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Feb 25, 2023 12:53
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UCS Hellmaker posted:Hey I know I'm not a regular, but I want to say, the thread title is true and 100% correct. If there’s one place on earth you can let it out, it’s here, brother.
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Feb 25, 2023 15:22
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Feb 25, 2023 15:24
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Short and sweet my trans friend killed herself last Friday likely due to her severe gender dysphoria and getting news that they were going to deny or delay her transition surgery which would have made her wait at least another year to schedule. She was an amazing girl that was smart sweet and had a family that adored and was supportive, just couldn't handle her life in her body when she kept getting delays and her anxiety was so bad she couldn't even look in the mirror or feel comfortable being seen out in public. We had an amazing conversation overnight and she was so excited, we talked about how she would find someone that valued her and she would feel loved by to be her first after surgery. How she had things lined up for med school after this year, and how she was going to be the girl she always wanted to be. She had been told her bottom surgery could be moved up and she was so excited. But I think that she got told she might not be able to and her insurance would be done in August and if it got delayed it definitely would be to much. Just gently caress. She was amazing, and finding out she was gone by a random text trying to find out if I had anything to do with it didn't help. Verifying it was real by looking at the medical examiner's office made it worse.
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Feb 26, 2023 04:54
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Feb 26, 2023 13:23
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Hey guys I’ve used this thread and the discord for help before. I want to return the favor. I am a career, union FF/EMT and have been working in this field for 9+ years. I have zero military experience, but I’ll leave it at this - I’ve seen som poo poo, probably on a lesser level than most of you, maybe on the same level as some. I’ve also completed training for peer support, started and obtained funding for a peer support program, and have been working in that realm for the past couple of years for my own fire department. I have access to and know of a variety of resources and people to whom I can reach out and ask for help or put you into contact with. The majority of the organizations and people who support first responders oftentimes also work with or started their organizations by working with military personnel. Shoot me a PM any time, or you can get my email that way or if you need it my cell.
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Mar 18, 2023 07:28
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Mar 28, 2023 19:55
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Checking in to let you know that I see your request and am reaching out to people. I don’t think I can offer more than a non judgmental place to vent but I am checking to see if there are others that can better help.
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Mar 28, 2023 20:10
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Mar 28, 2023 20:13
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Dealing with falling outs with social circles loving sucks, man. I've been there for sure. I know you don't want my sympathy, but you have it. And I understand how hard it is and how much it hurts.
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Mar 28, 2023 20:42
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420420420420 fucked around with this message at 00:08 on Mar 29, 2023 |
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Mar 28, 2023 22:17
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TheWeedNumber posted:I appreciate it friend. I really do. Talked to shim just now, he schooled me. Another bro is in the DMs, imma hit him up tonight with THE DM. And Windshipper is calling me up in an hour+ or so. Glad to hear I could help, brother. Take care and even if you subconsciously feel unnerved, know that you’ve got this and can handle it. You’ll be ok. Edit: I also feel like I should clarify something - I am willing and I hope able to help out anyone here. I am, however west coast and my contacts - as a result - are primarily west coast. That doesn’t mean I can’t reach out to people who maybe know someone or know an organization who can help. A lot of mental health is simply, “Hey I know someone who knows someone, let me help you tread water until further help can be reached.” I am truly glad that I was able to talk to TheWeedNumber and give that perspective, but I also don’t want to juice myself beyond who I am. But I am always available, given my normal work and life constraints. That said, I think he will back me up that I reached back out to him as soon as I saw his PM and did my best to set up a time to contact him. I will respond in kind to anyone who wants it. windshipper fucked around with this message at 06:23 on Mar 29, 2023 |
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Mar 29, 2023 06:13
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Mar 29, 2023 13:12
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Mar 30, 2023 22:49
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TheWeedNumber posted:Posting to report that I think I'm stable stable again. MH team and support network should be able to handle me from here on out. Thanks for having my back friends. Be well. Glad you're doing at least a little better dude. Keep at it.
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Mar 30, 2023 23:42
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Hi guys. I'm not a veteran, but I'm the AA sponsor of one. He has a little under a year of sobriety right now, and at roughly age 50, this is his first ever serious attempt at Recovery. I've only known him a few months, as he didn't seek sponsorship until eight months clean. He's already made so much progress, and I'm proud of him for being able to open up and get vulnerable about some of the truly awful things that happened to him. He's very hard on himself about being an alcoholic, and still sees his problem as a personal moral weakness. Knowing what I know about his upbringing, and his combat experience, he's gonna have to eventually acknowledge the role these events played in shaping his addictive behavior. Speaking from my own 12-step experience, sharing extensively about the stuff I was most afraid and ashamed of was the only way I could finally process the pain and guilt I still felt even decades after my own traumas. At the end of the deep dive, my sponsor knew me better than any therapist I'd ever had, and gave me something no SSRI or mood stabilizer ever could: true self-forgiveness. Before that moment, I had lived a life of constant self-flagellation and misery, and everything afterward has been previously-unimaginable levels of sunshine and loving rainbows (at least by comparison). I want this for my sponsee, too. I want it *so* much. The problem is this, though: he doesn't want to share about his time in war. Right now, he's on arguably the longest and most difficult of the 12 Steps - 4: "Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves." I'm taking him through it the way my sponsor showed me: by first writing down all my resentments towards people who'd hurt me, and then writing down all the people I'd hurt in return. Each entry is a few pages long, so it's more than just a bulleted list. Ultimately, it's about putting our pattern of behavior in its complete context. With the full picture of what led to our destructive coping mechanisms, we can healthily acknowledge the behaviors we need to change without punishing ourselves over and over for past mistakes. It's really hard. I didn't want to do it the first 3 or 4 times, and paid the price by relapsing constantly over 10 years. The only way I was able to make it this time was through a combination of my sponsor's superhuman patience, and my own feeling that I had no more chances left. It hurt. I was miserable and sad for months as I wrote my Step 4, because it felt endless, and I didn't have much hope it would actually help, either. But it *did* Oh my God, it helped so much. I just couldn't see how until it was over. I believe if he's going to really recover, my sponsee has to share this stuff with me no matter how painful it is. He can't see it yet, but there's a future for him where his memories of death and violence have no more power over him - a future where he can turn to some other poor, traumatized kid and say "I know what you went through is terrible, but look at me: I'm happier than I've ever been, thanks to this process. There's hope for you, too. I promise." That, or he can keep squashing it down inside by trying not to think about it, and find another sponsor. I know by now there are no magic words to convince a sponsee to finish the steps. At the end of the day, it's his choice whether he wants this or not. It will hurt if he says no, and it will hurt to have to fire him over it. I would understand, though. His trauma is on a level I couldn't comprehend. I don't know if *I'd* be brave enough to face what he's faced. I've connected him with a (Vietnam-era) combat veteran in the program. They're going out for coffee tomorrow to talk about this. I can only hope the older guy has a good message for my friend, and that he'll be receptive enough to give this a shot. In the meantime, I'd love to hear your opinions about this issue, and whether you have any words of hope for my sponsee. I understand there's risk to his mental stability, but from where I'm sitting it'd be an even bigger risk to let things fester forever. Thank you for reading.
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May 23, 2023 14:07
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420420420420 fucked around with this message at 14:47 on May 23, 2023 |
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May 23, 2023 14:30
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Talktopus posted:
This would have been one of the first things (next to trying to get him to actually go to therapy) suggested by the thread. In all likelihood he will need an actual therapist (maybe a psychiatrist with some meds?) to help him unpack, accept, and process everything he's been carrying around for how ever many years. For some, having a "sounding board" with similar experiences can help direct the person to therapy, some need it during therapy as a sort of "reality check", and some needs that person throughout the entire process. You did a great thing getting him in touch with another vet to help out. You did good OP. I hope both he and you continue your sobriety and good health. If possible, try to nudge him towards more professional help, they are better equipped to help him process some things, but a buddy is the next best thing/great start.
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May 23, 2023 14:36
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Talktopus posted:
Have him read through the following thread, made by our very own Bulletsponge13. From what you've told us, I'm fairly certain he will be able to connect with a lot of the stories in that thread. https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=4002076&pagenumber=1
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May 23, 2023 14:40
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May 23, 2023 14:42
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Karl Marlantes' book What It Is Like To Go To War talks a lot about the author's journey of unpacking all of that and introduces a lot of useful language for talking about these things that didn't have names. Reading someone's similar experiences might help him get to a place where he's ready to share, as said don't necessarily expect it to be with you though.
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May 23, 2023 16:20
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Talktopus posted:Hi guys. Yooooooo 🚩 alert 🚩 alert 🚩 Nobody in their Goddamn 50’s is a Vietnam combat anything. If they have any combat experience it would be Panama and Grenada and the Gulf War. Possibly GWOT as well but.. yeah. Red flag alert. 2023-59 (my most charitable case here) is 1964. The only combat in Vietnam he saw was on the news. Obviously don’t not help the guy, I’ve done all 13 of the 12 steps and no, not a typo- he’s on the right step, number 4, but he sounds full of poo poo. That’s gonna be a big hurdle for him to jump as you guide him through step 4. There’s actual vets in your AA group aren’t there? I’d be hard pressed not to find them in AA and NA. Dude chose you, a younger, non veteran, for a reason. Probably because he thought you wouldn’t sniff out his bullshit. Now you gotta AA Judo that poo poo and use the momentum of his bullshit to get him to actually take that moral inventory, Vietnam vet bullshit and all, and actually do the 4th step. Ironically it’s gonna be easier to admit that to someone who hasn’t been through combat than to someone who has. Alcoholics are humans after all, and sponsor or not, we have a reputation for coming down hard on those that do the (stupidly named, and dumber act) “stolen valor” thing. And coming down hard, is likely not what he needs! Not on old step 4! I hope that was helpful. LtCol J. Krusinski fucked around with this message at 19:17 on May 23, 2023 |
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May 23, 2023 19:15
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I think OP was saying that the sponsee is around 50yo and a combat vet. That OP linked the sponsee up with a Vietnam vet. Not that 50yo sponsee was claiming to have been in Nam. At 50, it might be Desert Storm, early AFG, OIF 1, etc.
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May 23, 2023 19:27
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May 23, 2023 19:55
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Hekk posted:I think OP was saying that the sponsee is around 50yo and a combat vet. That OP linked the sponsee up with a Vietnam vet. Not that 50yo sponsee was claiming to have been in Nam. Ohhhhhh Well, my advice changes to: Hook him up with a vet if he’s struggling with step 4. Priority list: Also combat vet Similar Age / Time of Service Same or Similar branch Has completed all 12 steps I went to a priest the first couple of times I tried to stop drinking and got to step 4. Not catholic but they were big about being available for AA/NA in the area I was getting sober in. Didn’t work.  did but not everyone can do that.My best wishes to your sponsee! I’m sorry for the mix up! LtCol J. Krusinski fucked around with this message at 21:44 on May 23, 2023 |
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May 23, 2023 21:26
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TheWeedNumber posted:dang it Bobby what did we say about working on our reading comprehension skills in class. Hey, I gave up drinking, not failing to R>C>P. I had an old dude try to claim to be a Vietnam veteran after becoming my sponsee (I was like 2 years sober maybe?) and I eventually got him to admit he had never been in the service, he was mentally unstable and not drafted. His brothers had served, however. Naturally one had died in Vietnam, and the other of I think cancer, and he did what I would do, and drank. I don’t actively sponsor anymore, obviously. Thought I could be useful in an edge case, in reality, no. No I cannot.
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May 23, 2023 21:43
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Is this the correct forum to post about mental health stuff? I don't want to post in the wrong forum.
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Jun 10, 2023 19:25
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Crazyman69 posted:Is this the correct forum to post about mental health stuff? I don't want to post in the wrong forum. this is it yeah let loose
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Jun 10, 2023 19:29
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Tried to PM you but I can't figure out how. Can you send me a slack invite? PM me and I'll send you my email unless you want me to post it here. Last week was my birthday and I was severely depressed. My fiance left the house while I was down so I took a sheet, wrapped it around my neck and tied it to the door. At the last minute I backed out and was barely able to get the noose from around my neck before passing out. I just feel like life is letting me down and I am letting life down. I just turned 39 and am on depression meds. I tried to contact my psychiatrist but she's booked until the end of july. Is there anyone that I can have a private conversation with? A sounding board? Crazyman69 fucked around with this message at 19:45 on Jun 10, 2023 |
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Jun 10, 2023 19:38
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Jun 10, 2023 20:26
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Crazyman69 posted:Tried to PM you but I can't figure out how. Can you send me a slack invite? PM me and I'll send you my email unless you want me to post it here. We have a discord server. Shoot me a PM and I will invite you if you are looking for more real time conversations.
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Jun 10, 2023 20:29
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Jun 10, 2023 20:30
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Crazyman69 post your email or your discord user name here. I can’t post an open invite but I can bring you in if you give me your info.
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Jun 10, 2023 20:48
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Hekk posted:Crazyman69 post your email or your discord user name here. I can’t post an open invite but I can bring you in if you give me your info. bluefalcontech@gmail.com
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Jun 10, 2023 20:58
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Email sent. Let me know if you don’t have it.
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Jun 10, 2023 21:01
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I've gone through 10 years of suicidal depression earlier in my life, having been to the point of heading to the train tracks to end the problems one time. I'm in Sweden so if you are up in the middle of the night (assuming you are in the US), hit me up on Discord, serth varnee, and I got time whenever you need to talk and can't get around the mental block of having to wake someone up in the middle of the night.
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Jun 10, 2023 21:04
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Hekk posted:Email sent. Let me know if you don’t have it. I got it but I don't know where to go on it to continue talking to you guys.
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Jun 10, 2023 21:30
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SerthVarnee posted:I've gone through 10 years of suicidal depression earlier in my life, having been to the point of heading to the train tracks to end the problems one time. I'm in Sweden so if you are up in the middle of the night (assuming you are in the US), hit me up on Discord, serth varnee, and I got time whenever you need to talk and can't get around the mental block of having to wake someone up in the middle of the night. I've been dealing with it for 20+ years. I even got diagnosed in the Corps and got an OTH. They won't approve my benefits. My discord username is daddymattos31426#2438
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Jun 10, 2023 21:32
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Sent you a friend request. I'm just gonna go walk the dog, but if you need to talk after that, I'm fine with staying awake a few hours still.
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Jun 10, 2023 22:04
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420420420420 fucked around with this message at 16:00 on Jun 30, 2023 |
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Jun 30, 2023 15:55
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