical supplies and keeps trying to get my wife and me to "prepare" for when "it all hits the fan". He spends hours a day obessively watching the news and getting angry at the television. Our children used to spend time unsupervised with my parents, but that stopped when I found a loaded handgun in his bathroom cabinet. My mother has broached the topic of therapy and I've offered to go with him as I've been wrestling with some mild PTSD issues myself. But my brothers intercede every time and say Dad's fine and it's no big deal, and they convince him not to go. I believe this is dangerous. I've been unable to find any home counseling services and even our pastor says this is out of his realm of expertise. What other options are out there?- New York son
Dear Son (Annie's reply): You may have better luck getting your father to accept help if you approach him (with) this is a possible Medical Problem. We also suggest you ask him to join you for an exercise or yoga class, which can be useful for some PTSD sufferers. Also please contact the VA's National Center for PTSD or Military One Source and ask to speak to a counselor or get a referral to local military treatment facilities.
What UrbanMan would have told Son: Do not refer your Dad to the VA for PSTD - they may take his guns away. Then who is going to prortect your non-prepared butt when SHTF occurs and you undoubtably run to Daddy's house for food, shelter and protection? The only problem with your Dad is if he does not have a Bug Out Plan. Get with the program New York Son.
Monday, April 8, 2013
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PTSD is real of that I have no doubt. But for most people with PTSD they had problems when they went into the service and this is how they deal with crisis situations. Most people who see combat do not have PTSD or act out. There are literally millions of civilians in this country who never went to war with the same "symptoms". It is something in their DNA something they got from their parents but it isn't about life experience it is about mental illness. It is easy to blame the war and in fact in some cases it may well be about the war. But in most cases these people needed help before they joined the service and if they had never joined the service they would have needed help then as well.
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