chickenman said:

God I hate war. I wish all of you the best. I totaly respect you all but dont understand why we have to go thru with what seems to be conflict after conflict. Most folks worldwide wish to live in peace. I think its the Govts that stir up shit and our kids are the ones who pay, again all due respect to you all. I just hope someday we will not have to lose so many good people... Hope you all find peace and senerity...

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Much respect chickenman for this post. No one wants war except the ones that profit from it. Follow the money.

Cheers,
Crom

Remember those that gave the ultimate price today. RIP to all my friends and family members that have past. It should be called, Hug a Vet day.

Cheers,
Crom

Just wanted to thank my brother's and sister's that have served and those that gave all. You are not forgotten.

As for me. I try to forget all that shit I was in. Knee deep and killing with hate. Very bad times and now I know why Karma is on my ass these days.


BG

Billygoat said:

Just wanted to thank my brother's and sister's that have served and those that gave all. You are not forgotten.

As for me. I try to forget all that shit I was in. Knee deep and killing with hate. Very bad times and now I know why Karma is on my ass these days.


BG

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Amen

hope you guys had a good memorial day, i enjoyed the hell out of mine for those that will never be able to again, i spent my first memorial day back sulking about lost friends but i realized that once i did that i was making it about me and to honor them they would want me to keep them in memory and enjoy the memories and the day

johnursery said:

hope you guys had a good memorial day, i enjoyed the hell out of mine for those that will never be able to again, i spent my first memorial day back sulking about lost friends but i realized that once i did that i was making it about me and to honor them they would want me to keep them in memory and enjoy the memories and the day

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Yeah bro we need to live life to the fullest, in their memory/honor. We all know that the friends that we lost would never want us to stop living shit up! As cheesy as it sounds, watch saving private Ryan. At the end when he goes to the cemetery with his family. That's what it's about. Giving honor and respect to the fallen. They all knew what we were getting into. Our jobs put us in harms way even during training. It's an honor to have served our country with all that have past. My wife suggested that I do a bonsai tree for each of my fallen friends. Starting them on the anniversary of their passing, in remembrance. Since they will out live me it could be a cool piece of family history. Either way, my long winded ass, keep your head up, and drive on!

Cheers,
Crom

My dad had a Breakdown, day before yesterday. He has a lot on his plate, but with the added weight of old memories and what not... It just hit him hard this year.

Super sorry to hear that. Is he getting help from the VA? Disability? SSDI? Everything counts when it comes with hardships and money. Then that added pressure of memories that haunt you. Best wishes to you both LBZ.

Cheers,
Crom

Thank you... Yes He is getting help. He is 75%, UNFORTUNATELY he earned it!

Has anyone here ever been to the VA therapy groups? Can you share your experience of what they were like?

Frank_Castle said:

Has anyone here ever been to the VA therapy groups? Can you share your experience of what they were like?

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I have. I personally didn't like the experience. I am more of a one on one type of person. It wasn't necessarily the VAs fault, this time, but it seems that the other Soldiers in the group were having a pissing contest to see who had a worse story. The group leader was a joke as well. The guy was reading out of a textbook,literally, and asking us things. There were like 6 of us from different conflicts in the group. Most of the Vietnam Vets like you could imagine were pretty jacked up. I can't imagine having the level of combat PTSD that I have and not getting much help till decades later! Anyway I am a firm believer that there needs to be improvements in the way that the VA is doing stuff. Problem is like usual they are over booked and under staffed to handle the influx of Soldiers coming with issues. Sucks! I have been on a wait list to get individual one on one counseling for months now. They told me that I HAD to do group therapy before they can decide if individual counseling is right for me. I know what I'm talking about, my wife is in the therapy field, up there too. I highly recommend you get involved with any type of counseling that you can so that you can get the help that you feel you deserve and need. IF you can afford private sessions I would do that and start to dig into the real problems over time to heal some of your wounds(mental). Just don't give up if the group therapy approach does nothing for you. I have been to soooo many different people trying to get my mind right, and the VA frustrates me to the point of giving up hope on the them. If your not in a med state I wouldn't disclose that you use mmj for your ailments, however if you are in a med state tell them because it could 1 help others find a "drug" that works, and 2 it is a good thing for the doctors to know that you are on while prescribing psych meds for instance.

Overall I would say go for it, and see what happens. Keep an open mind and see what they can offer as far as counseling goes. If it sucks let them know after the session that you need to switch it up. This way you can dial in what YOU need, not what they want you to get. Best of luck to you all, and stay positive. If you have any questions let me know, or just post it here.

Cheers,
Crom

http://t2.invalid.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTAPSekabZRq2PTxD23A491rRStWT4vy3AxZzZJd2c50Ac8xHS_&t=1

I would vote to significantly lower the pay rate for legislators and make the difference up for soldiers. In fact, I can think of a few federal programs that I would be willing to do without or with less of in order to ensure that soldiers are not only paid well while serving, but served well by US after giving their service. It's a total package, in my opinion, because the effects of service last a lifetime, and they should be treated as such.

Great post Seamaiden! Very true. My grandfather always said that the president should have military experience to a certain degree in order to be president. That way the president has an understanding what he is asking the military to do for HIM.

How about the DEA go away first? That is our tax dollars being spent in ways that we don't either have knowledge of or agree with or both.

Actually, reducing the entirety of the criminal (in)justice system that emphasizes incarceration for people who commit victimless crimes, AT ALL LEVELS, is where I would begin. Anything to do with the War on Drugs needs to be cut down, especially that which involves removal of physical freedom. So, yeah, elimination of the DEA would be one place. I would also eliminate entirely Homeland Security and the TSA, because I have a problem with agencies whose premise for existence are the subjugation of all citizens.

How familiar are you with the Oath Keepers?

Oath Keepers?

Thanks Crom.

I concur. I know what would have happened if I didnt get help [like the Vietnam vets]; I would be an end of roader in the middle of nowhere Alaska. A crazy hermit vet. Thank god for a good wife and being lucky enough to have the right circumstances to get access to help. Eventually; I suppose like any vet I have my own stories of how the system failed me. But a lawyer and some perserverence and so far things are on the right track.

What you described is very similar to the experience an active duty soldier just described to me last week about his VA experience.

I think I'll keep postponing. I'm not a group guy either and dont want to hear anyone's war stories.

groups arent for most people, they do them cause there cheap IMO, i had to fight to get personal sessions with my phsycologist and phsyciatrist so it is possible if you need the help and dont give up...for me i havent had success either with cognative behavior therapy, when you live in real combat after awhile your brain phsyologically changes its not a conscious dessicion and neither is setting it back espescialy since theres no physcological imperitave to do so...at least thats my take, i tryed to deny my problems for a while but they became much worse, now i just try to live with my condition without trying to fix it so much to no avail...so no more exposure therapy either, im kinda a hermit but society's always had hermits i just wish i could live in the city again like the one i grew up in and the one i tried to return to...but all said and done where im at right now im feeling realy pretty good managing my condition

just wanted to add recently there was a soldier who died from multi-pharm toxicity now i dont know the details but one of the things the brother said on the news was that he got bumped around the system getting scripts cause there so overbooked...i know that PTSD has multi-faceted symptoms so multiple scripts are sometimes needed but what most of them dont know is that MMJ has multi-faceted applications and when used for PTSD...in my own experience i dont need any anti-deppresants, anti-anxiety meds, or zombie mood stabalizers since ive had good daytime sativa with no paranoi and i dont need any sleep meds with a good indica knockdown stone for before bed, im hoping to work on two strains just to fit this bill so i can help myself and others just like me

johnursery said:

groups arent for most people, they do them cause there cheap IMO, i had to fight to get personal sessions with my phsycologist and phsyciatrist so it is possible if you need the help and dont give up...for me i havent had success either with cognative behavior therapy, when you live in real combat after awhile your brain phsyologically changes its not a conscious dessicion and neither is setting it back espescialy since theres no physcological imperitave to do so...at least thats my take, i tryed to deny my problems for a while but they became much worse, now i just try to live with my condition without trying to fix it so much to no avail...so no more exposure therapy either, im kinda a hermit but society's always had hermits i just wish i could live in the city again like the one i grew up in and the one i tried to return to...but all said and done where im at right now im feeling realy pretty good managing my condition

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I have to agree with you. When I finally got help. They tried to throw me in a group session. That's after they first evaluate you. Well, let's just say the first session didn't go to well. Some Vet's can talk about what happen with others and some just can't. As for me, it's like pushing me into a corner. Now, I can talk about it, but I try not to remember it much.

With me, they never put me into a group or got me help. I fell through the cracks, because I was badly injuried in the end. I was in the hospital for close to 9 months, so they where worried about other things.

I was just so ready to get out. I did pretty much what you posted. Moved to someone's where I wouldn't be bothered and because a hermit. It's sad, but allot of Vet's do this. They are either scared, or don't know what to do. Normal people don't understand this. They know they seen and did some shit, but they don't understand what's going on in their heads.

As for me and being an Airborne Company Sniper. The Biggest issue and this is why I see two psychologist. Once a month, which is my normal VA psychologist and the second every 6 months. Which is the boss of my normal VA psychologist. They are worried with all I've seen in the Middle Easy, Bosnia, Panama, and Korea. Yes, things still happens every now and then in Korea. I was sent on patrol after a Humvee went missing and the NCO and two enlisted went missing.

Sorry, long story short. They are worried I might snap and go off the deep end. Not going to happen, but they ask me every time. Do you own any guns. lol I was smart enough to give my gun collection to my dad. I knew coming back it was the smart thing to do.

Sorry, for the rant. A lot of good points being brought up. I know it will help others. If one isn't for group sessions. It's your right to request a one on one. Don't let them tell you they can't or don't have the money, because all you have to do is call the man at the big white building. I don't want to spell it out, some words get keyed, but a buddy did that and guess what. It worked and he got help and one on one. It's your right. Not everyone can do the group thing.

Take care and wish the best to all my brother and sisters.
BG

Thanks for sharing BG! Hit the nail on the head you did. I called my local representative and got stuff squared away super fast. Sometimes you just need to go over the persons head that is giving you a run around. Most of us, like myself, have become hermits with a limited life outside our houses. MMJ is the best thing that happened to me post war. Growing and medicating is my therapy. I just need to ween off my last pill and I'm good, I hope. Horrible side effects if your late on your dose by like 10 minutes! Either way best of luck everyone and thanks for your service!

Cheers,
Crom