“They gave Pandora a box. Prometheus begged her not to open it. She opened it. Every evil to which human flesh is heir came out of it.The last thing to come out of the box was hope. It flew away.” Kurt Vonnegut Many of us have heard of the story Read more…
One of the unique experiences of military veterans is the exposure to different cultures and nationalities around the world. If a service member takes the time to understand the culture of the people they are interacting with, they can enjoy a wide range of deep and meaningful events in their Read more…
How long do you think you can clench your fist? Ball your fist up, squeeze as hard as you can. How long do you think it is possible to hold that much pressure? Thirty seconds? A minute? One veteran I talked to said he thought he could squeeze his fist Read more…
It’s not what you think. Even if you didn’t think it before, you may be thinking it now, because I brought it up, but it’s still not what you think. Several months ago, fellow blogger and veteran Kristina Evans authored a post about how to transition from one position to Read more…
The thing that amazes me about veterans is their ability to put up with some of the most challenging situations that any individual can face. You can put them in any environmental condition, expose them to extreme levels of psychological stress, and yet they’ll still keep moving forward. To Read more…
I’m amazed at some of the stuff that I’ve picked up over the years that I served in the Army. I’ve noticed that, for veterans, the objects they’ve accumulated take on an almost talismanic property…not that they’ve been imbued with some mystic powers, but they’ve certainly been given worth beyond Read more…
Veterans are good at blowing stuff up. For most veterans, blowing stuff up is a skill that is taught in basic training. How to throw a grenade. How to place a Claymore mine. How to fire an AT4, a shoulder-mounted rocket. For some veterans, their occupational specialty taught them how Read more…
This post was originally posted as part of the American Counseling Association Blog Project. Original post can be located HERE As part of this series of articles that explores the psychological impact of a veteran’s military service that goes beyond PTSD and TBI, the concept of Learned Helplessness is a significant factor Read more…
This post was originally posted as part of the American Counseling Association Blog Project. Original post can be located HERE In a previous post, I discussed how veterans experience more challenges than just PTSD and TBI, the primary conditions that most community members are aware of. In order to provide some deeper Read more…
The human capacity for stress is much greater than what we individually believe. Was there a time where you thought that you weren’t going to be able to accomplish something? You were at your limits, emotionally, physically, mentally, spiritually? You’re still here, aren’t you? Life is challenging, and it’s even Read more…