the poppies blow;

[notachickenhawk]

Sender: Anonymous
To: Everyone
Subject: War

I know this is a difficult subject for some so please move along if it is for you. But for those of you who have been in wars or battles (formal or not) - how do you deal with it after?

At least from my perspective it's not over yet, but... I don't have to fight here. I don't have to be afraid for the lives of myself or those around me. But the blood is still on my hands. The battles I fought still took their toll. Nothing seems to help. I've heard 'time will help' but that doesn't do anything for me now, when I need help.

I don't normally ask for help, but I'm at a loss here.

Comments

Sender: Link

[timesensitive]

Go find something to do that isn't fighting.

[It works for him. Sometimes.]

Sender: Zelda

[multidisciplinary]

[ Normally, Zelda would have plenty of advice to share with someone. This is a subject she knows a lot about, having lived through not one, but two wars. But Zelda is tired and heartsick, so she will just share the one thing that drove her forward for the past four years. ]

Rebuild.

sender: ira

[iracorn]

Time does help, for what it is worth. But it is something that can really only be appreciated once it's passed.

But I've found that, finding a task or a longer term project tends to help. And if you need to talk...I am available.

Sender: Kazuma 兆麻

[nailed_navigation]

Do you have ways to divert your attention?


Speaking as someone who works for a God of War and an Ex-God of Calamity, Spiraling into Guilt helps no one.

[Ah.... So Kazuma is a do as I say, not say as I do sort of guy.]

Sender: Yato

[intertwinedfates]

If it's that you're still on alert for danger, for yourself and others, then breathing exercises to aid in relaxation may help. And if you're troubled by the lives you took, try to remind yourself that it was self-preservation and to protect those you care about.

What others have said about distracting yourself is true, but you can't just ignore the cause forever. You need to address it head-on eventually.

Sender: Kratos

[flamberge]

How one deals with the after is something that differs from person to person. Time helping make things easier, for example, isn't something likely to help those inexperienced with combat and war.

What helped me when I started as a solider, from what I recall, is reminding myself of why I fought and allowing that purpose to push me forward. So I'll that question to you: why is it that you fight?

Sender: Maedhros

[holdshisown]

Finding ways to keep yourself occupied can prove helpful. Keeping busy is a great way to keep from spending too much time thinking about it... but unfortunately it is just a stalling tactic in the end.

Talking about it helps too, even though it does not always feel like it in the beginning, for you can't really process and work through all those feelings unless you actually speak of them.