Yes of course I would honor the men and women who have fought for our independence over chronic pain on the day they should be recognized. Why? Because that was their day! Yes, I would share PTSD and the combat veteran over thinking of me, you and only your pain. I sound horrible to some of you, but on RSD/CRPS Awareness Day, Chronic Pain Awareness Day, or PTSD Awareness Day I would have honored you. Would have? I don’t know anymore.

People have shared successes in pain while other people jump on to tell those people “how they can’t”. I’d kind of think a congratulations, an I’m proud of you, or I’m happy for you might be supportive instead of killing someone else’s progress vibe. Seriously.

I wanted to honor the people who were either drafted, or had volunteered for your freedom.

Few like what I say, unless it’s written under a pseudo, and then it’s different. You’re perception is so different from who you think I am, and the exact replica that say’s it is astounding.

What would I do that for?

For the precise reason that I always have. Your mind effects you too. All of our minds do in every last morsel of who we are.

While anyone can experience PTSD, be diagnosed with, and be affected with, on the 4th of July it’s not exactly the same for me or you as it is for them. No one will be affected as much as front line soldier. Why? because yours wasn’t caused by a landmine, diving into ditches, being loaded with shrapnel, or being a survivor of a member of your troop who took the step for them.  To be more clear that step to death.

It’s not the same because if you were raped your PTSD is related to your trauma, and while some may have been in the presence of gun shots, not everyone was. If you were molested, beaten, abused, your PTSD is yours not theirs and theirs isn’t yours.

There may be some overlap in symptoms but PTSD is individualized it’s not a diagnosis that is the same for all people.

But you’ll use the Civil War where soldiers were shot, blown up and never healed as a crutch to RSD awareness, but then dismiss them because of yours.

Just like you’ll use those who commit suicide from pain to raise your word

but then when they survive it, they’re not enough anymore.

If you’ve never been in war, any kind of war…

You probably should Step off it for at least a day.