Page 152 - Total War on PTSD

I have realized over the years that we need to find an outlet and that a lot of us don't know how to find that outlet...we get lost...but finding an outlet where we 'fit' whether it is woodworking, going to the gym, working with animals, blacksmithing, there is so much out there that Veterans with PTSD can discover what they like to do that, in turn, helps them to better deal with their PTSD. It is also about learning to trust yourself and your abilities in a particular genre.
I write my poetry and songs, and do my comedy, and when I go to the camp, I talk about what I do to Veterans and First Responders at the camp, so that they are exposed to additional options that they might not have thought of or been exposed to before. I have gone to the camp several times thus far. They are still building the camp up, and its mostly Veterans and First Responders passing through who are volunteering to help build or who are just coming through for a weekend visit.
For any Veterans out there, this is a place where you can bond with other Veterans. You can open up and talk freely to your fellow Veterans. You can trade secrets to how you survived different things...different situations. It is in talking to each other that we can really make a big difference.
For those who are still dealing with survivors' guilt, whether it's a situation like mine (where I was the lone survivor), or a Veteran survived multiple tours and wonder why they are still around. They beat themselves up over that question. I tell them that they have to stop asking
that question and instead think about if they weren't here and if they didn't make it home. I ask them to think about what would they would want for the ones who did make it home. Cory McKee: We went out to the camp to help out with
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