Nah, I had a lot of friends who were killed in Iraw and Afghan. Most of my tour was spent on a FOB and we took incoming occasionally. No big deal. most of my stuff is self inflicted survivors guilt shit and unresolved stuff from other service related crap. Therapy has been helping a great deal as has getting out and staying away from the black hole that is the unhealthy "social media". Living life again has actually helped me out a great deal.
That said, my father-in-law, who did see a lot of shit in Vietnam has nightmares constantly. We talk often. In fact I am one of the few he can talk to about his experiences with openly. Therapy doesn't seem to help him much, and I think it helps him to talk to someone who has at least been in a combat zone and understands it.
Either way, there are things a person should never see, and once seen, cannot be unseen and appear in our minds and dreams whther we want them to or not. Not sure how we ever make them go away. We just have to learn to cope.
It sounds like your father in law really ended up with the worst of the PTSD. I think we all have it to one extent or another. That survivors guilt is something was all just learn to live with sadly...
Yeah. I think keeping busy is what helps me the most. I know it does my pops in law. He does lots of wood work and stuff during the day. Nights alone are the worst for him. They are for me as well when I’m alone with my thoughts. But you get it.