Life is Like a Rock [Hard]: Surviving PTSD

Every veteran carries with him or her some psychological baggage whether you admit it or not. Every scar is not visible. Some deal with it realistically while others are in denial. Regardless, at one time or another in our lives, we must face the fact we have changed. Whether you were engaged in a war or deployed somewhere away from home and in a strange land, it really doesn't matter. We have all experienced traumatic events in our lives and this is a short story sharing mine as a Vietnam Vet but more importantly, a person who overcame the destructive side effects of PTSD and learned how to cope with it through time. Inside this book are great hints, methods and information how I dealt with PTSD and what it did to me. This book is about the reality it exists and you must find a way to cope, survive and adapt to this debilitating effect on our lives. This book is dedicated to Jacob F. Siratt III, a good friend who died to save me, and all who served and are deployed. Let me make this very clear, if it had not been for the support group of friends, veterans and others who cared, I would not be coping as well as I do today. I suffered from survivor's guilt and that's something that stays with you forever as the face never goes away. Learning how to deal with this has normalized my life just a little bit better and gives me room to cope and function without isolation or withdrawing from the world and family.