Need help with a war vet!!! HELP!

[Fishy]

Ok this KID is only 20 years old and he just got back from Iraq. He was Army Infantry and has some stories that even my dad, who is a 'nam Vet won't even tell!! This kid needs serious help and I have exhausted all options short of dragging his ass to a V.A. hospital. This kid is full of anger and pain from the shit he went through and as the son of a vet and a long line of military men, it's too close to me to think clearly for how to help this kid! I won't go into the disturbing detail of what this kid saw, as I had a rather difficult time listening to it myself. Not for the fact I didn't want to hear it but like I said, I'm the son of a vet and raised to see things a certain way. I want to help this kid but I just don't know how anymore!! HELP?? Any ideas? Suggestions?? Anything????

 

[XLR8R]

Be there for him, listen and don't judge. and find him help.....it is a hell of an undertaking to take on yourself.
good luck to him.

 

[Fishy]

Be there for him, listen and don't judge. and find him help.....it is a hell of an undertaking to take on yourself.
good luck to him.

Yeah I know but he's a good kid and he's a friends son in law so I wnna be a friend to him as well. Like I said, I'm just too close to the situation.

 

[69.5CUDA]

id help ya bro but ya know im to far away to be much good...hate to say it but hes going to need to talk alot of crap out and sych/shrink would help some..the VA could be of use as well

 

[dodgedifferent2]

counsellors like crazy... he needs to talk .. and he needs people to listen and people to turn to when he is having a bad day ... there will most likely be many .. hopefuly he does not turn to the alcohol and drown his sorrows because nobody will listen ...

had a friend that came back from afghan. and he was pretty messed up by some stuff and hit the alcohol ... till he finally got counselling and shrinks .. and ... *walks over to the phone to call*


sorry just my .02 or what i would do ..

 

[Fishy]

sorry just my .02 or what i would do ..

No need to apologize. Thanks bro!

 

[ORVIL]

YUP be there for him Fish--- i was very close to one of my cousins who came back from NAM. that was a mind bendr for what he went thru. everone told him to shake it off. stupid idea. he drove around with a 357 mag for years. he has gone nutz in a word. he will talk to me cause i was there for him in a limited kind of way just like you. to to close. get him into see somebody. i am sure the VA is flooded with this stuff. as far as i am concerned BUSH should be paying the bill for this . i dont see Bushes girls sighning up for the corps. be a friend and we are here for ya to grab onto also. we will do what we can. im know i will. k? -- if ya need to call

 

[gunbunny]

1st of all I'm sorry for the late posting. I didn't see this sooner.
I am a vet also. Went to Iraq the first go around in 91. Remember the "Highway to Hell"? I was one of the guys who helped make that. Then when we rolled up on it, well I don't really want to relive that. I went back again shortly after the push this time around. That really messed me up.
Your friend needs to know he's not alone. There are others who saw and went through the same crap as he did. It doesn't make it better, but there are others who can relate. If he's still in, someone needs to contact his chain of command. The military can take it from there.
It needs to be done before he self destructs. I know, I did it once. I just walked away and said "Fuck it". I was gone nearly 2 months and don't really remember much of it. When I came back, I had to deal with the Army and worst of all, my family.
to this day, I am worried something from that will come back to haunt me. If he's out, still contact his prior chain of command, they can help.

 

[Fishy]

Yeah he got out. He had an episode a couple days after I initially posted this thread where he says he walked into his room ald all of a sudden he was, "back there..." put his fist through a glass curio cabinet...luckily he recieved no injuries but that night he just kinda verbally went off about the state of the world and everything in it. Like someone else here said he has a lot of shit he needs to just scream out and I just kinda let him. He's been good since that night but I got the number for the local VFW as it's pretty much the only thing here short of going to the Coast guard base or national Gaurd armory which are other places I'm going to seek advice. He just has alot going on right now with his life and I think he's letting that drown out the rest of the crap. I'm off on Monday so I'm gonna go to the VFW and the armory in person and ask what they can do or offer to help. Thanks to all who have replied. :bravo: