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The best explanation of PTSD I've ever heard
Here's what PTSD is like, and why people kill themselves over it. Think of life like a cave. If I send you into a cave with a lantern and tell you there are no bears in the cave, you feel safe. You will walk around the cave and enjoy yourself. Now what if I give you a lantern and a gun and tell you that there is a bear in there? You can still go down, but you'll be careful to look for the bear and ready to run or shoot if you see it. Now, what if I send you down there with a gun but no lantern and simply say "bear" to you? Pretty soon, you're in there, you can't see the way out, and every rock you bump into feels like a bear. After a long enough time being down in the cave, you realize you don't have enough ammo to shoot everything that might be a bear. It has nothing to do with running out of food or water or feeling like you're fighting some unwinnable battle with the bear. You just get sick and tired of the uncertainty. Are you going to live through the night? Are you going to wake up to a bear gnawing your intestines? You get to the point where you just wish the bear would come along and end it. And when he doesn't come, you decide to do it yourself. Suicide isn't a surrender, it's a reassertion of power. These guys' lives have spun out of control, and the decision over whether they live or die is the last thing they have the power to determine. Think about it. You ever met a Soldier that wasn't a "take charge kind of guy?" That's my warning bell. I've seen lots of "cries for help" where a guy said "life is meaningless." I don't put much stock in those. But when he says "life is scary"? That's the guy that's going to do it. Read the whole thing. I have no words. I want to say something supportive but I'll just come off like a civilian ass, which is what I am. Posted by: gromky 2011-09-22 |
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