Reach Out

[sean7phil]

Hi,

I am a Vietnam era brat and I just wanted to say that the one thing I learned from dealing with my fathers deployment (and the aftermath, which was in some ways even harder, because my Dad came back with PTSD) is the importance of reaching out for help.

Sometimes our strengths and weaknesses are the same thing.

For example, being a military brat has made me a very adaptable person, and made me strong, and a survivor.

**But these very same traits also made me wait way too long in getting help for some of the scars I bore (from growing up in a war-impacted family, plus some of the stresses from growing up very mobile).

So one thing I would pass on is not to let your brat toughness, and especially the brat tendency to stoically just 'soldier on', prevent you from reaching out for help and support, if ever needed.

There is no shame in one admitting that one is in pain or feeling stress. And there is no shame in asking for help or support.

Best, Phil