Joe Walsh and PTSD

[nolabear]

I don't start threads too often but I can't stop thinking about this. I sometimes have occasion to work with veterans and their families as a counselor, and I can't tell you all how damaging Joe Walsh's remarks about Tammy Duckworth can be to people who are suffering from PTSD as a result of service in war--all war. The disrespect that Walsh showed for that soldier's pain and sacrifice has the capacity to call up the secret fears that many, many service personnel harbor, that the impact on their lives, their bodies, their health and their families means nothing to the rest of us, particularly when so many of us have a hard time with the conflicts themselves.

People go into the service for various reasons--convictions, patriotism, simple economic need, hope for a career they wouldn't otherwise have. These days they end up fighting. No matter how you feel about wars and those who fight them, let me tell you it changes them. They can't unsee, unfeel, undo the things they've experienced, and in order to be able to live fully and to be there for those who need them they need for us, their fellow human beings, to at the very least appreciate how different they have become and to be there for them. For those who are struggling to get the distance they need, to make meaning, to take up their civilian lives and help their families heal, what that man said is cruel, and potentially damaging, and not only should he be held accountable but the rest of us should do all we can to assure those people that, no matter how we regard war itself, their sacrifices are real and deserving of respect.

Thanks for listening. Happy Fourth.

[Brigid]

1. Very eloquent.

And Joe Walsh is a heartless, clueless idiot. Thanks for posting.

[nolabear]

6. Heartless, yes. Clueless, I'm not so sure.

Imo he's willing to make them "collateral damage".

[quispquake]

2. Thank you for this...

And FUCK Joe Walsh, and his contemporaries for truly not giving a shit...

[nolabear]

4. Even worse, for USING their pain for political gain.

It's the worst kind of opportunism. I'm no longer shocked at what politicians do, but I don't have to be quiet about it, eh?

[dionysus]

3. one of my best friends spent a year in iraq, never got shot at, and still saw enough shit to mess

him up real bad.

[nolabear]

5. I know. It's heart wrenching. Thanks for reading.

[dionysus]

7. oh another anecdote. the friend i mentioned was regular army. i had another friend over there who

was national guard. both guys had the same job; running ammo\supply convoys all over iraq. the guy in the guards saw action and actually had to kill people. if fucked him up BADLY.

it's all luck of the draw. and few come out unscathed.

then there's the guys who brag about killing and death. they're either lying (vast majority), or true psychopaths.

the guys who saw real action don't like talking about it much unless it's with other veterans in hushed tones, then certainly don't brag about what they've seen and done...

[nolabear]

8. But, you know, if people do want to talk about what they've been through they shouldn't feel guilty.

Lots don't talk, and it might help if they did. It's like saying Gabby Giffords should just act as if nothing happened.

On edit, I didn't mean to imply you were saying that. I know you didn't.

[dionysus]

9. right. i mean the people you hear bragging about their exploits.

vast majority of those doing so are liars.. the small % that did shit and brag about it are ____

problem is a lot of vets keepthat stuff bottled up, and it makes it harder to heal.

[nolabear]

10. Agreed and agreed.

[SaveAmerica]

11. Thank you for your thoughts and incites

I wonder if Walsh ever served and if so, did he spend any time in the Middle East? Really easy to talk trash when you don't know anything about what it's about.

[bluesbassman]

13. No, he did not serve in any capacity. That's what makes his comments even more disgusting.

One can criticize war and the reasons for our involvement all one wants, even if one hasn't served. I have no problem with that. But to impugn the service of an actual combat vet, and one who has been disabled on top of, it is the lowest of low. If he had one once of Tammy Duckworth's honor, he would resign and apologize to his constituents and America for being such an ass.

[bluesbassman]

12. Nice post nolabear, thanks for addressing this issue from your professional perspective.

[WcoastO]

14. Republican chickenhawks.......

always get away with this garbage. Democrats are often trashed by the GOP and their punditry. Here's a DU link telling the true story about who served and who didn't:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1440824

[CoffeeCat]

15. Thank you so much nolabear

I really appreciate the work that you do and your expertise as well. You highlight a very important point--that a soldier with PTSD experiences emotions--and the experience of being thrown into a controversy VERY differently than a person without PTSD.

What an astute observation you make! It's an important one because Joe Walsh's words were hurtful, but the ensuing firestorm that he created for Tammy Duckworth--is even more pain. She didn't ask for this. She didn't ask to be thrust into the spotlight and to be denigrated in public--and have her life, her injuries and her character the subject of a national debate. For her, the emotions experienced in such a stressful situation are heightened to the point of it being traumatic--due to the PTSD.

I have PTSD, due to an abusive childhood. I am lucky because I have a great therapist and a terrific friend who has the same condition due to a similar childhood. We talk sometimes about how we now experience life through a very sensitive lens. Just like a soldier who experienced war--your body becomes primed--psychologically and physiologically--to expect danger and even death. So you become hypervigiliant--all of the time. I compare it to having a sunburn and then going to the beach. You're all ready so raw from your negative experiences, that normal life "exposure" really hurts. Small emotions can become larger than life very quickly. Flashbacks, and bad memories leave you on edge--even when there is nothing happening at the moment to upset you.

So, I can only imagine what it is like for someone who has PTSD to be forced into the paper shredder of public
opinion.

Also, when you have PTSD, your symptoms are worsened when you feel unsafe or out of control. I imagine that her symptoms have been exacerbated by this experience. I bet she's having trouble sleeping and managing all of the emotions that come with this. And people like Joe Walsh, who denigrate your life and your life's work--are a reminder that the world isn't safe and that your character can be assassinated without warning--if a political opponent deems it helpful to his campaign. Certainly not helpful to someone with PTSD.

Thanks again for bringing this very important point to the forefront nolabear. You're a lifesaver to those whose lives you have touched in important ways!