Is there something you can take for aggression (please no kumbaya stuff). I'm a vet with problems.?

Question

I'm just wired different now. I feel like I may lose control. I talk to a shrinks & take some mood drugs but is there anything for aggression? The armies attitude is suck it up. They don't care about a soldiers problems just production. Well that's all good until I shatter someones skull. I need better care & better meds...

Answer 1

Is there any possibility that you can get off by yourself, and just work out (hard physical labour) all your aggression?

It is actually a very big problem in the forces--they teach their soldiers to kill at the drop of a hat, and then expect them to just turn it all off when they come back to the real world.

Has anyone formed a group in your area that has guys with the same problem? You really need to do some surfing to see if you can find anything. And maybe some networking to find out if any other vets know of any help available.

You are definitely not the first Vet feeling this way. And you won't be the last. But like I said, total physical exhaustion is a really good cure for feelings of aggression, short term.

Answer 2

Yeah, the VA should help with this.

Often times, there's a lot more to people's aggressive impulses than just, well, aggression. Some of those experiences are a little too much to handle, but as you said, the "suck it up" attitude leaves people with lingering problems.

"Suck it up" is an attitude that encourages people to repress what's affecting them. The military encourages people to use these defenses so that they can carry out their objectives before breaking down, but the consequences are things like late-onset anxiety, PTSD, depression, and other disorders which, in your case, may manifest through aggressive impulses.

Psychotherapy is something that can help. It's not kumbaya stuff. In fact, it's pretty educational and can help you learn to manage and control your emotions and impulses.

Answer 3

I think the best thing for you is therapy. Holding a degree in psychology, I can tell you that a lot of times when we have high levels of aggression it's usually because we are suppressing feelings, thoughts and emotions. I think the best therapy for you would be psychotherapy where you focus on understanding your aggression, what's causing it and what you can do to release those emotions in a more healthy manner.

Sometimes it helps just to talk about your feelings. While I know this doesn't seem very "manly" it is a big step towards feeling "normal" again. It's important to talk about the things that you keep inside, the things you don't want to deal with, the emotions that you are suppressing.

Answer 4

OMG...I am so very sorry to hear that you are going thru this. You're right...it sure does seem like they don't care about soldiers, and that's pretty damn sad indeed! I am going to say this in all seriousness...have you tried smoking pot? It may help the aggression by chilling you out. Geez, in your case I would think you'd actually be able to get medical marijuana.

Answer 5

Some counseling from the V.A.?

Answer 6

sex!