by Commissioner Bill Hall, Lincoln County Oregon
I want to tell you about a young man whose story touches so many things that are important to me--honoring veterans, helping the homeless, treating addictions. He's a Lincoln County native who came from the most loving, supportive family you could imagine. Did well in school. Honorably served in Afghanistan. He was riding in a Humvee like this that ran over an IED that went off. Complained of back pain. Was given opioid pain killers and sent home.
Months later, when the pain persisted, the VA finally did an MRI and found he had a fractured back. Cut off his pain meds. He had a live-in companion, a child, a home, a responsible job. He turned to heroin to deal with the ongoing pain and lost companion, child, home and job. Ended up running afoul of the law and making the news.
I saw many horrible comments about him here on Facebook. Ignorant, judgmental people. There's a ray of hope now. He's in treatment and so far, so good, but he faces a long road. We have to stop criminalizing addictions, people. We have to start honoring veterans by doing more than just spouting slogans and waving the flag. We have to become a more just and caring society. I know, I'm a dreamer. But if I stop dreaming, I'll lose hope.
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I spent the first 6 decades of my life trying to figure out what was wrong with me and everything else in my life. When I finally started learning about post trauma stress (PTS) and trauma informed care, it was clear that empathy and compassion were possible once we changed the conversation to "what happened" not "what is wrong."
This seemingly basic concept allowed me to begin my own journey of healing in 2011 at age 64. Every time I talk to a person suffering from PTSD, including depression, anxiety, addiction, and other mental health challenges, I try to find out what happened, not what is wrong. Once we change the conversation to what happened, the talk shifts immediately to a greater mutual understanding of the roots of the emotional struggles of your friends, neighbors, and loved ones who are suffering from a past traumatic life event.
In the story above, we are talking about a combat veteran who came home from war a different person because of being exposed to the horrific violence of war. The explosion from an IED can also cause traumatic brain injury, a compounded physical injury that affects a persons ability to process stressful circumstances. We know now that the human brain is rewired, the chemistry changes to adapt to extreme survival circumstances that combat veterans experience in extended deployments on the battlefield. Because we know this as human beings we can have more empathy and compassion for others who suffer terribly, often 24/7 with the emotional baggage of war, the violence and carnage, losing a buddy, seeing little children dead in the streets as collateral damage is too much for a once healthy mind to process and get past once home to resume life as a typical citizen.
I hope Bill Hall's story and my comments help others to empathize with all veterans who come home after serving America in wars we start and often never finish. We citizens send young men and women to war, after all. The war comes home to the dinner table and the community where it is often extremely difficult for veterans to readjust to a typical life as a member of our society.
Be kind, be loving, listen and learn, then guide your dear friend and loved one to a path of healing. We know how to help in the 21st Century. There was a time decades ago when sons, daughters, fathers and mothers came home from war and we had no idea what they were experiencing emotionally, and didn't know what to do. here are no more excuses for ignorance, no more excuses for a lack of empathy and compassion!
Steve Sparks, Author, Blogger, Child Advocate, Mental Health Champion
click here for my author page...
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