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Some expeditionary medals can also count for combat vet status.
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Sep 30, 2018 14:02
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Mr. Nice! posted:Also, if you are a combat vet*, you are eligible to use your local vet center versus the VA clinic/hospital for mental health needs. Here's a link for Atlanta's since I think I read you say something about Georgia: Yah, I spent 2005-2006 in Iraq avoiding IEDs.
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Sep 30, 2018 14:04
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I've got 30% PTSD disability rating from the VA. it should probably be more (looking at the online VA guidance for mental health disabilities, I'm pretty dang sure I should be at 50%, but...yeah, getting disability the first time was a mother.
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Sep 30, 2018 14:06
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Thalantos posted:I've got 30% PTSD disability rating from the VA. it should probably be more (looking at the online VA guidance for mental health disabilities, I'm pretty dang sure I should be at 50%, but...yeah, getting disability the first time was a mother. You are absolutely eligible for vet center use which might be faster access for you. Further, you should be rated higher. Did you use a VSO last time you put in your claim?
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Sep 30, 2018 14:28
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Mr. Nice! posted:You are absolutely eligible for vet center use which might be faster access for you. Further, you should be rated higher. Did you use a VSO last time you put in your claim? I'll call them tomorrow. I did, I used an organization over on the military base next to my house, forget exactly who they are now, tho. Ty everyone for your kind words and advice, it is helping. 
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Sep 30, 2018 14:48
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Thalantos posted:I mean, at this point it's less than 30 days until my appt. I understand how you can feel this way after seeing how lovely your VA is. You can also always send a secure message to your provider through My Healthevet. Sometimes I do that because it's a lot easier to get things out by sitting down and typing them, and I can go back and take out things that sound too over the top before I hit send. I know how it feels to be off your meds for a long time. I've been off them since the end of February when I found out I was pregnant. They told me it was probably OK to take them, but after my own research there's not really many studies done on the effects other than "the benefits outweigh the risks". I do fine at home but when I'm at work with all the drama, I could really use some stability for myself (I don't work in patient care so I don't mean patients, I mean my coworkers). The good news is that it's totally non detectable for things later on (don't want to gross anyone out here if you get what I mean) and we are approximately 43 days from closing time.
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Sep 30, 2018 15:10
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M_Gargantua posted:Some expeditionary medals can also count for combat vet status. GWOT 
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Sep 30, 2018 18:28
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I hate how my mind rabbit holes itself about dumb poo poo. I never rabbit hole good poo poo, only dumb poo poo. I don’t know what the gently caress I was thinking when I said I might give Monty away. What a dumb loving thing to think. I just left for a work trip yesterday. I dropped Monty off at a babysitter’s Saturday. Sleeping in my apartment was rough Saturday night. The silence is deafening, even compared to when Monty is there being silent and asleep. His presence alone adds volume to the room. I can’t explain what I’m trying to say here, but I definitely felt like a part of me got chopped off. I don’t know why it’s been more rough this time, but that rabbit hole thinking has me paranoid. Why am I SO MUCH MORE anxious this time? I’ve fought back tears in a few occasions. Is something going to happen while I’m away? I had a dream last night that he got hit by a car. And it played on a loving loop. I saw it happen several times. I’ve had dreams about deployment, people I know getting shot/blown up. I never have trouble going back to sleep for those dreams. But a dream about my dog getting run over? I might not sleep even tonight because of it. Luckily this is the last trip for work for a while. I volunteered for it because it was important for me to go on a trip to familiarize myself with all parts of this new project I am on. It’s just been a tough couple of days. And I start feeling weird about that. I’m 30 years old and I, figuratively, have an umbilical cord attached to my dog. I cannot function properly without him. It shouldn’t be this way. I should be able to function by myself, but I can’t. And it makes me feel immature and childish. Anyway, I’m done ranting. This was all kind of free flow thought so if it seems scattered and all over the place that’s why. Just wanted to vent.
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Oct 1, 2018 14:44
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Dude if you have to go somewhere for a long time and need someone to watch the doggo and dont mind shipping him to AK and back I'll watch him for free. Ratchet would love to have someone else to play with other than the kids, Hooker, and myself. Never ever give the doggo up. Monty is life.
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Oct 1, 2018 15:09
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Hey Cole that's the most I've ever related to you. I rabbit hole over sillier poo poo like saying something slightly awkward to a stranger, which has led to darker thoughts of what the world would be like without me. Breathing exercises occupy my mind long enough for the worst anxiety to wash over. Long slow ten second in, ten second hold, ten second out. Also there are a few mindfulness technique that keep your amygdala from firing off more amygdalin, by forcing your conscious mind aware that you are not being attacked by a bear and recognizing that you're not in immediate danger. There are too many to list, but I'm a fan of the exercise where I have to focus on my breath; then slowly expand my focus to my body, then surroundings. Then notice the details, shapes, color etc if the things around me; but I have to avoid labeling and categorizing everything, just observing. With practice, it has significantly helped me calm down the little rear end in a top hat almond in my brain. I'm sorry it sucks. I hope that helps.
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Oct 1, 2018 16:33
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Thalantos posted:I've got 30% PTSD disability rating from the VA. it should probably be more (looking at the online VA guidance for mental health disabilities, I'm pretty dang sure I should be at 50%, but...yeah, getting disability the first time was a mother. 50% is pretty much the standard iirc. This means that you meet the 30% requirements but not the 50%. I would highly recommend finding those ratings and determining if that's accurate. If not, appeal it. I am using a good loving lawyer right now, and he goes world wide and has access to people that other companies can't provide (he talked to 2nd in command at the regional VA center in Seattle). I am at 70, but I also completely agree with what my rating is for PTSD. Always fight back. I've been denied a bunch of poo poo but I'm getting it all turned around now thanks to my lawyer. boop the snoot posted:I hate how my mind rabbit holes itself about dumb poo poo. I never rabbit hole good poo poo, only dumb poo poo. I get rabbitholes. I get negative thought loops all the time. Replace your dog with my family and we have the same thing. Your dog grounds you, so your head is free to wander whenever it's not there. " Idle hands may be the devil's work, but idle minds are so much worse." This sounds stupid, but try to meditate. Seriously. The point of trying to get your mind clear is an exercise, and helps get rid of those thought loops. At least for me. This is what I do. Lay down, close my eyes, and breathe deep in for 4 and out for 4. I count, and reminding myself to count. I will often start to think of everything and when I catch myself doing so, I remind myself to count. Sometimes it takes 5 minutes to get that loop to stop, sometimes it's 30 minutes. Don't open your eyes, just try to relax. Give yourself nothing to distract you. This is how I stop my loops. Almost nothing else works. Also, don't be afraid to go on meds. I had to get back on medication because I literally could not stop having panic attacks. I could have tried to tough it out, but you also need to recognize when to get help if you need it. Don't hesitate to reach out if you need someone to talk to.
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Oct 1, 2018 22:10
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It would be nice if I could even CONTACT any VSOs, I literally cannot contact anyone in any organization/no one responds.
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Oct 7, 2018 15:24
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Do you live near a VA regional office? Mine has offices for a bunch of VSOs and my state's Department of Veterans Affairs (who handled my VA claim).
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Oct 7, 2018 15:26
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My DAV 1-has a phone number that never answers and instead goes straight to a message saying to call the number during business hours then disconnects. I've always only called during business hours. 2-email address bounces back. Doesn't matter what email address I send it from. 3-in person is forbidden....if I want to get on contact with them I have to "email or call". I seriously wasn't allowed past the lobby just to speak to them about getting an appointment. All I want is to get an appointment set up. What's the loving point? Dead veterans don't get benefits, indeed.
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Oct 7, 2018 15:27
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DoktorLoken posted:Do you live near a VA regional office? Mine has offices for a bunch of VSOs and my state's Department of Veterans Affairs (who handled my VA claim). YES! They literally wouldn't let me past security because I didn't have an appointment with anybody. And I can't get a hold on anyone thru phone or email.
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Oct 7, 2018 15:28
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It's right next to my VA hospital (which just got downgraded to having the worst score possible, not surprised)
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Oct 7, 2018 15:29
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Have you contacted your representatives about getting help with the VA?
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Oct 7, 2018 15:51
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I had that problem once. I contacted the national office of the VSO that wasn’t answering and they put me in touch with people that did answer.
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Oct 7, 2018 16:50
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boop the snoot posted:I hate how my mind rabbit holes itself about dumb poo poo. I never rabbit hole good poo poo, only dumb poo poo. ayo. I'm a civilian. I know that will make me a target for noise. But I read GIP to gain knowledge for men and women who are far, far braver than I am. I want you to know that in reading this, my heart goes out to you. My pops was in the service. He struggled. He didn't know how to articulate it, and he put it inside. That led to a lot of abuse put on his kids. That made our family unit implode. You're putting it out there, letting your pain and frustration be known. That loving matters, man. You're putting in the loving work. Don't feel weird about your attachments. Attachments are what make us human beings. Empathy is what makes us strong, man. You're an empath? You feel that love? Own it. Drink it up. It will sustain you.
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Oct 8, 2018 01:07
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Fart City posted:ayo. Being a civilian in GiP won't get you any guff and if it does tell them to SM(Y)DFTB even if you're somewhere else on the gender spectrum, it is the idea that counts. And seconding your empathy comment as I cannot understand people in this Hellscape of a world who have zero empathy for what others are going through. It makes us strong indeed.
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Oct 8, 2018 02:12
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Just made a major discovery in my sad brains and anxiety journey! My anxiety is likely a coping mechanism for the depression, and the depression is likely the coping mechanism from the dissociative episode I had in 2011, caused by immense emotional strain and anger. That's our next bit to process and I'm still on the road to recovery but it's amazing to have it... identified. Makes it a lot easier to realize that it doesn't define me and that I can move on from both of those constant feelings, if just for a little bit, at my own will. Please keep getting treatment! I can't believe how much a session a week with a real therapist has been helping, even when I was ready to quit.
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Oct 27, 2018 01:44
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Just a reminder that it's always okay to reach out for help when you need it.
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Nov 12, 2018 16:36
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UP THE BUM NO BABY posted:Just a reminder that it's always okay to reach out for help when you need it.
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Nov 12, 2018 16:59
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UP THE BUM NO BABY posted:Just a reminder that it's always okay to reach out for help when you need it. Always.
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Nov 12, 2018 19:20
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Just realized today is the anniversary of one of my friends killing themselves a few years ago. People care, reach out. https://afsp.org
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Nov 14, 2018 02:03
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Anyone else just plain not remember a goddamn thing about just about anything? I had a weird conversation recently. Backstory: I have had injured feet for the past 3 years. got surgery that didnt do poo poo. could barely walk a block without the worst searing pain imaginable. my doctor had no idea what was going on. got some major surgery on one foot that didnt do poo poo. I met a dude a few weeks back. said to me "we thought you died." told me a bit of stuff about poo poo i dont even wanna say and for some reason i snapped into a "mode" of answering him less as the hippyish dudebro i usually sound like and was much more direct and asssertive to his statements. by the time the conversation was over, my feet loving worked. the pain is gone and it was like being reminded let the fire stop spreading. im still confused and im going to see my therapist next week. i still hear orders in my head sometimes. and i feel like a loving liar when i speak of it. ive heard of dudes trying to claim a free slurpie at 711 under stolen valor and gently caress man some of my best friends from before 2008 just aint around and i KNOW why without proof. i feel like a loving rear end in a top hat all around. like, am i just some retard(no offense to the disabled or family of such intended this is very stream of thought) with a don quixote complex or did i seriously almost die and not remember it? the feet thing is driving me nuts tho im thankful i can finally walk and run freely again. i reach out to my girlfriend whose dad is shell shocked and she helps just by being there. real great chick and i wanna marry her and move in together soon. not really used to talking to vets about this stuff. i swear on anything you all believe in whether it be god king or country that i served and whether you be active or discharged from any branch thank you for serving.
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Nov 21, 2018 13:03
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Sounds like you could've had a dissociative episode in your life. My personal experience is that I have a lovely memory because of childhood abuse and trauma, so when I'm stressed or angry, my autopilot is pretty good at navigating conversations, but doesn't really "write" anything about it, because I'm busy not being there so I don't get mad (I'm scared if being mad because it made me dissociate once before). If you've been going to that therapist for a while, and you still feel like that, they maybe not working out for you. If you're new to them or don't have options, make sure to remember that is not enough to just check into therapy, you gotta stir up the poo poo at the bottom of the pot to burn it off.
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Nov 22, 2018 16:50
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Thank you for sharing. I got some sleep last night for the first time in 3 days. for some reason i woke up on the other side of the bed with the blankets neatly over me.
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Nov 22, 2018 23:35
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 I've been keeping pressure one the Facebook pages of my congressman and one of my senators because they're conspicuously silent on the issue of survivor benefits when I call and write to them. What I never anticipated, though, was how many people would end up attacking me for daring to suggest that someone who sends generic form letters to a veteran and surviving spouse regarding matters related to survivor benefits might not actually support veterans and military families that much. I am growing increasingly tired of trying to nail this particular piece of jello to the wall, especially with the third anniversary of my wife's death coming up on the 10th. Sarah suggested that there's a weird form of sexism at play here: If I were a grieving widow, I probably wouldn't get the same kind of push-back. Yet somehow a widower's grief is less valid. I'm loving tired. I know in my heart nothing is going to change, but I just can't give up.
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Nov 30, 2018 02:34
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Gender role reversal is very much a thing. Look at sexual assault and rape. "If guys didnt want it they wouldnt get hard..." or whatever. Same with parental leave and family issues. I think its bullshit youre having to continually do this. I would recommend looking to their political opponents and volunteering with your story. People latch on to that selfless service better than victimazation because "pull yourself up from your bootstraps" American individualism. The squeeky wheel gets the grease. People on the internet are stupid and dont feel obligated to explain any exposition to them. Dont give up, and dont feel the need to be nice to those guys. Sometimes you have to be authoritative. The bad part about having your private life on the internet is that people are malicious with that information sometimes. You are tired and shouldnt have had to go through any of this. I dont know if you have found closure either. I hope you do if you havent already.
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Nov 30, 2018 03:15
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People are terrible and they are extra terrible on the internet, but the only way forward is to keep up the pressure. I wrote my congress critters and as far as I can tell they're all for it, but i'm also in a solid democrat state.
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Nov 30, 2018 04:11
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Another suicide: this time a soldier whom while at work I loving hated. Always on my case, hypocrite, jock. I miss them. Before we deployed to Africa, my wife had to leave town before our 4 day pass was up. The soldier I thought hated me, invited me out with her wife and kid, and some mutual friends, and even after I got too drunk, she never once bright that poo poo up in public or private. We lost a character today and for reasons I can't comprehend, because I don't understand those voices when I hear them either.
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Nov 30, 2018 08:45
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I'm sorry.
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Nov 30, 2018 09:06
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gently caress that sucks, sorry to hear that
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Nov 30, 2018 11:22
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Oh cool it was over divorce. So the one good memory I have is tainted now too.
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Nov 30, 2018 14:34
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I'm so sorry bro.
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Dec 1, 2018 23:48
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I'm doing better today and is still frustrating, but I'm managing a lot better than I thought
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Dec 2, 2018 01:10
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Wasabi the J posted:I'm doing better today and is still frustrating, but I'm managing a lot better than I thought I'm glad. You on the discord bro? Come play games with us man.
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Dec 3, 2018 03:42
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Thanks for this thread existing. Nothing serious, I just...really appreciate you all being here if I did need you. Which I don't. Because you're all assholes. (As am I)
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Dec 17, 2018 13:27
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You doing alright?
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Dec 17, 2018 18:10
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