War Vet Lounge

[lazarus718]

Looks great John!!! Lots of floorspace in that room my friend, hopefully here in a month or so you won't even see that tile anymore:banana1sv6:

 

[lazarus718]

Sorry for the absence guys...ran into a few roadblocks but back in the saddle again. I noticed a lot of the vets in here have been trying their best to seek out help and not to be sitting on their asses or popping off rounds into the general public and that does piss me off that our whole bureaucratic process fails us. Unlike some of you on here I didn't see heavy combat, but what I did see did have an impact on me and the absence of my routines as well as the adrenaline I had grown accustomed to is like a huge hole in my chest. You just cannot find it again once you separate. That is something that our wives, our girlfriends, our parents, and our children just cannot possibly understand. It is something we all share who have been "there" and it is the reason I started this forum. I am very glad to see you guys using this form of an anonymous outreach and to see you sharing info back and forth. I am one of those types that closes it all in, I don't see a psychiatrist, I haven't been to a doctor since my separation evaluation in 2003. My solace comes mostly from the bottle but also from hearing about you guys having similar struggles and knowing that what I feel is normal. Thanks guys.

 

[GanjaAL]

your not alone brother... I am so glad for your post as that is often how I feel and lately it has been building. I am working on getting some help but when you have things you have to do... you tend to put yourself second in order to accomplish the mission at hand... good ol' military training at its best... you often push through and neglect what is needed to fix it. It sucks that often times it takes so long to get what you earned while everyone gets to enjoy their freedoms at our cost. We have to fight just as hard as we did when we were in just so we can function and enjoy what this country has to offer... and until then we suffer and so do our loved ones.

 

[Frank_Castle]

I hear you Lazarus. I've done the best progress so far by just letting go.

Sure those guys are the best guys I will ever meet and work with again. Sure, I feel a huge bond from them.

But I just want to move on. Put that part of my life behind me and not dwell on it. Kind of like high school or college. It had its place in my life but now that time and place is over.

Or I just smoke a lot of weed LOL. Watch that booze man; it is a serious depressant. Switch 100% to pot.

 

[crom]

100% pot IS the answer. Also stay the fuck away from Venlafaxine! That is the worst thing I have been on yet as far as being locked in. The drug works great, but the side effects and withdraws are horrendous! Try googling "brain zaps", I get these if I'm like 10 minutes late with the pill! Not worth it. I do highly recommend getting your rating correct though guys! You get a tax free check for the rest of your life, period! Not to mention you can get all your meds free for life. I don't like groups,individual,or counselling from psychiatrists, BUT being on meds that work for YOU helps tremendously for the people that have to deal with us on a daily basis. Alcohol has been the #1 reason for my friends going down hill in a hurry! One of my Soldiers was so fuct that he lost his license for dui, then drove anyway, went out to the bar with his brother, crashed drunk on the way home, killed his brother, went to jail! FUCK THAT! I never have the slightest regret for quitting drinking! I had my drinking days in the Army, more then any frat boy, and that's where I left it. Cannabis is such a better choice, as you have obviously seen otherwise I wouldn't know of you[guys]. All I can say is get help and let the VA pay you for it. Shit you could get enough money per month to offset some of your growing expenses! It's worth a shot. I'm definitely not preaching for the VA because I know like the rest of us that that place is broken. I'm just saying that you all most likely qualify for AT LEAST 70% disability through the VA. The VA is the only place that will do anything for US, UNLESS you apply for SSDI and collect that check. Once you get 70% disability and are deemed unemployable you get bumped up to 100%. Coupled with the SSDI money, your talking about around 50k/year, for the rest of your life. Not too shabby if you ask me. Now if you dont qualify for that whole shabang then you should still qualify for service connected disability. If you haven't done the VA assessment for all this GO DO IT. Again this is just my 2 cents. I'm anything but a freeloader, but I figure that the system fucked us sooo much that it's worth trying to get some of it back. Keep your heads up guys/gals! If you have any questions about anything hit me up! Please. If this isn't for you than that's cool too! Just trying to look after my fellow Soldiers/Farmers!

Cheers,
Crom

 

[Seamaiden]

I really wish I could post publicly some things I've just learned after my trip to SoCal and reuniting with my old high school (and junior high school) friends, and I must again thank all of you. I have to thank you for your service and I have to thank you for speaking openly, because by doing so you helped *me* in many ways.

Thank you, all of you. I'll pray that you get what you need, but that won't actually *do* much, so if there is any way I can help any of you, let me know. I owe you.

 

[crom]

Thank you Seamaiden for being so supportive! I wish there were more people like yourself out there!

Cheers,
Crom

 

[GanjaAL]

Thank you so much Seamaiden!

 

[Seamaiden]

No, seriously, thank YOU. Right now I can't remember who it was that posted about the 101st, but it led me back to my dearest friends from so long ago and I finally got to reconnect with them last week.

We spoke, but only very briefly, of what the life of a soldier is like, especially the life of a soldier who sees combat. I honestly don't know how it's done, but then I don't know how first responders, et alia, do what they do.

You all have 'something' in you that I haven't got, but I admire and respect it, whatever it is.

 

[crom]

No, seriously, thank YOU. Right now I can't remember who it was that posted about the 101st, but it led me back to my dearest friends from so long ago and I finally got to reconnect with them last week.

We spoke, but only very briefly, of what the life of a soldier is like, especially the life of a soldier who sees combat. I honestly don't know how it's done, but then I don't know how first responders, et alia, do what they do.

You all have 'something' in you that I haven't got, but I admire and respect it, whatever it is.

:inlove:rock:cool:giggle:sun:makeup:party0042:

 

[lazarus718]

Or I just smoke a lot of weed LOL. Watch that booze man; it is a serious depressant. Switch 100% to pot.

Working on it Frank, I've been waiting in the wind for a job offer to come through and it did but have been waiting to officially start. It's a big one and they had yet to drug test me so have been staying off the meds while I waited to hear word of when my start date will be. Been two months now and I start next week, so I have almost pulled through but have been relying on that good old whiskey to get me to sleep at night. I definitely feel more tired and irritable than I have been and haven't been sleeping as well, just an overall feeling of unhealthiness. Next Tuesday when I get home from my 15 hour workday I'll be lighting up a victory smoke man! Plan is to kick the bottle once I am set back into my routine, to sleep better, and get to feeling good again bro!

 

[johnursery]

hey guys was just taking pics yesterday with different settings of the Hindu Kush's and thought id throw some up...been having a good summer so far and the end of the month one of my old army buddies is coming to visit

 

[lazarus718]

How'd that Kush turn out John? Saw that the thread has fizzled a bit, any new vets to the Farm?

 

[testez]

Yeah, I just noticed this thread. didn't even know it existed.

2870 service battalion is were it started for me. was with the 22nd for awhile. Did nato, served in Bosnia with first advance recon Bravo.

Nice to see I'm not alone. I self medicated with all kinda shit for ptsd including coke and heroin, never got stuck on it thank god. DID wayyyyy to much x and now I chill with my spliff and a beer once in awhile. Chronic weed smoker though, take my weed away and I'm a grumpy mother fucker from hell lol

Do you still get the dreams and cold sweats at night? i still do like at least 1 time a week. Can't sleep ay night or else it happens every nite. I have to sleep after the sun comes up to rest properly.

 

[blazer]

What is up my brothers!!! Glad to run into this thread first I saw.
jarhead(Marine)lol 1 st mar div OIF VET 1ST RCT. GOT TO LUV THE PTSD The Maryjane absolutely helps keep me calm and I luv growing it! SEMPER FI!!! and stay green!
Chemical romance! Bud shot:character0095:

 

[crom]

Any Farmers serve at FOB Kalsu in Iraq in '05? My unit was doing work with 2nd MEF, 1st Recon, & the Army SF.

 

[GanjaAL]

How my vet brothers doing??? Just got my intake with the shrink... hope it will do some good. Love mary though... she keeps me mellow.... smoke'em if you got um people.

 

[crom]

^^Hey just an FYI for all my fellow PTSD vets, and any others actually. Go try acupuncture for your ailment! It was fucking amazing! No hocus pocus straight up hands of god feeling, for ptsd at least. Totally worked for me. I still have it obviously but I'm super happy and not wanting to kill the world anymore lol. But for real go do one session and tell them exactly what you are there for. The Eastern approach to medicine is so different. I tried every drug for ptsd and nothing even came close to what accupunture did! No Shit. Give it a go if you can. It's like $160/ session till you are established then it gets cheaper. Worth a shot if your sick of the pill shite. I know I was. I also had a pinched nerve that was 80% cured with one visit! After that it was gone the next visit. Just a heads up.

Cheer,
Crom

 

[GanjaAL]

Thanks for the heads up Crom... for me... mmj has been the ticket. takes the edge off bigtime and now more of the VA doc's are not denying it either. The VA also backs it... if you are in a mmj state.

 

[johnursery]

Thanks for the heads up Crom... for me... mmj has been the ticket. takes the edge off bigtime and now more of the VA doc's are not denying it either. The VA also backs it... if you are in a mmj state.

yea i was in a hypothetical conversation with my phsychiatrist last time i was at the VA and he was agree'ing that soldiers in those mmj states are less dependant on other substances, he even printed out a list of all the mmj states and there laws :P i know he would support it but he was also saying if your not in a med-state and you admit to smoking they withhold alot of meds out of fear of abusal...with the hindu's there cured now, ill keep some seeds but i wasnt as impressed as i thought id be, i was gunna use it for breeding but some females had some hermie issues so ill grow out the females that didnt have any issues eventualy to see if the trait still carry's if so ill just drop it...it does have a very nice calming effect though, id say great for relaxing, not a heavy enough feeling for a good sleep med, but a good indica...