Brokenness In Veterans
Brokenness In Veterans
Have you ever felt so depressed getting out of bed or doing anything was a chore and exhausting? At times it can be exhausting holding our emotions and responses in check so we do not explode on others. People go through periods of feeling sad about situations in their lives, yet feeling broken inside is much worse. This one is especially hard for our veterans; there is a thread running through our minds telling us we can handle anything and do not need help. On average, 22 veterans a day commit suicide, and that is not acceptable.
The truth is we do need help, professional help, and help from a solid support system. It is difficult to confide in a stranger and trust them right out of the gate. Family support is a definite lifeline to stay connected to, as well as other comrades who have a shared experience and navigated this part of life. Spiritual support is a component as well, faith plays a large part in the healing process. Veterans can benefit from seeking professional help from a counselor who is also a veteran.
Brokenness can be looked at as knowing what to do, how to do it, knowing it needs to be done and not having the motivation to put action to it. Brokenness can catch up to us from a trauma we faced in our lives that we do not want to deal with. Failing to act also makes it that much worse, we are trained to act, react, and take an objective. Many of us have lost jobs, are struggling, and having relational problems with our families, resolve to get help and grow beyond the brokenness.
Part of getting through this is realizing our family is going through it all with us, and they need as much grace from us as we desire from them. Recognizing the support from family by actions and words can go a long way. Look for the good in the world, ask how you get through it, set your mind to figuring out the plan to take the objective.
Let the feelings be known productively, stay away from the high volume, low productivity discussions that can happen. As the proverb says, “a soft answer turns away wrath.” Feelings of anxiety and anger are normal, face them and rule over them. Keep your why at the front of your mind, and doing for others is a good way to work through your “stuff” as well. Not everyone who knows you shares your perspective of who you are right now, chances are they have a much better view of you, ask them.
Everyone has ups and downs in their life, it is the way life works, and it is how we grow and become better people when we overcome. There is no magic pill to get through it all. We are all broken in some way. Seek help, we do not overcome by ourselves, we do it through teamwork and with help coming from God, and sometimes it is a bumpy ride, getting smoother on the other side.
