SCOTT'S STORY PT 4
“After I came home from the first Gulf War, the things that I experienced, the actions that I was part of, it all crept into my head. And what did the military say? ‘Go to the VA. Go see somebody.’ So that’s exactly what I did. First thing I had to do was fill out a mountain of paperwork. Then I was told, ‘Okay, we’ll see you in ten days.’ But what if I was suicidal those ten days?
So I returned to the VA ten days later and I waited two hours in the lobby. I’m kind of glad that I did because I was able to sit there and see the different generations that served before me: Vietnam veterans, Korean veterans, World War II veterans. They all looked the exact same: thousand-yard stares, drooling out of the sides of their mouths.
When my name was finally called, I went in and met with a kid who was maybe in his mid-twenties – an intern. We spoke for 30 minutes. We didn’t even touch on the things I was experiencing. He just wanted to start writing me prescriptions – three prescriptions: one to help me sleep, one for my for my anxiety, and one to help me stay awake. Right then and there I knew I didn’t want to end up like the men that served before me sitting in the lobby. So I left. I’ve never been back.”
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