I am with you my veteran brother. PTS is something I have as well and was exasperated by other neuro challenges, or so the neurologist says. Thankfully medication and good therapy and positive living has helped a gret deal since starting my mental break a couple years back. You are on the money about the always on the alert lifestyle for most of us in the military service and not being able to turn that switch off after leaving it. I still struggle with that and have been retired from the service since 2011.
I'm really sorry you have to go through that problem. I left the navy in 2007. I wasn't looking at retirement. My marriage brought a host of responsibilities I didn't anticipate, but I didn't complain about them as it was my responsibility to address it as a husband.
So, what then? I couldn't work on sleep. Sleeplessness became an advantage and it's what I use now for my family time, work, and training. I try and catch up to sleep on the weekends. My kids are only 4/5 years old. Weekend naptimes are awesome.
Given my challenges with diabetes, the last thing I wanted was to be on meds for PTSD. I had to deal. My wife, on the other hand, is open to medicines for her. However, she is also diabetic and has opted to deal, but with assistance via therapy.
It's a struggle for stability that keeps me moving forward. My kids don't need to see my hardships. It's something I'll explain to them when they're older. The goal is to reduce the stress enough to manage normally as best as possible.
Best hopes to you for a continued safe and healthy present and future.
I do hope the best for you, your wife and family as you move forward in your battle with it. You got this and sounds like your winning so far. But just remember you don;t have to struggle alone.
Thank you very much. I do appreciate it. We've had some wins and losses, but overall, yeah like you said, I think we're mostly winning. Struggling alone is, and will continue to be, a challenge. I'm learning to keep that weakness ahead of me though to make sure I don't forget that fact.