OEF OIF Veteran Writes Book to Tell Daughters PTSD Pain Isn't Their Fault

Army veteran tackles PTSD struggles with children’s book
KSN.com
By NBC NIGHTLY NEWS
Published: April 1, 2015

“Sometimes life isn’t perfect, but we are a family, and we will stick together and love each other forever.”

(NBC) PTSD can feel like a private prison for our men and women returning from the battlefield, but one veteran found a way to bridge the gap that PTSD created between him and his children.

It’s not every night the author of your bedtime story reads it to you.

“Mom, why is dad so mad all the time?”

But this book was written by Reagan’s dad after he came back from Iraq and Afghanistan with post-traumatic stress disorder.

“Dad was different when he came home from overseas.”

“It’s like dad always has a fire in his chest.”

Retired Army First Sergeant Seth Kastle is one of the 10 to 22 percent of recent vets who struggles with PTSD.

And he struggles to explain it to his girls.

Seth: “I want them to know they aren’t responsible for that.”

Hallie: “Do you think they feel responsible?

Seth: “I don’t know. I hope not. I looked for something to have this conversation with my kids and it wasn’t there.”

That’s the reason he wrote “Why is dad so mad”.
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It's not everyday I start off crying but this story did it to me. This is very important because this Dad decided that he needed to tell explain what most adults don't understand. What PTSD does is not the fault of children or a spouse any more than it is the fault of the veteran.

By the time our daughter was born, I had been working on this for 6 years. I knew everything I needed to know so that she knew she was not responsible for any of this. It was easier for me but almost impossible for other Vietnam veterans families.

The bad days we had came flooding back into my mind and when I read this story, I cried knowing what it is like for this family and far too many more.

They don't need to know what happened in combat. They do need to know their parent is suffering because of what happened. They do not need to know all the complexities behind any of it. All they need to know is, they are loved and they are not to blame for any of this.