I'll start off by saying THANK YOU for your service in keeping my family, my friends, and myself safe from those who wish to do us harm.
Unfortunately it sounds to me like you need to get some help before you should carry here. I hope you get down to the VA and get some help....there are some new therapies for PTSD which have shown pretty good efficacy.
Airborne brother! i do have similar issues, just not quite to the extent as you. I forget a lot of stuff, but havent forgotten my pistol anywhere. What I do to ensure I dont is to put it in my pants/shorts when i take it off so I cant forget it lol
11B '02-'06, 91B '06+
82d '02-'09 (2-504), '10+ (3BCT)
Leg medic from 1AD here, been diagnosed with minor PTSD/TBI. I've had a similar issue, removed my IWB holster with my Gen 4 G17 that I carry on a daily basis, and set it on the TP dispenser so it wasn't too obvious under the stall and forgot it walking out of the bathroom. Thank God I remembered after drying my hands and went to retrieve it but there was still the oh sh*t moment there. One of the scariest moments in my life, moreso than firefights.
Firstly, Thank you for your service. 2nd I've never been diag'd with PTSD as I've never served, but I am as you said way to scatter brained and WAY to regimented. If I do something (or don't) during my morning (or any) routine I will pay for it later. I moved where I charge my cell phone and due to that left without if probably 10 times and didn't notice until I got to work. I'm a service technician and if we start installing something new, Since I don't have an exact system for that I'll make 25 trips to my truck instead of 3. And don't feel bad about the gun, I used to carry a Sigma, It was either in my pants or under my bed. When I bought my G26 for daily carry It stayed in a closet on the other side of the apt, So instead of accidentally taking the Sigma, I left the house with nothing day after day, usually not noticing until I was half way to work. I don't think I'm an OCD case because I'm not going down a mental checklist (at least not doing it consciously) But when something in my routine changes....I'm screwed. I feel ya pain man.
FYI...it's not just combat veterans that have PTSD, we're just the ones on everyone's mind when the subject is broached. Anyone that has been through something traumatic can develop it. I used to believe it only happened to weak-minded people until it became too big for me to ignore last year. Thankfully I have valuable resources available to me and I've utilized them as best as I could and I'm a lot better...although a situation tonight (non-weapon related) reminded me that I still have a long way to go.
Thank you for sharing and good luck.
I manage my PTSD like I manage my screwed-up back; some days are better/worse than others, so some days I exercise more, or rest more, or ice more, or eat more motrin. With my PTSD sometimes I exercise more, lighten my stress load, take a benzo to sleep, and then some days I can take on the world.
Well said and spot on.
I was curious as to what your profession was with a handle like "Boatswain." I knew it had to be something relating to the ocean because on the old ships, the "Bosun" was responsible for discipline, and by extension, the smooth running of the ship. The name "Bosun" is actually the evolved slang version of "Boatswain," much like "Indian" evolved into "Injun." I'm assuming that was your position or rank...I'm admittedly ignorant regarding the USCG
Airborne brother! i do have similar issues, just not quite to the extent as you. I forget a lot of stuff, but havent forgotten my pistol anywhere. What I do to ensure I dont is to put it in my pants/shorts when i take it off so I cant forget it lol
On a lighter note, but similar situation, I was on a road-trip with a friend visiting from Germany trying to find a good camp for the night along Lake Ontario in northern NYS (but nada en route, from Fort Niagra to Watertown). We did a pit stop & gassed-up at an all-night station in Rochester. The place had hot-water in the can, so I took advantage to get some road-dirt off and grab a shave at 2:00am. Fifty miles (a very tired hour later) down the road I remembered taking my eye-glasses off to take care of business but not putting them back on. I then ran the obsessively ruminating "tape" through my head that I absolutely had to go back to get them (an hour each way and 100 miles lost, just to get back to where I was...definite bummer, when all I wanted to do was find a bush to crawl under for the rest of the night!) So, I disclosed this to my companion. She said something to me, me hearing her ask me what I had said. So I repeated myself & then heard her then say very clearly, "on your face...they're on your face, you old fool"...Son of a B**ch! There they were, sitting squarely on my nose! LOL..."Scatter-brained" PTST symptoms at work.
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