how to get it out of my blood?

Question

i was a soldier for 3 years, and everyday i dream of going back to the desert or the jungle. the sedentary life is driving me insane, how do i adapt??

Answer 1

Why do you have to? If you enjoy the active life in the military, you can always return to it. Sedentary isn't everyone's idea of perfection. Yes, there is a danger connected with armed service, but another car can take you out of the picture when you're just peacefully driving down the highway. Or walking across the street, for that matter. More people have been killed in car accidents than in war-time battles. Civilian life isn't immune to accidental death or injury. But if you don't want to return to the army, you can re-design your life to include a lot more physical activity. Join a gym, join a sport league, spend the weekends out of doors.

Answer 2

be a man about it and stop whining about it.

what you are is obsessed with your experience. in battle, you have to be trained to be very obsessed with each detail you are responsible for. This is essentially because if you screw up, it could be you or your division's a-ss.

you're not there now. you have no orders. you are in a "new jungle" with different enemies and different rules of engagement.

if you use the rules of engagement that you used in a jungle, you could get yourself or your family or friends killed.

be a man about it. you are home. you are your commander now. give yourself the order of living a normal life now. wake up, exercise, go to work, eat, watch movies, socialize with people; observe the details of your surrounding.

there's too many things for you to observe for you to be thinking of the desert or jungle now.

By telling me that you are thinking of that, that tells me that you are not using your brain. You aren't trying hard enough to be back home with your fellow citizens.

Use it your brain and those thoughts will go away.

And: No medicine. Medicine makes you weak. You're healthy.

Now enjoy life.

that's an order private. I call you private because as of now, you are behaving like one. when the dream goes away, you'll be awarded private second class. When you learn to love life again, you'll be general.

strive for the top of the class always.

Answer 3

It's not easy to adapt to being a civilian again. I've been out for almost 10 years, and I can put my uniform back on tomorrow and fit right in. Be proud of the feelings of serving, maybe try and get yourself into a profession that has the comraderie and esprit-de-corps that the military provided. If it truly eats at you and keeps you awake, affects your well-being, you should seek some professional help (or just get back into the service, we need guys like you :) ). ~ Rick

Answer 4

I take it you are not in the military anymore. Maybe you could go into a field that challenges you and gives you the adrenaline rush that you are craving. Emergency medicine, like paramedics and EMT's, firefighters and police officers get to experience excitement in their jobs everyday. In the ,mean time go out and do stuff that makes you feel alive. Rock climbing, skydiving, wake boarding whatever. Enjoy your life because you only get one!

Answer 5

It's hard man, I know I am in the same boat and been out for about 10 years(desert shield/storm and Panama and others) I play guitar and pulling out of it

Answer 6

The need for the excitement you've lived is real. you need to channel that another way, perhaps by taking up a hobby like motocross or skydiving. You need to recreate that rush of adrenaline, and bring it down slowly over time.
You'll find that if you give yourself that rush, it will be easier to cope with the 'mundane'. when it becomes difficult again, go skydiving (or whatever you choose) again.

Answer 7

That must be really difficult, I'm sorry you have to go through this. I guess it depends on how long you have been home. What if you tried a second career as a police officer, or FBI or something active and exciting. We need people like you who crave activity to keep us safe...thank you!

Answer 8

Why adapt? The question you're really asking is: Why can't I be like everybody else I know? The answer is: You can't. Stop trying to be something you aren't.

Answer 9

Move to a place which is desert like or like a forest, but in a small isolated town.

Answer 10

Go to a small town and piss off the sheriff. Then escape from him when he arrests you. Let him chase you into the woods, then injure all of his men one at a time until he gets real pissed off and calls in the national guard on you. When he does that sneak into town and blow up the jail.