Night Terrors

Hello All,

I've realized that I have not posted an update since September 2013.  Forgive me! It has been very hectic and overwhelming with moving to another city, and dealing with many other changes.

Since my last post "Identity Crisis" we have moved to a city which is quite calmer.  In other words "boring".  Besides that the beach is only ten minutes away from our new home, our only excitement is Walmart!  It is definitely a retired community!

As I mentioned in my previous post, my husband has been struggling with his identity.  It has been very challenging for him and for me as his wife.  There are moments that I just want to shake him and tell him to wake up but then again that wouldn't help.  As much as I desire for him to return to the man I married, I am fully aware that his experiences were real and they torment him especially in his dreams.

There are times I have found him squatting like a child in the bathroom shaking and crying because he re-lived a crisis during combat.  My husband lost many friends and have also taken upon the guilt of losing them.  I can never understand the pain he feels because I've never been in his shoes.  I can only sympathize with him for I have seen many war movies but nonetheless it is not the same.

Identity Crisis

A couple of months have passed since I've posted.  Transition is an on-going process for most of us.  Some soldiers are able to adapt quickly others don't.  Unfortunately we fall under the category "don't"!

Although my husband has been home for 15 months, it's been very challenging for all of us.  He is now a retired veteran.  It's been very difficult for him to embrace that his career as an infantry soldier is over.  While others would be rejoicing about their retirement, he's not.

My husband has been in the military since he was 18 yrs old.  He is now 46.  Army life is all he's known.  Despite the dangers he faced, there was a sense of purpose that kept him going.  Being that he is now retired, he feels he has no purpose.  He is facing an identity crisis.