Hey everyone, thank you for reaching out to the Veterans Families Space for support!
We thought we'd open a discussion about Veterans sharing their experiences with family members, friends and carers. We know that not everyone is the same, and there are people who prefer not to talk that much or at all about their service, there are some who do find it beneficial to talk about their service, and maybe this depends on how they feel or what is going on. This is a discussion for you, as a family member, friend or carer and how a Veterans openness impacts you and your relationship.
Speaking from my own experience with my father, who did find it beneficial and enjoyed talking about his service. I have seen how it benefited him to be open and share what he experienced. Dad didn’t talk about things in a negative light and had fond memories of his time in the Navy and the opportunities it provided him in life.
Dad spent some time in a war zone and was on a ship that could come under fire at any time. He experienced stressors that impacted him, and his father died at sea, so there was a constant reminder. And he had a lot of physical medical issues that were a result of exposure in the Navy.
Dad did regret some of his experiences that were typical for that time period, as his physical health declined in his later years. That was part of the bigger picture that he was in as part of the ADF. It was about more than just his service, it was the lifestyle that went with it, and in the 50s to the 70s, there was not the same understanding of the harms caused by the lifestyle he led.
It was helpful for dad to talk about what he experienced in his service and the lifestyle that came with it. It also helped us as his family to understand what he was going through as his physical health declined as he got older. It brought us closer as a family, and we all lived the experiences he had, even though he was no longer enlisted in the Navy.
What do you think you can do to support your loved one, whether they share or don’t share their experiences?
Thank you again for reaching out to the community!
Take care
RiverSeal
