When I first put out a call for ideas on this topic, I was rather surprised at not only the number of responses I received but as often who it was replying. That’s on me, that surprise, and, knowing what I do, I shouldn’t have been.
PTSD
I’m Not Brave
Life tries to break you. And often it succeeds. But it’s the relationships we make, that allow us to pick up those shattered pieces and put them back together again.
Of Privateers, Buccaneers, & Pirates
It refers to those of us out for their own aggrandisement, sometimes at the expense of others but not always, and using their own injuries and the resulting disorders that come from them as springboards, justification and earned street cred, to enterprises that are for profit, whether that fills their ego or their pocket.
The Core of You
Had the person I was been deleted and written over by this callous, often angry man, who hid in his house drinking too much when not wearing a uniform and being an asshole to the world at large?
War Stories
Nobody will ever be able to understand the specific stories you tell like you can, not even me, because none of us has seen it through your eyes, but those of us who’ve felt the same fear, the same moral injuries, or the same sudden losses and threats to our own mortality like you have don’t need to.
Always Ask Questions
Questions are what put twelve people on the moon. Questions have created great literature and works of art, philosophy, and science. They help decide what you’re going to have for breakfast and what you’re going to do with your life, and they can save it, too.
Common Misconceptions About PTSD Part II
The reason there’s so much stigma surrounding most mental health issues is that people who’ve never dealt with it themselves cannot understand it like they could a heart attack, or the loss of a limb, even though they may never have personally experienced those, either.
Common Misconceptions About PTSD
There is a false assumption that someone suffering this, or again any mental health issue, will show it on their face like a rash (that spells “nutbar” across their forehead, maybe?) or in their general, casually observed behaviour.
I’m Nobody’s Buddha but That’s Okay
Since I’ve been openly sharing myself, my thoughts, my explorations, and my journey such as it is, and certainly not by deliberate action but still with the knowledge it would happen, there’s been a wee bit of light on me.
Why Optimisim is Unhealthy
Some months ago I made a conscious choice to avoid being negative on Facebook, something I hoped would extend on its own into other parts of my life, and it has. No angel here, though, I still occasionally take the piss out of racists and bigots, but then I move on to more puppies and poetry.
Patrick Riley 