So if you’re not in the military you don’t have PTSD

Evidently, if you aren’t a veteran, you do not have PTSD. This stigma and incorrect information by the public is a large issue. The media has cared about veterans since 9/11, as I have known many from past wars who experienced far more get treated like crap and go unnoticed. Websites that are in the mental health system strangely have veterans leading the way in their donation site regarding the disorder. Only veterans. I donated elsewhere, as it’s aggravating.

Most veterans hate the stigma too. The problem is, what if you have severe PTSD, which many of us do, are male, and if someone finds out you suffer from this hell, they always assume you’re a veteran? Frustration and helplessness, much like the disorder, dominate daily.

Most people know that there is only one way out of beating severe PTSD, and I’ve known a dozen personally who took a gun or rope to shut their minds off. As with any mental disorder, it never stops. The only problem then is everything is stopped forever permanently. You’re finally free, but others suffer.

If you’re a male and need help, unless you’re a veteran, nobody cares. My ongoing odyssey of trying to find peers and help in person only happens when I occidentally meet someone who has it and opens up. It’s usually women, but they have their own groups. A regular male? Nope.

We’re obsolete, or that kid left off the team because he’s too short. You get used to it over time, but the posturing in the field is worse than 10-15 years ago. It’s broken, and this is only one of the many glaring issues. Others are frustrated too, but why is it so hard to find help or have anyone care unless you’re a veteran? It’s asinine and embarrassing, but that’s America.

It’s trauma. That’s it. It's pure hell that gets you 25–30 years later sometimes, but it’s always there, and it’s hell 24/7 when it resurfaces.

We all used to be in the same groups until 9/11. Strange. Suddenly, anyone with this horrible disorder is seen as less than unless they are in the military. Many of the latter find it embarrassing, but there is tons of support for them. Never used to be. They hate the stigma too, but are usually the only ones you hear about because a veteran committing a savage suicide sells papers or gets a lot of hits.

The only way out of this hell is often suicide, as we’ve tried it all. Nothing. There are more medications that make you worse than you were before, and they do jack. Other, more intense therapies make you more agitated and disturbed than before. The suicide rate involving this disorder grows as it’s the only way out. It definitely feels that way. However, unless you’re a vet, nobody cares or assumes you are weak and exaggerating things. Do better.

The way 49 something bachelors and couples who do not have kids are treated is similar to being a man with PTSD who isn’t in the military. How embarrassing. It is hard enough to talk about what has happened to you while seeking help. You do it, then are tossed aside because you were not in the desert. And people wonder why many choose death. There are so many reasons, but does anyone actually care? The question remains.