AJ the Irish Lass' Ramblings

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Originally posted September 15, 2016, textual modifications are noted

At the risk of sounding like I’m ripping off a tired cliche, this is more true than many realize. What people don’t know about a situation can hurt others, emotionally, psychologically, spiritually, and yes, physically. Ignorance is not bliss, folks, I’m sorry to say.

When my biological father died (November 2015), it was such an emotional trip it was unreal. Grief is never simple by any means, and when a troubled relationship is involved, things are more complicated than they appear. As with many other issues, people that are not the ones most closely involved only see one layer or one angle to the situation – and that layer or angle often takes only the deceased into account.

After someone made a particularly insensitive comment that insinuated that everything he went through was someone else’s fault, I realized just how rampant the one-sidedness is in people who ought to know better. The irony is that the person that made the comment witnessed a lot of his brokenness firsthand, and had excluded him from a lot of activities because of it – once he was gone, they apparently thought they could make up for writing him off by elevating him to sainthood and pointing fingers at others.

I’m going to be brutally honest here, hopefully without being brutal in the process. My father’s military service did not make him an exalted being automatically absolved of responsibility for his actions. He had to want help badly enough to not shut everyone out, and those who had more influence than I did in his life needed to care enough to see him whole to make some sacrifices for him.

If I had the chance to address the person who made these comments directly, here’s what I would like them to know:

First of all, stop pretending you know exactly everything they went through – just stop it! You weren’t there on the battlefield any more than their spouse/ex-spouse or child(ren) were. The combat veteran has one experience related to their trauma – the family members and friends have another, and some family members’ secondary experiences involving the vet’s trauma are far worse than others.

Secondly, if you never lived in the same house as the veteran when things reached their very worst, you can only guess at what it’s like. PTSD and other psychological issues (including when mixed with alcohol) are a heavy cross to burden others with who never asked for it. Maybe what some went through or witnessed is just too hard to talk about much.

Just imagine: if you’ve ever had to deal with a troubled houseguest for a few hours at a time who engages in cringeworthy, non-funny behavior. Then, imagine what it would be like to have said person living with you and having their tirades go on for hours, and worry about what the next thing is that might set them off. This is “life” for many living with someone who has unresolved issues.

Yes, there is recovery for all those impacted, even in cases where family members may have been set against each other by the alcohol, drugs, or untreated mental issues. (Some are exceptionally good at pitting people against each other, even if inadvertantly). Recovery isn’t reached by forgetting about what happened, sweeping it under the carpet, or haboring grudges.

My path to healing started with:

• Accepting the fact that living under the pain of past experiences was no longer acceptable
• Having the courage to speak out about my experiences in the hopes of reaching others
• Having the wisdom to know that I can’t change others’ skewered views about my late father’s troubles, but can change whether I allow their alternate reality to affect me.