I can't find a job - part I
One phrase that stuck out to me was that he depressed that could not find a job. I was reading a news report of an individual that ended up losing his life to the police in a shoot'em up.
I do not know his background and what his life was like but I do understand the issue of depression and the concern of the unknown.
Let me go with part 1: retirement on the horizon.
The last three or four months of my long AF career was one where things when crazy with my health. The doc was not sure but felt I needed a stress test, both the run on the tread mill and the nuclear option. There were tests galore. Then I was scheduled with the gastro doc out at the post. I showed up and feeling down right good. Better than I had in about 3 months. So the doctor starts running down my records and discussing what some the the symptoms were and then asked how I was doing.
"Doing great. Feeling good."
"Really? No problems? What has happened in the last week to make that happen?"
"Received my retirement paperwork a couple of days ago. Have a part time job that is working out. Not bad."
He puts down the pen and sits back. He tells me about how many soldiers end up dying right before or on the day of retirement because of the stress of what is happening on the other side of a military career. We spent about an hour looking at the stress of the last six months to include the death of my mother in law, oldest daughter going off to college in the states, having to make a decision of retiring or staying in and taking a transfer to someplace I had no desire to go to, trying to determine where we would live, and the list went on. So my risk factor was off the charts.
I am glad that I am still around. But it does cause one to think about what or why we can get this way. Some go into a depression, others battle stress, and others take the bull by the horn and battle on.
One of the issues we encounter when we hold that DD-214 in our hands is that we do not have a formidable plan, especially if we are used to getting up every morning and putting on a uniform. The civilian side of the fence is totally different. And for some, that is hard to handle.
I know a number of friends and colleagues that say they miss "the life". With that there is that difficulty in transitioning.
I do not know his background and what his life was like but I do understand the issue of depression and the concern of the unknown.
Let me go with part 1: retirement on the horizon.
The last three or four months of my long AF career was one where things when crazy with my health. The doc was not sure but felt I needed a stress test, both the run on the tread mill and the nuclear option. There were tests galore. Then I was scheduled with the gastro doc out at the post. I showed up and feeling down right good. Better than I had in about 3 months. So the doctor starts running down my records and discussing what some the the symptoms were and then asked how I was doing.
"Doing great. Feeling good."
"Really? No problems? What has happened in the last week to make that happen?"
"Received my retirement paperwork a couple of days ago. Have a part time job that is working out. Not bad."
He puts down the pen and sits back. He tells me about how many soldiers end up dying right before or on the day of retirement because of the stress of what is happening on the other side of a military career. We spent about an hour looking at the stress of the last six months to include the death of my mother in law, oldest daughter going off to college in the states, having to make a decision of retiring or staying in and taking a transfer to someplace I had no desire to go to, trying to determine where we would live, and the list went on. So my risk factor was off the charts.
I am glad that I am still around. But it does cause one to think about what or why we can get this way. Some go into a depression, others battle stress, and others take the bull by the horn and battle on.
One of the issues we encounter when we hold that DD-214 in our hands is that we do not have a formidable plan, especially if we are used to getting up every morning and putting on a uniform. The civilian side of the fence is totally different. And for some, that is hard to handle.
I know a number of friends and colleagues that say they miss "the life". With that there is that difficulty in transitioning.
Well, wait for part II.
posted by LT @ 1:31 PM
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