On Labels
One of the problems with being a mental health advocate is that everyone thinks that they can diagnose you quickly.
I’ve been told I’m “manic,” “have PTSD,” and “suffer from Moral Injury” and “multiple Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI).” I’ve also been told there’s a possibility I’m on “the spectrum” because my daughter is, and we exhibit many of the same neurodivergent tendencies.
I don’t know what’s true. But honestly, all those labels don’t explain or define me.
Here’s what’s wrong with me: I’m an American combat veteran trying “to transition” into an America that is so devoid of the last 20 years of war that it’s a mental battle to breathe.
Why do I suffer from mental health issues?
Let me see. We lost the Afghan War. The CIA is partnering with the Taliban, and thus Al Qaeda. A close friend’s sister was gang raped by the Taliban. This is all proven. And the majority of Kansans that I interact with couldn’t find fucking Afghanistan on a world map. That’s true not just of Kansas but most of the United States.
Americans lost interest in the wars fought in their names, so they forgot what it meant to fight a 20-year war. That does things to men’s minds. Multiple traumatic brain injuries and severe PTSD will rewire how your brain works.
Now add the Moral Injury—the betrayal of American combat veterans and their Afghan allies.
I am also recovering from working 16-hour days constantly. I know how to push my body to its physical limits while being able to execute at a very high level. That’s what deploying for 4+ years in Iraq and Afghanistan will do to you.
But here’s the cold-blooded truth: there’s nothing wrong with me. Instead, there’s something wrong with American society.
I’m having a normal reaction to losing a generational conflict.
So, if you think I have this or that or whatever, that’s fine. I’m happy to hear your theories about me, but I will also briefly chuckle during the entire endeavor.
Because I’m exactly what America trained me to be—a relentless warrior who never leaves his comrades behind.
Goodbye Daily Rant
We’ve had a hectic last two months. And I may have pushed the ops tempo here to unreasonable levels. For that, to my team at GCV, I do apologize. I just get excited about creating—and I’m a recovering workaholic transitioning into American society.
It’s a fucking nightmare, bro
So, why the long wind-up? Because I’m not going to be writing every day anymore. I can promise you that we will have Shoulder to Shoulder working at a high clip while I focus on our new non-profit (more to follow).
I loved the Daily Rant, but it takes a lot to write daily while trying to build other companies.
Because I’ve figured out what I want to do with my life, but you’ll have to stick around with that.
I will take the rest of the week off and go to the beach. I’m exhausted from life’s many trials and tribulations. Sometimes, as my beautiful daughter says, “rest is best.”
In the future, I will not always email every article. You’ll have to visit the site to read about some new features I am developing. But that won’t happen for at least a month.
I’ve never been more excited for my and my family’s futures.
More to follow.
Important Reminder
About nine years ago, the Chinese intelligence service pulled off one of the greatest feats of modern-day espionage ever.
In April of 2015, IT staffers within the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the agency that manages the government’s civilian workforce, discovered that some of its personnel files had been hacked. Among the sensitive data that was exfiltrated were millions of SF-86 forms, which contain extremely personal information gathered in background checks for people seeking government security clearances, along with records of millions of people’s fingerprints. The OPM breach led to a Congressional investigation and the resignation of top OPM executives, and its full implications—for national security, and for the privacy of those whose records were stolen—are still not entirely clear.
Read the rest here.
If I were an old spy, this is where I would attack America’s intelligence network.
But that’s just me. What do I know?
Good luck, America.
I’m pulling for you. You shame me to admitting I prolly couldn’t find Afghanistan on a map. (In fact, I made myself google a map last night. )But … I always knew you were there all those many years. And, I’ve always cared.
I thought as a society in general we were done with the negative impacts of mental health labels. Remember the PTSD change to Post Traumatic Growth that happened a couple of years back? But there are places and people who are more comfortable with a pathological view of people's needs. This is my answer-- How convenient for them. That way "they" don't have to participate in taking on the job of learning about veterans or how the system is not helpful to them and is actually harmful, putting them at great risk. But do they also want to thank veterans for their service still? Although that is nice they actually should do much more. Imagine if every adult person in the country made it their job to really learn about veterans instead of sitting from afar and shaking their heads about how they need to be over medicated, locked up, or put in jail. I had always thought that the government systems that were created were primarily to blame for a lot of the issues veterans were having to work through. However, now I see that the lack of civilian courage and commitment is also to blame.
Remember 9/11? Well there was actually a small sliver of society that did something about it --they joined, they fought, and some died and others who came back struggled. While the rest of the country stood by. I have always tried to be generous and understanding about that. Not anymore. So civilans now not only want to not serve to match the level of veteran sacrifice but they want to label them ? Well now that is a special kind of addition to the moral injury load.