Asking For Help Saved Lives During Combat And Afterwards

There are too many Marines thinking they should not ask for help after combat.

They forget that they always had help to fight each battle during war.

They are no less of a Marine when they need help because of it.

Just imagine if this Marine wanted to do this alone.

His buddies came and helped him.

And this picture would have looked a lot different if they did not work together.

The battles fought at home should not be fought alone.

Yesterday I was talking to a buddy of mine and I said that it just didn't make sense for veterans to think that asking for help is a sign of weakness.  After all, during combat it wasn't seen as weakness to call in reinforcements when needed.  

Asking for help saved lives.

So why is it that some have decided the enemy inside of them should be fought alone?

PTSD is the enemy of your future.  You can defeat it and survive as long as you stop fighting this battle alone. Ask for help and if you don't find the right kind of help, keep looking until you find what works for you.

The number of veterans committing suicide keeps going up because they gave up. The good news is more veterans are not just healing, they are thriving and making sure they help others survive this battle as well.

During PTSD Awareness Month, talking about the problem has not worked since they started doing this years ago.  It is time to talk about what works and what you need to know.  

Begin with the simple fact you are not a victim.  You are a survivor or combat trauma.  Most of you have survived many events.

You are not weak but the strength of your emotional core is so strong you felt it all more deeply.

PTSD is not new. Many generations of veterans have experienced the same inner turmoils you are going through including recipients of the Medal of Honor.

PTSD cannot be cured but it can be treated and you are not stuck suffering the way you are right now. You can heal and live a better life.

It is never too late to seek help and you are not frozen the way you are today. As soon as you admit you need help and start to seek it, PTSD loses power and you start taking back control.

It is only harder to fight back home if you choose to fight alone.