my brother. he is scarin me. whats wrong with him? is he gna be ok?

Question

hes in the army. hes at home on leave atm and then hes goin 2 war again but i dont think he wants 2 go. hes seen sum of his m8s get killed but i think theres more 2 it then that. hes been actin really depressed and stuff and he used 2 b really outgoin and that and now hes completley changed. he doesnt wna c his m8s or anythin and 2day he just sat on the sofa 4 ages doin nuthin just sittin there and when i asked him wot he was doin he said he was thinkin then i asked him like wot u thinkin about and about the army and that and he said that its awful and horrible stuff happens around u 24/7. and no1 knows wot its like 2 they r actually in it. then my other bro came in and he just told me 2 leave him alone and stop upsettin him coz he woz cryin. and he scared me coz he hugged me n he woz lyk tellin me he loved me and stuff nuthin unusual about that but it woz the way he woz doin it and his voice just sounded really weird it woz scary! wot is wrong with him? is there a name 4 it?

Answer 1

The name for what your brother is going through, clinically, is most likely "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder."

That's a fancier, updated term for what we called "shell shock" in/after World War II, and what we knew as something else in/after Vietnam (I can't remember that one right now). The point is that they are different names for the same thing.

I'm a partially disabled veteran myself, and I strongly urge you to try to just tell your brother about how you know he's been through a lot, and that there are entire agencies and non-profit private organizations dedicated to helping veterans with these issues. He may not want to even admit that anything is wrong, and like you said he could get irritated and annoyed and upset over you talking about it, but if you make sure he knows that you care, maybe he'll listen to you. Urge him to try to make an appointment with a counselor from a veteran's service agency.

Seeing as he is still on active duty, maybe it's not totally realistic for him to consult a veteran's service organization, but there are resources for him to turn to in the active army also--although during this time I'm certain those resources are being stretched thin by a lot of demand. Please e-mail me if you want to explore some ideas.

Please tell him that I and many others are behind him in this struggle against the rag-headed Islamofascists, despite what the left-wing, anti-American media and politicians and Hollywood communists are constantly saying.

He will have very little trust of ANYONE for some time...part of it is, as he said, nobody understands what he's going/been through unless they have been through it, too. Realize this, but nonetheless try in a very sensitive and caring way to get through to him. Maybe he will at least be willing to try to contact one or some of his fellow servicemen who went through the same things as he did.

Good luck, it's a serious problem and has led many to self-destruction, although many have been helped on the way to recovery.

Answer 2

You may wish to post again....... lack of periods and text speak cause a lot of people to just pass over a question. But.......

There is probably nothing wrong with him and half of the "its PTSD" stuff is bull. When one comes home it feels odd. You said he said to leave him alone. Well it is natural so sit and ponder things. The worst thing is when people start making a big old deal about why you seem different. Of course you are and more grown up. You try to explain at least a little bit of what you feel but it is impossible to completely do so. And people constantly speaking of "are you depressed" makes it worse..... it's just "hey, I was thinking".

People wait a long time to come home and as I said it can be odd returning. So the best thing is to make him realize what he is fighting for but not talk about it. Nice dinners, everybody cheerful and happy and giving him space is the way to go. A taste of civilian life as it was and will be one day again. He will be fine. It is weird enough for an older experienced soldier.

Answer 3

Sounds like he IS scared to death. He made it out alive once, and he has no need to go back and tempt fate the second time.

You should talk him into going to the Army and getting some professional help, if he is bad enough they wont send him back.

If you are old enough you can contact his CO and tell him that you brother is very unstable at the moment and need to get into a councillor RIGHT NOW. Not in a week or on Friday but NOW. If you are not old enough to place that call have a parent place it for you. There is no shame in being scared. If I was in his shoes I would be scared to death as well.

He is suffering from PTS Syndrome POST TRAUMATIC STRESS SYNDROME, and should be hospitalised for it today before he does something to himself or someone else that a hospital stay can not fix.

Don't be embarrassed or think you are over reacting, there would be a lot of fine people among us today if someone would have made that call for them.

Answer 4

Your brother is having trouble adjusting to the stark differences between his home life - where everything is 'normal' and the extreme circumstances that his job entails. This happens to a lot of people, especially if it is the first time being home from a war. There are councillors trained to help and support people in this position - Your brother seems willing to talk about the situation, so I would try and chat to him and bring him round to the idea of getting a bit of support. There's nothing wrong with him, he just has to adjust to his circumstances. Chatting to a support councillor through his doctor or through the army should help, or at least define whether or not he is capable of coping with going back.

Best wishes and good luck.

Answer 5

Sounds like your poor brother is suffering from shock.My dad and step-dad were both medics in WW11. They both got mentally messed up with all of the stuff they had to deal with.
My dad had a hard time being a normal family man and my step-dad was married 6 times.They both drank and never really got passed what they had expericened. I hope your brother can get some help. Good luck.

Answer 6

Six senators have requested an investigation into what they call “upsetting allegations” that the Army gave personality-disorder discharges to 18 Fort Carson, Colo., soldiers diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injuries.

“There are allegations of commanders at Fort Carson, Colo., denying soldiers access to mental health care and instead ordering them redeployed for additional tours in Iraq,” states a letter to the Government Accountability Office. “We have also heard of cases in which service members with PTSD are diagnosed as having ‘personality disorders’ that the Army considers ‘pre-existing,’ thus depriving otherwise eligible combat veterans of disability benefits and much-needed mental health care.”

SSG Schramm
US Army 15 years
OIF 2003

Answer 7

Yea my dad's a marine and went to Iraq 3 times and he also said the same thing, that lot of people became depressed and screwed up in the head from all the crazy things they have seen and experience. I hope he becomes well and I'll pray for him and all the soldiers in Iraq.

Answer 8

My Father was in WW2, in France, Germany ...the 101st Airborne and he has never once told a soul what happened to him in the war but he spent his life sullen and moody...healthy otherwise...quick to temper but not really reachable. He drank in the early years...I feel that he never got over the war even 62 years later. I hope that your brother does not do the same thing...have him speak to a Professional that can help him.I feel that he is going to need it.

Answer 9

Why has he started to read a Dictionary and write in coherent English sentences instead of text speak??

Answer 10

.Huh i cant read and thing you wrote, I'm being serious here. You can be taken seriously if you type normal instead of this horrible English grammar nightmare