Had a wonderful talk the other night with the subject of "Eyewitness to Combat" -- Vietnam combat vet, Marine, 40 years of chronic, severe PTSD who overcame -- and we were talking about the lessons of the bunker that we've been sharing with you recently.
He said that the biggest lesson of all for PTSD vets is that "it's safe to come out of the bunker," because it's fear that keeps people in it. And if they decide to venture out, it's important to remember that the bunker is always there, and they can go back to it at will. It will always be there for them, but they don't necessarily have to "live" there all the time to get the benefits of that. It's the back-up plan, the safety net.
"You can take one step at a time" out of the bunker, he said, "putting one foot in front of the other."
It takes two things to leave the bunker, he maintains. Those two things are "HOPE and a POINT MAN, to lead you out." Here's hoping you find -- and sustain -- both of those in your life.
Editor's note: If you want to learn about his success in climbing out of the bunker, read about it here, or watch a short, three-minute film about it, called "A Veteran's Healing Journey," linked here.
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© 2010 by Lily Casura / Healing Combat Trauma. All rights reserved. Use with attribution.
