Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Trucking?

Don't mean to be rude but yer kidding right? Have a wife? kids, dog, cat, goldfish? don't want to jepordise anyones safety?
Jesus Christ yer kidding right? Maybe they are right and you are unfit for service! I doubt it but your call.
Get it up mister and drive or don't!
Now yer really startin ta piss me off! You ain't the only guy out here with demons we keep locked up in a little room in our heads. Drive the truck and don't hurt anybody or don't!

 

Popeye, I know how you feel brother, Nam era for me. The way I dealt with it, was to make friends with those demons that seemed to chase me around at night. Sometime they still try, but I always smile and keep on going. Try and put yourself in others shoes and take a long deep look inside yourself...Can, I control myself in really stressful situations, can I play/work well with others , even when it seems they are ALL against me, and expect me to do the IMPOSSIBLE overnight...this stuff is gonna happen in trucking, on a constant basis. So try and do some soul-searching b/4 you make the commitment. But Good Luck Brother!

 

Didnt Force Recon change over to MARSOC back in 07?

 

Yes it did

 

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Look ... it's not the driving you should be worried about. It's you. What's your PTSD from. The VA classified my son as 100% due to PTSD ... he spent many nights outside the wire on patrol in South Baghdad ... going down I80 with all the wrecks in winter, all he saw was Route Irish, he saw a car hit the wall and his mind went right to an IED going off - driving a shift was too closely related to a patrol. He was keyed all the time and staying in that constant state of readiness.

You may be fine in the enviornment you're in right now. Getting out here on the road? You're going to see a lot of crud and it may send you where you don't want to go.

 

Wow really y'all are giving him advice on how to get around not to disclose his medical issues. I'm good with him saying he has no more symptoms of PTSD that's fine. I do have a problem with the anger issues he has and depression issues. Now I don't know what the issues are but I can't with a sound mind tell him to get behind the wheel of an 80,000lb truck with obvious anger issues and depression that is not controlled. Sounds to me like he still has symptoms of PTSD flashbacks and panic attacks aren't the only symptoms. I would say get yourself right before you do it a truck is no place for someone with anger issues or depression. All you have time to do is think in a truck. If you get mad then it will do nothing but fester and get worse. If you get depressed all you are going to do is drive down the road and think about whatever is depressing you. My advice is to get a normal job first and work out whatever issues you have and once you are more stable then try your hand in trucking if that's what you want to do. You don't have to sit around you can find a job that will occupy your time while you seek help. I sure wouldn't hire you if your condition wasn't controlled. I would also say if you got into an accident or whatever your butt would be fried for lying on a federal document about your mental health issues. Don't think those ambulance chasing lawyers won't dig into your personal medical history. I am just being honest with you I don't want to see anyone in a truck with anger issues or depression. Either of those do not mix in a big truck especially if its not controlled.

 

I Am a rated Vet For PTSD amongst other things and I find that driving the truck is good therapy.
The VA Paid for me to go back through school even though I had my Class A for 10 yrs already.
They required me to do a Pysch eval which was not big deal as they just used what the docs from the Vet center had said.
You just have to stay calm when the four wheelers do a classic like pass you and then slam on the breaks so they can make the next turn/off ramp.
I enjoy the time to myself for the most part as well as meeting all the farmers I get to deal with.
I choose not to go the route of it has to get there now for little pay trucking though.
I decided to drive a Super Bee and as such for the most part does not have the need it here now at this time deadline. It gets there when we get there. If you need to stop for weather or being tired etc no big deal.
I drive the I-15 corridor for the most part both in Canada and the states.
Not much city driving and lots of back road driving once you are off the freeway. No Alley docking and having to deal with up tight people.
To me this has been the best job I have had since getting hurt and not being able to fly any more as a Loadmaster.
I learned a long time a go not to listen to what folks say you cannot do, but to just do what I know I can accomplish er regardless of the pain involved.
If the Docs had there way I would be at home sitting on the couch popping pain pills all day. I refuse to do that and have learned to live with the pain without any drugs for the most part.
Driving takes concentration and that takes away the necessary energy my brain needs to tell me I am in pain.
So do what you know you can do and go have some fun.


P-3
Just remember there is always a Vet Center somewhere nearby if you find you need help while on the road.

 

Exactly, look for a low stress job. Trucking is not that job. I liken it to psychological torture.