Nineteen years ago, Marc was beaten nearly to death on the job, and he says he’s been in the grip of PTSD every since.
Sadly, so have his wife and children.
This is a heart-breaking story of a man who suffered in the line of duty and has been abandoned by a society that doesn't understand his condition.
Lots of stories like out there these days. In the military, we have so many men and women suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder that we're now redeploying them before they get the treatment they need to recover.
We can keep deluding ourselves that it's all about "being tough" or whatever in a dog-eat-dog world. The fact is, though, that dealing with aggression at work bleeds over into the same at home, and vice-versa. There is just one person leading just one life. By expecting people to do the impossible, we are forcing fractures into the homes and workplaces of the nation. Hence, the mental health crisis.
This can change, but change must start with perspective. People with anxiety or depression aren't weaklings who should "tough it out" - the act of being "tough" furthers the condition and results in spill-over behaviour that hurts others.
Real strength isn't about aggression and endurance - it's about resilience and the ability to accommodate. That's both internally, with social-emotional tools, but also externally through dialogue and empathy.
This is the great challenge we face at this particular point in history. Until we recognize that true strength isn't an individual trait, we will continue to fall.
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