The Collateral Damage of PTSD

by Roving Reporter, ©2024

(Nov. 25, 2024) — “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted” (3:13)

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to ‘The Pulse of the Nation,’ the place to hear it here first. Professor ‘Zork’ Zorkophsky is back with us to hawk his latest bestseller, ‘The Collateral Damage of PTSD,’ about the other half of a marriage decimated by PTSD. The divorce rate of those with PTSD is through the roof, and here to explain it all to us is our favorite shrink, Professor Zorkophsky. As many of you may know, Zork spent some time employed by the VA as a resident ‘pill pusher’ – one who writes ‘scripts for ‘downers’ – to desperate mentally damaged individuals. Welcome back to ‘Pulse,’ the most-watched information show in its time slot.”

“And thank you for giving me this opportunity to carve another notch on my laptop, so to speak. Another bestseller is nothing to be taken lightly, especially on such a sensitive subject. It is a rare milestone indeed for a marriage to survive PTSD. We always seem to focus on the one who was brain-damaged but seem to overlook the spouse, which is half the marriage. Let me state from the outset that I only treat men who were in combat, who came back into ‘The World’ shell-shocked, who conducted themselves outside the normal scope of a humane way of going through a day or an extended period of unnatural stress. Being shelled or sniped at constitutes a stressful environment. I, myself, fought hand-to-hand and had a knife at my throat (true story) and, obviously, survived. But at what cost besides my life? In my case, the cost was my marriage.”

“But you didn’t die; you made it back.”

“But I did die, when I divorced the woman I loved I died inside just as if I died on the battlefield. Let me tell you, there is no worse death than a lingering one.”

“Okay, the spouse suffers, too. What to do about it, if not shoving ‘downers’ down the throats of, as you say, the ‘nuts?’ What about it? What’s the solution?”

“The solution is simple; at least on the surface it is. The solution is communication, but to get a Veteran to ‘open up’ is akin to asking a cat to swallow a pill. I was brave in war but when it came down to asking my wife for forgiveness, I just couldn’t muster enough nerve, so rather than saying, ‘I love you,’ I said, ‘You’re divorced.’ The thinking was if she told me to ‘go to he**’ I’d eat a bullet; true story. But here’s the point: my story is not an isolated one; matter of fact, it is a common theme among Veterans who divorced, sad to say, but oh, so sadly true.”

“You mean you were afraid of words more than bullets, or shrapnel or, in your case, all the above plus a knife at your throat? Why, that just sounds, and there’s no other word, stupid. You come home with PTSD and are afraid to open up to your wife? And for what, a few seconds of rolling the dice versus decades of regret?”

“I’m afraid so, but I treat PTSD patients and, I’m telling you, that each one feels the same. It’s a question of eating a bullet or not. Look, all I’m asking is for understanding of how desperate a Veteran is when he thinks it is rational behavior to eat a bullet, that’s all. That’s what the book is all about, the causes and the solutions of combat Veteran suicide. Do you know that there are 50 and more Veteran suicides a week? One is one too many.”

“I thought it was 20, and then 22, but over 50 a week is way over the top. Why is that?”

“As I said, the lack of communication is the key and, I’m sad to say, our politicians don’t have a clue what’s going down. Our leaders are clueless.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m telling you the facts of life. Our soldiers get it, but our politicians don’t have a handle on reality; trust me. Not even close. They avoid the subject because it’s not ‘politically correct.’”

“I thought we were all done with that ‘politically correct’ nonsense.”

“Not by a long shot. Islam is a cancer of the soul, and our politicians are afraid to tell the truth, afraid to speak the truth just as I was when I should have told my wife that I loved her but chickened out.”

“So, you’re saying our politicians are afraid to tell the truth about Muslims so they keep quiet? Is that what you’re saying? They would rather have our country taken down than be called names; is that what you’re saying? They’re afraid? Afraid of the truth?”

“Yes, I’m afraid so. Tom Homan speaks loud and clearly about deporting illegal immigrants but NOT A WHISPER ABOUT DEPORTING MUSLIMS. Same with all the other people who have a voice but remain silent: they’re afraid of being ridiculed and called ‘racist’ or ‘Islamophobes.’”

“Afraid at the expense of our country? Even Trump?”

“Let me ask you one question, okay?”

“Ask away.”

“Is Obama a Muslim?”

“No, he went to a church in Chicago.”

“Was Obama a natural born Citizen?”

“Well, he did show a fake BIRTH CERTIFICATE.”

“He’s the key; take him down and the whole Muslim-invading Western Civilization falls apart. Take Obama down and the whole house of cards crumbles and the United States of America won’t see one more instance of antisemitism, Hamas flag-waving, ‘Free Palestine’ insanity ever again. That is, of course, if our politicians ever get an ounce of backbone, which I wouldn’t bet on.”

“You wouldn’t bet on it?”

“Not on your life, which is what our politicians are betting on: your life. I wouldn’t, but then I’m just a combat Veteran with PTSD who doesn’t know any better, right? One last thought.”

“Go for it.”

“When I was overseas, the enemy was the people who were fighting against me defending the Constitution; at least that’s they way I saw it. Now we have people right here in the United States defending illegals who, as far as I’m concerned, are people with the same mindset as I fought when I wore the uniform, understand? Yes, I see you shaking your head, but I don’t think the mayor of Denver or the other mayors and governors who support sanctuary cities and states have any idea of the wrath that may very well come crumbling down upon their shoulders. Just sayin’.”

“Understood. Okay, thank you for being our featured guest, and I wish you well on the success of your book; maybe it’ll help a married couple from getting the dreaded divorce. I sure hope so. This is your Roving Reporter, along with Professor Zorkophsky, wishing Veterans would talk to their wives while we wish all of you a goodnight: Goodnight.

“Good show. Hope the book helps someone. Burger time: my treat.”

“Wooden Heart” (2:03)

Roving Reporter