ok time for me to ask a question i dont understand

[saxman]

i dont understand wht my Drs at the VA tell me to shut down all news that deals with the world war 3 kind of thing. #1 i do understand that everytime i see news reports that have anything to do with war, that i get wierded out . i go back to self protect kind of mode since i was in Nam and stuff related to that kind of mentality. #2 when i dont watch to news it is easier to go through a nother day. # 3 is my question if i didnt veiw war on the tv does it mean it has gone away? its kind of like the tree thing talking about if a tree falls in a forest and know body is there to see it or hear it did it happen kind of thing. My problem is that i know its going on , a tree really fell and there is nothing i can do to protect the people i love . i feel that the Va wants me to close my eyes.,,,,,,,,,,,,,, its hard for me to shut them . if anyone understands this ? what i said please let me know private emails or this site Please .some one just answer me Thanks

[Dee]

Well Mike,

It's important to be mindful of what you feed your mind with. Makes sense to me that watching world conflicts will upset you and remind you of your past war experiences.

I get the headlines about the Middle East then tune out. It’s all I can handle really.

(((hug)))

[saxman]

are you saying to me that , my past expierences keep me trapped. and what i see going on in the world now, is going to pass and i should not have to protect anyone ? do you think that it wont hit home like it hit me ? am i a rusult of my past expierences?, i worry to much?

[saxman]

send me $ 10 and i will get you to ebay LOL , that made me laugh , send me money and i can get a life and maybe get 30 more years added to my life . anyone know that it,will be bad in a few weeks?n am i out of line when i see the world is in a self destutive mode ?i Like to listen to Janis tonight and i might be here tomorrrow, if im here tomorrow i will help . i will help till tomorrow never comes, i want tomorrows t9o be a good thing for my children

[saxman]

i am in my own hell and tonight Will be a good night to listen to music , i will play and listen. im so sorry if im in a mode that does not see the future as a good one, i seeee my children on the run, and i cant deal with it in my mind. so im sorry . i post hjere because i see that i get answers that help me cope , and i think that its time now for someone to explain it to me in a way that i have not expierenced it. any takers to my question>?

[Randy & Betty in Pa]

Mike my friend...

You share a hell with many other vets.... You know the problem... you know the solution... You need to accept the horrors that you've seen as the past... My friend if I could be so presumptious I would suggest the same thing to you that I did to many others sharing your condition... Go to the Wall... It dosen't matter what time of the day or night... But get there... Take a goodly supply of tears and say the farewells that you need to say... If you need strength take a walkman full of Janis and Joy along with you... Mike if you can't make it to Washington DC for the Wall... Watch for the Moving Wall to come to a Legion Post or community center nearer to you... Mike... The Wall does heal...

While there stop and look at Panel E-5 Line 15 and say hello for me.

Best to you my friend...

R. from Pa

http://www.themovingwall.org/
http://www.virtualwall.org/

[Lily]

Mike, the war triggers me real bad too because of my PTSD. My therapist almost forbid me to be glued to news and Internet the way I try to. I become irritated and very anxious. Hard to function this way, especially around my employees and kids. So I watch the news only twice a day. It DOES help. I go through the day trying not to think what is going on there... Unfortunately, nothing I can do anyway

Hope it answered your question
Best
Lily

P.S. And yes, music does help quite a bit

[ponytail]

I know what you mean, Mike. I'm not a vet but I have some of the same conditions, including Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, because of having been abused as a kid. My therapist tells me to use my own judgment about following news, and I'm going through a period of "sort of" ignoring it. I don't make a point of following the news. But I hear about current events second-hand from my friends, at church, on web sites I frequent, even from material of stand-up comedians or The Daily Show -- and if it strikes me that I need to know more about a particular event, I look up news stories about it on the net. That way I'm not totally out of touch, but I'm not bombarded with too much negative stuff all at once. That's the way of dealing with it that works for me, right now. There will probably be a period when I feel more up to followng the news -- for instance, I followed it avidly when Kerry was running for President. Since Bush got re-elected, not so much...

[Dee]

are you saying to me that , my past expierences keep me trapped. and what i see going on in the world now, is going to pass and i should not have to protect anyone ? do you think that it wont hit home like it hit me ? am i a rusult of my past expierences?, i worry to much?

I was only saying that I try not to over stress about things I can do nothing about Mike. It's not my job to analyse your situation.

Having said that, I believe Randy’s suggestion is a good one – let yourself let go of the past. Otherwise you might remain stuck in recycling old hurts more than you need to.

I’m sure you’ll never forget the hell you went through, and I’m not saying facing demons is easy, but it might do you some good to make peace with the past.

I’m only one person. I can’t change the world.

[Randy & Betty in Pa]

I’m only one person. I can’t change the world.

Dee, we all change the world in someway... some for the better.. some for the worse... but we all have a value and do cause change simply by being here for ourselves and others.... "No person is so small that they do not render change...." I was told that by a clerk at a McDonalds drive through window.... Made sense to me...

Best to all

R. from Pa

[saxman]

Thanks everyone again for being here for me.You as a group make lots of sence.,,,,even Randy pa

[hoops]

Mike, is it that helpless feeling when you know you should do something but you don't know exactly what to do and you are scared because you don't want anyone you love to get hurt but ifg you don't do what you need to do soon they might and since you don't know what to do you're even more scared and not knowin what to do make you feel like you are not smart enough and being scared makes you feel like you are weak and not being able to take care of things make you feel worthless but seeing what's going on makes you inutteribly sad that the world has come to this and your not sure that things will get better but you hope they do, but you're not suire and that scares you even more...is that kinda what you're feeling right now mike? me too... but mike, knowing that you care makes me feel like things are already a little better than they were
peace mike
hoops