"Today
hundreds of thousands of Veterans and their families suffer from what is called
PTSD and the battle rages on within them. The
wives and families of combat veterans are often referred to as 'The Silent
Victims'.
"If you are one of these "silent victims", and you thought you were the only one, please know that you are not alone and there is hope for all of us."
Are
your children asking, "Why does Dad act like that?" Do you feel like a
referee between your children and your husband?
Are
you feeling like you're single, although you are married?
Does
it seem as if all the problems and stress are yours to shoulder alone each and
every day?
Has
your husband isolated himself from you and the rest of the family?
"My
husband didn't fight in Vietnam, but he fought in the jungles of another unpopular war in South and Central America... The scars are very
much the same. I can't reach him in thoughts, or understand what he went
through, but I can stand beside him."
"My
husband's a Nam Vet and I'm proud of him. I support him in his efforts to deal
with his memories, his anger, and his pain, but frankly do the children and I
have to live with the war every day of our lives?"
"When
I married my husband, I knew he had fought in Vietnam, but I wasn't prepared to
have our children and myself trained to be "soldiers, prepared to fight the
enemy." I'm not even sure who or what the enemy is!"
"I
love my husband, but he's driving me crazy! I thought that when he joined the
various vet groups and participated in rap sessions, he would get this war thing out
of his system. Granted, he's not the angry, depressed guy he used to be, but now
he wants to help all the other guys that struggle with war problems. He wants to
be involved in everything and everything connected to the war. I guess I was
hoping now that he seems to be getting over a lot of his problems, maybe we
could put the war behind us and get on with life."
"I
truly love my husband, and I'm really proud that he fought in the Vietnam War
because he thought that he was fighting for freedom and democracy. I know that
he went through some pretty rotten stuff while he was there, but cant' see how
I'm hurting too? Can't he understand that I want to come along side him, support
and encourage him, and yes, in my own way, share his pain? We are supposed to be
'one' in our marriage, but I feel like the war is his mistress!"
Have
you ever wondered how different your life, your marriage, or your husband would
be if it weren't for the war? Have you heard yourself saying similar things
about your husband? Have you ever
wondered if Wives of other combat vets experience what you do in your marriage,
or are you an isolated case? How can we support and understand what our
husbands, brothers, and loved ones went through and what war does to a person?
Is
there anyplace where you can get help for your problems too?
Is there anyone who understands what vet's wives, families, and loved
ones live with each day? Can anyone hear our pain and loneliness over the roar
of our loved one's cry?
Obviously,
we can't experience war in the same way they did. We can't get inside their
heads or under theirs skins so that we can see, feel and smell the memories,
nightmares, pain and anger lived and relived on an almost daily basis. We can,
however, learn to understand, support, and recognize triggers, which touch their
very souls, and often take then unwillingly back in time and space to a
circumstance where over and over again they relive what they so much would like
to forget.
If you or someone you know
might
be helped, encouraged, or
just
interested in learning more
about
Homefront Ministries,
Please
contact
or
Point
Man International
Ministries
1-800-877-VETS
(8387)