Unlike the people of Russia, the rest of the world is watching the slaughter of Ukrainian people by Russian forces. The Russian people are being told lies because their leaders know their people would not approve of what they are doing. We’ve seen thousands of Russians protest what little they do know is happening. They are being arrested on the streets, yet still come out in mass to stop the war. What we see is the trauma the Ukrainian people are facing every hour. If it feels this bad to watch in so far away from them, how bad is it to live through it?
While it is understandable for us to acknowledge the coverage is hard on Veterans with #PTSD, we cannot ignore the fact that it is hard on anyone with it. Most of articles are reports on veterans being triggered by what they see on TV. It is almost as if the rest of us are forgotten about. The thing is, we can gain a lot of knowledge by reading what is being reported on.
It makes sense to learn from veterans because that is how the mental health community learned what trauma does to every survivor. Vietnam veterans came home and fought for the funding and research that benefitted everyone, no matter what caused survivors to suffer from PTSD.
One of the articles reported on, Veterans can experience trauma witnessing events in Ukraine on WSAW news had a very important piece of advice for all of us.
In the meantime, he says a simple check-up may seem insignificant, but it can go a long way in helping those who served. “It’s a critical thing, and it doesn’t seem very important, but to be able to communicate and take time to chat with each other and see how they’re doing is important,” said Weller.
Bob Weller is the Commander for American Legion Post #10
Psychology Today has a great article and directs it toward everyone living with PTSD. How Images of War in Ukraine Can Trigger PTSD
“Let yourself express your feelings. The events of the last week have left many of us feeling heartbroken. Trying to run from these emotions will not make them go away. If you feel like you want to cry, then cry. The more we fight the feelings, the more they take over as we go through our day week.”
Shari Botwin LCSW
Thriving After Trauma
The other points she makes include getting away from the coverage, not ignoring it, but taking a break from it. Even I have limits on how much time I can spend paying attention to the reports. I feel my soul being drained, so I turn off the news and put on something else. We do need to pay attention but we also need to limit how much attention we give to it. We also need to pay attention to ourselves.
If you have PTSD, no matter what caused it, read the article on Psychology Today and take care of yourself.
#BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD
